99 Country Report: Information Network
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Information Networks of Japan (Final)
Newspaper (4):
- Japan Times
Japan Times is Japan’s largest and oldest English newspaper outlet and it was established 124 years ago in 1897, headquartered in Tokyo. The stories shown on the front page are mostly related to international news such as the Russia-Ukraine war that’s been going on recently. However, under other sections and tabs on the website, readers are able to find news and articles related to other sectors such as community, culture, sports, etc. It is a very reliable source of information since the Times is a global news company and Japan Times being the Japanese branch of it can provide readers with some more international perspective on things.
- Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun is one of Japan’s 4 largest newspaper outlets. As soon as I opened the page, I saw articles regarding LGBTQ+ and mental health topics which were very eye-opening in comparison to other media sources that focus on big negative/bad stories while Asahi Shimbun seems to have a more casual audience. The news articles on the front page were topics that everyday citizens can relate to such as train schedules and COVID-19 updates. It is a nice contrast to Japan Times which focuses on more international news but with a Japanese perspective. The website is also divided into many different sections of articles depending on the category of the topic, making the search process much easier for readers who just want to be updated on what’s going on in Japan and around the world today. The target audience is your average newsreader who just wants to be updated on big stories going around and generally what is happening in Japan. It leans more towards the liberal side from the support of LGBTQ+ content and such, so I would consider it to be inclusive.
- https://newsonjapan.com/
- News on Japan
The website seems to have a heavy emphasis on big domestic and international news, such as war, nuclear weapons, and Japan’s population decreasing significantly. All the published information tends to be pro-Japan and pro-Japanese government’s way of thinking and dealing with issues without heading towards any extreme in one way or the other. It is a reliable source of information as everything on the site is academically/politically published, therefore it’s much better to use than a random internet website or blog. The main language is Japanese, catering to Japanese speakers and viewers with an English section. The topics tend to be serious without any entertainment element, just reporting on facts.
- https://japantoday.com/
- Japan Today
An online newspaper based in Tokyo, Japan that is owned by GPlusMedia Co. It publishes wire articles, press releases, and photographs, as well as opinion and contract pieces, such as company profiles, in English. Japan Today is a great and reliable information outlet to use for readers and viewers who want to see things that are directly published in English. Many of the other Japanese newspaper websites provide information and articles published in Japanese but later translated into English, so News on Japan is able to distinguish itself from the rest based on this factor alone. The first thing I saw on the front page was images from the Russia-Ukraine war, providing a serious sense to the site because of its focus on big international news. However, the articles provide insight into how what’s going on around the world is affecting Japan directly. Like finding out how 7 out of 10 Japanese citizens support sanctions against Russia through a survey. Japan Today is very pro-democratic.
New media (3):
- SNA Japan
The Shingetsu News Agency is Japan’s progress news agency that emphasizes finding out the truth behind all news and reporting it straight to the audience. Without any connection to the government or other news agencies, SNA claims that they are gladiators in the ring, struggling on the behalf of democracy, open society, and the fundamental interests of ordinary people. They operate mainly on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram, making them very relevant to today’s news environment and delivery method.
- Twitter Japan
Japan is Twitter’s second-largest market, behind only the United States. With over 50 million users – approximately 45% of the total population – Twitter is the second most popular social media platform in Japan after YouTube, according to 2020 statistics. The Twitter app has different sections on news and what’s trending, it is an easy-to-access and easy-to-use new media platform with auto-translation built-in, helping users communicate all around the world. Twitter is so popular in Japan that it should have been placed in importance because of individual users’ influence and which can shape the overall platform and community feel. The platform itself is neutral because anyone can post anything they’d like as long as it doesn’t contain threats or illegal activities.
- Tiktok Japan
The video-sharing service TikTok was used by almost 58 percent of people aged 13 to 19 years old in Japan as of January 2021 with numbers growing faster than ever with the rise of internet usage, especially amongst younger kids and teenagers. Although Tiktok is a Chinese platform, nobody can ignore its importance in today’s online society and the social media generation. Tiktok allows users to post and publish content in regards to any topic in any language, allowing users to find a community as simple as just using a hashtag. Because the app itself is algothrim-based, it is politically neutral. However, the content shown is accustomed to the user so whichever political stance the user has it what the app will display overall.
Social Media (3):
- Jake Adelstein
Jake Adelstein is an American journalist, crime writer, and blogger who mostly resides in Japan. He also wrote a highly rated book named Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan and is the first non-Japanese reporter working for Yomiuri Shinbun, one of Japan’s largest newspapers. His Twitter account is a good direct source of social media outlets since one can catch up on the big news of Japan through his feed. Because he is an American journalist, his tweets in English will make it much easier to understand the meaning and context because sometimes those are left out in translated sentences. Another advantage is that Twitter is such a widely used and easy to access platform therefore it’s easy to search up specific tweets by Jake using some keywords.
- Soranews24
Soranews24 is a bilingual news platform that provides articles and updates on Japan as well as other parts of Asia. The site was established in 2008 in Tokyo and it does not have a particular main focus on the type of news it reports, anything interesting, strange, or random could mostly definitely appear on the front page. The main page of the site is composed of articles and tweets published by what seems like individual users talking about various topics. I think the target audience is just someone who wants the know more about Japan’s culture and lifestyle. It is easy to navigate being a bilingual platform in Japanese and English and the overall site tends to touch on lighthearted topics. The source does not seem to have any sort of political stance since the articles posted are mostly non-political thus anyone could be a potential reader. However, the site does not contain many authorized or scholarly published articles so the reliability could be argued against.
- Application
- Line Japan
LINE is an instant communications application on electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, and personal computers. Line users exchange texts, images, video, and audio, and conduct free VoIP conversations and video conferences. In addition, Line is a platform providing various services including digital wallet as Line Pay, news stream as LINE Today, video on demand as Line TV, and digital comic distribution as Line Manga and Line Webtoon. Line’s parent company NHK is also in partnership with a Korean media company called Naver, letting the application operate and become popular in both Japan and Korea. It provides a lot of lifestyle commodities and other service revenues which is great for entertainment and for accessing lighthearted Japanese content.
Data source (3): done
- OECD – Japan
OECD, the organization for economic cooperation and development, is an intergovernmental unity with 38 countries working together to provide accurate demographical and economic data to stimulate growth and enhance world trade. It is a great source for basic country information such as population, GDP, education levels, etc. The website provides yearly country reports while being able to compare to other countries’ data measured in the same manner. It focuses on the health, economic, agricultural, energy, government, finance, and many other aspects of Japan and provides charted data for all of them.
- Freedom House (Japan)
Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government-funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. It describes itself as a “clear voice for democracy and freedom around the world”, although some critics have stated that the organization is biased towards U.S. interests as it is government-funded. The organization’s annual Freedom in the World report, which assesses each country’s degree of political freedoms and civil liberties, is frequently cited by political scientists, journalists, and policymakers. The organization is mostly funded by the U.S. government, therefore it has a pro-west and pro-democracy political stance. Especially their main mission is to advocate for democracy. Freedom House provides specific country reports which include Japan, where they talk about the public policies and political/social environment within Japan.
- Our world in Data (Japan)
Our world in Data is a scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems such as poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, war, existential risks, and inequality. It is a project of the Global Change Data Lab, a registered charity in England and Wales, and founded by Max Roser, a social historian and development economist. The research team is based at the University of Oxford. The website itself is fact and data-driven with no specific political stance. All the articles published are simply reporting on the numbers along with some graphs and background information. It is easy to access and understand with a search bar that allows readers to look up the data for any study or topic.
Visual/Audio (3):
- Disrupting Japan: Startups and innovation in Japan
This source focuses more on the tech and business side of Japanese News. Japan has always been known for its tech and automobile industry, it’s important to keep updated with the new innovations happening in the country since we could be directly impacted by any new technology nowadays with how connected the world is. I personally am also a big fan of startups and innovations because that’s what keeps our minds growing as human beings, creating new things. Also, I’m going to participate in a tech startup program this summer so looking at such news will be extremely beneficial to me and my ideas as well.
- https://www.youtube.com/c/VICENews or https://www.youtube.com/c/VICE
- Vice (Japan)
A Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, which consists of divisions including the printed magazine as well as a website, broadcast news unit, a film production company, etc. Vice has a few of its own youtube channels that provide a good variety of news and insider information on what’s happening in Japan. The target audience would be international viewers since Vice publishes information mainly in English, and with youtube being accessible in many parts of the world, it is an easy-to-navigate news source. As mentioned above, it is a media company that emphasizes film production and capturing stories through video and audio which can be more entertaining and eye-catching than your traditional newspaper outlets with just words. Vice has a pro-western political stance as all the content posted is being discussed from a westerner or American/Canadian view. It is also a relatively younger network so younger viewers might prefer its method of news delivery.
- South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post is a youtube organization and channel that delivers insider and local information from Asia and the Asia Pacific, specifically focusing on China as well as Japan, Korea, etc. I find this channel very educational as it publishes video footage from locals that are often speaking their own native language, Japanese. It is a channel that I often visit since the videos are all very professionally made, and it has an entertaining way of storytelling with beautiful shots of the local scenery along with the topic. It has a pro-Asian way of delivering information because all the videos provide cultural context along with the story itself. Since there are many different countries with various political views, so South China Morning Post is neutral. The target audience could be local viewers who want to view the information in English or just international viewers who want to keep up with what’s happening in Japan and the rest of Asia.
Source of choice:
- NHK world
NHK is one of Japan’s largest public media organizations with its own website and TV channel. The NHK world – Japan section from their official website provides media sources directly from Japanese media but translated into English which makes it a lot easier for foreigners like me to access the information. The official website provides a glimpse of daily news along with many entertainment outlets and local guides to help foreigners adjust to Japan’s culture and lifestyle. NHK also hosts some of the most-watched tv programs in Japan, securing its media influence within the country.
- Web Japan
Web Japan provides information about Japan including facts, fun and new trends, traditional and pop culture, science and technology, food, travel, and lifestyle. It is owned and operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. It can be used as a Gateway to Japan and the Japanese lifestyle which I think is a great source to use if you want to stay away from anything political and just wants to get to know more about Japan. There are articles and videos published, giving viewers a choice to engage. The target audience could be anyone, but especially a tourist since the site itself is very touristy based.
- Japan Info
Japan Info has plenty of articles related to Japan. They are submitted by thousands of writers knowledgeable about Japan and its traditions, the contents of all the articles are checked by the Japanese staff and native English proofreaders. The articles mainly contain information on recommended spots, restaurants, and travel planning, as well as general information, be it ancient culture or the latest trends. It is primarily catering to tourists, suggesting the beautiful places to visit and great restaurants to eat at in Japan. For someone who needs a lot of navigation when traveling to another country, this is a great source that focuses on the culture, traditions, and the good vibes of Japan.