06.26.04
Media Urged to Keep Silent on Princess' Trips

From The Japan Times: Media organizations belonging to the Imperial Household Agency's press club were asked to refrain from covering future private trips of Crown Princess Masako. Hideki Hayashida, grand master of the Crown Prince's Household, requested in a letter that the 15 member organizations not report on or take photographs of the crown princess on her trips. He added that "securing as stress-free and as quiet an environment as possible was absolutely necessary for (the crown princess') health to recover." Masako has been away from official duties since last December owing to health problems, including shingles. The Imperial Household Agency's press club decided that the choice of whether to follow the request should be left up to each media organization.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.26.04
Shukan Post Drops Nude Photos

From The Daily Yomiuri: Beginning with its June 28 edition, the weekly magazine Shukan Post will no longer publish photographs of naked women, which have become a staple in many Japanese newsmagazines. The change is part of an apparent shift toward higher-quality journalism to build readership at the magazine, which has seen its circulation drop by almost 30 percent since 1996. "I think our readers accepted the publication of such photos, but their necessity has inevitably faded with the deluge of nude pictures available on the Internet and through other sources," said the paper's managing editor, Takaaki Ebihara. Other magazines do not appear to be following suit. "We print such photos because they are news," said an official with another magazine, Asahi Geino.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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06.23.04
Man Who Leaked Stolen Documents Is Jailed

From the Mainichi Daily News: A Tokyo court sentenced a man to prison for 4 1/2 years for stealing documents related to a string of murders in 1997 and releasing them to the media. Shigeyuki Oketani, a member of an extremist group, stole psychiatric records on the underage killer from a hospital. He also allegedly broke into the home of the perpetrator's parents. "He ignored the spirit of the Juvenile Law by doing such things as trying to release investigation documents through the press, and his actions deserve strong criticism," said Megumi Yamamuro, presiding judge of the Tokyo District Court.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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06.23.04
Telecom Ministry Condemns False Report on Former Official

From The Japan Times: The Telecommunication Ministry reproached TV Asahi Corp. for allegedly false coverage of former Transport Minister Takao Fujii in a talk show program aired last September. According to the Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications, Fujii was presented in the program as harassing an opposition lawmaker who asked questions in a Diet session about Japanese abductees by North Korea. Fujii was absent during the questions, however, and the footage of him came was from a different session. The ministry wrote to the president of TV Asahi, claiming that the broadcaster made a "grave error," by giving viewers a wrong impression that Fujii was not eager to resolve the North Korea situation.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.23.04
Wide-Scale Digital Broadcasts to Start Sooner Than Planned

From The Asahi Shimbun: Digital terrestrial TV programs from five private broadcasters will reach an estimated 6.4 million households in Tokyo and surrounding areas two months earlier than planned. The five networks were scheduled to start wide-scale broadcasting in October, but they plan to begin experimental broadcasts in early August, which will allow viewers to watch high-definition digital broadcasts of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. If no problems arise, regular broadcasting is expected to start in early October. While public broadcaster NHK already transmits digital signals to around 6.9 million homes in the Tokyo area, only 120,000 households in central Tokyo can now receive the private networks' digital broadcasts.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.22.04
Reporter Charged With Trespassing on Bullet Train Tracks

From the Mainichi Daily News: An overzealous reporter attempting to photograph destruction caused by a recent typhoon was caught walking along a high-speed rail line off-limits to pedestrians. The reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun, who was not identified, jumped a fence to enter the railbed of the Tokaido Shinkansen line, over which trains between Tokyo and Osaka run at speeds of up to 270 kilometers per hour (168 mph). The Yomiuri Shimbun apologized for the reporter's incursion, which occurred while service on the line was suspended due to damage from the storm.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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06.19.04
Leak of Yahoo BB Records Raises Privacy Fears

From The Asahi Shimbun: Yahoo BB, Japan's largest broadband Internet provider, says that call records from its Internet telephony service were stolen. A group is suspected of attempting to extort money from the company to keep the information secret. The group is alleged to have used a former employee's password to download information from as many as several million customers. "Leakage of call records is more serious than that of its customer directory," telecommunications minister Taro Aso said. "Urgent action must be taken."
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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06.19.04
Rumors Swirl in Media Over Crown Princess' Health

From Kyodo News via Japan Today: The secrecy in Japan's royal family over the condition of Crown Princess Masako, following suggestions by the crown prince that she may have a psychological illness, has whipped up a media frenzy. According to official sources, the crown princess is taking a long retreat, and there is "no truth" to the reports of her fragile health.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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06.17.04
TV Asahi Settles Suit Over Misleading Report

From The Japan Times: TV Asahi apologized to 29 farmers in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture and settled a damage claim over a misleading 1999 broadcast on dioxin contamination in vegetables. The news report cited data on levels of dioxin in green tea leaves but gave the impression that the data were for leafy vegetables in general. After the report aired, some grocery stores stopped selling spinach from Tokorozawa. According to the farmers, the broadcast greatly affected their vegetable sales, and they claimed for 26 million yen ($240,000) in damages. The Tokyo High Court ordered that the broadcaster apologize and pay 10 million yen ($93,000) in compensation. TV Asahi admitted that the explanation in the news report was "inappropriate and caused misunderstanding among viewers."
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.14.04
Softbank, Eyeing Broadband Growth, Buys Japan Telecom

From the Los Angeles Times: With plans for "a new type of broadband service" in the works, Softbank's CEO says his company's buyout of Japan Telecom has major implications for the country's telecommunications sector. Masayoshi Son, who has been called the Bill Gates of Japan, wants to turn Japan Telecom into a dominant player in the corporate broadband world the way his company's Yahoo BB has done in the consumer market. But to do that, he will have to compete with well-established telecom firms, including NTT and KDDI.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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06.07.04
Japanese Companies Build DTV-Capable Cell Phone

From Wireless Watch Japan: KDDI R&D Laboratories and NHK Science and Technical Research Labs have jointly built a mobile phone with a digital television receiver. A prototype of the phone was shown at NHK's open house May 27-30, where visitors could watch newscasts displayed on the phone's screen. (See also Week in Review 06.01.04) This is Japan's first cell phone that can receive digital terrestrial TV signals and interactive services. Digital broadcasting aimed specifically at mobile users is expected to start in fiscal year 2005.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.06.04
Pressnet: Media Respect Privacy of Abductees' Children

From the June Pressnet Bulletin: The Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association (NSK) and the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan (NAB) said they agreed to respect the privacy of the five children of two Japanese couples abducted by North Korea and now living in Japan. In response to a request by the Association of Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea for sensitivity in covering the story, the two associations announced the agreement on "moderation in newsgathering and news reporting" on the children in Japan. NSK and NAB members have been criticized in the past for hounding high-profile subjects in their newsgathering. The two organizations requested that members of the Japan Magazine Publishers Association and independent media outlets follow the same guidelines for reporting on the families.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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Pressnet: Local Media Treat Hostage Crisis Delicately

Local media in Japan exercised self-regulation in their coverage of the hostage crisis in Iraq by following voluntary guidelines for press club members, Pressnet Bulletin also reports in the June edition. After a complaint about the aggressiveness of the reporting from the family of one of the hostages, local press clubs agreed to send a single reporter to talk to each family on behalf of all the organizations in the press club. The managing editor of the Hokkaido Shimbun in Sapporo, home to two of the hostages, said, "Many of our readers might see our paper as defending the hostages. But our basic position is for the protection of freedom of thought, creed and other human rights, as well as protecting human life." The managing editor of the Saitama Shimbun in Saitama Prefecture, where another of the abductees resides, said, "Everyone shares the prayer for the safety of the hostages. But we, the media, should stick to the basics of making judgments and writing articles for publication in a cool-headed manner. Otherwise, our news reports might descend into sensationalism."
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.03.04
Schoolyard Killing Linked to Internet Use

From Reuters: Japanese media looked to the Internet for a possible explanation for the recent murder of an elementary school girl by her classmate. The 11-year-old suspect is reported to have been upset with a message posted by the victim on a Web site when she allegedly cut the victim's throat at their school. Both girls kept personal Web sites and participated in online chats. According to government data, more than 60 percent of elementary students use the Internet, and most of them have their own Web sites.

Some specialists warn that communication via the Internet should be done with extra caution, because it may trigger emotional reactions that are less likely to happen in face-to-face conversation. Other experts claim, however, that it is wrong to blame the Internet for the recent spate of shocking juvenile crimes in Japan. "It is true the Internet can be a factor in increasing emotional reactions," said Tatsuo Inamasu, a media professor at Hosei University, "but the more basic problem is that of an inability to communicate skillfully with another human being." Inamasu also points out that a lack of understanding of the Internet among many parents and teachers leads to an idea that computers can cause a killing.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.03.04
Bodies of Slain Journalists Identified

From Mainichi Daily News: The families of Shinsuke Hashida and Kotaro Ogawa, the two Japanese journalists killed in Iraq last week, flew to Kuwait to identify their bodies. The uncle and nephew were killed when their car was ambushed on the way back to Baghdad from Samawah, where Japan Self-Defense Forces are stationed. Hashida, 61, died when the vehicle was set ablaze. Ogawa, 33, was shot to death after escaping from the burning car. (See separate article on identification of Ogawa.)
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.02.04
DTV Copy-Protection Measures Introduced

From The Asahi Shimbun: The Ministry of Public Management, Home Affairs, Posts and Telecommunications plans to strengthen controls to prevent illegal copying of cable TV programs sent via fiber-optics. Copyright holders of TV shows, including scriptwriters, have expressed concerns about piracy, since the new technology allows viewers to make unlimited copies of programs with no loss in quality. At present, cable programming via fiber optics is offered only by KDDI Corp. and BB Cable Corp., both of which have a few thousand viewers and use proprietary anti-piracy measures. To prevent repeated copying, the Telecom Ministry plans to limit viewers' access by restricting the number of times viewers can watch a given program. A unified coding system also will be implemented.
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Keiko Mori
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06.02.04
'Guardian' Writer Bemoans Japan's Iraq Coverage

From the U.K.'s Guardian Unlimited: Japanese news organizations have failed to tell the real story in Iraq, laments Justin McCurry, a Tokyo-based correspondent for The Guardian. They mostly toe the government line without digging for the truth, he writes. In Samawah, where Self-Defense Forces are stationed, renewed fighting has gotten little attention in the Japanese press, because journalists covering the troops are not allowed to leave the base. Meanwhile, McCurry writes, there are courageous freelance journalists -- such as Shinsuke Hashida and Kotaro Ogawa, who were killed in an ambush on May 27. "As major media organizations withdraw staff," he writes, "those who freelance as Hashida did are quickly becoming Japan's only direct link to the realities of the Iraq war." (See also Japan Media Review story on Iraq freelance reporter Takeharu Watai.)
 -- By Japan Media Review Associate Editor Eric Ulken
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06.01.04
NHK Shows Off Its Future Digital TV Technologies

From Singapore's IDG: Now that digital terrestrial television is underway in Tokyo and other major Japanese cities, broadcaster NHK recently opened to the public its research and development center, where engineers are working on technologies that take advantage of digital broadcasting. At the event, cell phones equipped for terrestrial digital television were demonstrated for the first time in Japan, according to IDG. (Analog TV phones are now on the market in Japan.) NHK's concept of "anytime, anywhere" access to programming also includes home servers coupled with digital TV, allowing users to view on-demand content via broadband. Another display at the event was a TV system that eliminates the use of remote controls. The technology monitors a viewer's eye movements so that a desired program can be chosen by looking at an on-screen menu and giving a voice command to change the channel.
 -- By Japan Media Review Managing Editor Shellie Branco
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