Yoshihide Suga and the Media

The Magazine of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan

February 2021 · Volume 53 · No. 2

Yoshihide Suga and the media

03 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021 In this issue February 2021 · Volume 53 · No. 2 Yoshihide Suga faced an unenviable task when he became prime minister last autumn. After a summer reprieve, coronavirus cases began to surge towards Contact the Editors [email protected] the end of the year, as did criticism of his signature Go To Travel scheme. Publisher FCCJ Ironically for a man who sparred with journalists for almost eight years as the government’s top spokesman, Suga is struggling to communicate his message, Editor Justin McCurry Designer Julio Shiiki as David McNeill reports. Editorial Assistant Naomichi Iwamura Photo coordination Hiroko Moriwaki, Norio Muroi This issue, my first as editor, also looks at plans for a new series of speaking Publications Committee Justin McCurry (Chair), Peter O'Connor, Suvendrini events at the FCCJ and introduces the Club’s new head chef and his team. Kakuchi,Monzurul Huq, Robert Whiting, David McNeill Simon Denyer explains how the Freedom of the Press Committee is building FCCJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS ties with correspondents’ clubs across the region in defence of journalists and President Isabel Reynolds, Bloomberg L.P. Special Advisor to the President a free media. Ilgin Yorulmaz examines male dominance of Japan’s newsrooms Monzurul Huq, Prothom Alo, Dhaka 1st Vice President Andy Sharp, Nikkei Asian Review through the eyes of female journalists who spoke at the Club in January. 2nd Vice President Walter Sim, Straits Times I would like to thank my predecessor, Peter O’Connor, for mentoring me Treasurer Mehdi Bassiri, O.B.M. Co., Ltd Secretary Ilgin Yorulmaz, through this first issue with typical good humour, and Julio Shiiki, our brilliantly Freelance/BBC World Service Turkish Directors-at-Large creative designer, for his help and patience. Peter O’Connor, Freelance I encourage you all to pitch stories – after all, this is your magazine. Please Simon Farrell, Custom Media K.K. Mary Corbett, Cresner Media contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you. Daniel J. Sloan, Freelance/Nissan Motor Kanji Gregory Clark, Freelance Associate Kanji Vicki L. Beyer, Freelance Ex-officio Khaldon Azhari, PanOrient News THE FRONT PAGE Regular Reserve Director: Pio d'Emilia, SKY TG 24 FCCJ COMMITTEE CHAIRS 04 From the President Diversity Co-Chair and Board, Liaison: Ilgin Yorulmaz Co-Chair and Board Liaison: Walter Sim Isabel Reynolds Publications Chair: Justin McCurry, Board Liaison: Peter O’Connor Website Chair and Board Liaison: Simon Farrell COVER STORY Associate Members’ Liaison Chair: TBA Board Liaison: TBA Entertainment Chair: Sandra Mori, Board Liaison: Walter Sim 05 Communication breakdown Exhibition Chair: Bruce Osborn, David McNeill Board Liaison: Peter O'Connor Film Chair: Karen Severns, Board Liaison: Dan Sloan Finance Chair and Board Liaison: Mehdi Bassiri Food & Beverage Co-Chair: Robert Kirschenbaum, PAC EVENT REPORT Co-Chair: Pio d'Emilia, Board Liaison: Mary Corbett Freedom of Press Co-Chair: Justin McCurry, Co-Chair: Simon Denyer, Board Liaison: Ilgin Yorulmaz 08 House & Property Chair and Board Liaison: Andy Sharp Breaking down barriers Human Resources Chair and Board Liaison: Walter Sim Ilgin Yorulmaz Information Technology Chair: TBA Board Liaison: TBA LAW Co-Chair: Koichi Ishiyama, Co-Chair: Suvendrini Kakuchi FREEDOM OF THE PRESS COMMITTEES IN ASIA Board Liaison: Peter O’Connor Public Relations (incorporating Marketing Membership) 11 Together we stand Chair and Board Liaison: Simon Farrell Membership Co-Chair: Andrew Horvat Simon Denyer Co-Chair: Monzurul Huq, Board Liaison: Peter O'Connor Professional Activities Co-Chair: Tetsu Jimbo Co-Chair: David McNeill, Board Liaison: Andy Sharp CLUB NEWS Special Projects Chair: Haruko Watanabe, Board Liaison: TBA DeRoy Memorial Scholarship Co-Chair: Abby Leonard Co-Chair: Kazu Takada, Board Liaison: Ilgin Yorulmaz 13 Broadening debate at the FCCJ Compliance Chair: Kunio Hamada, Board Liaison: TBA Anthony Rowley Election Chair: Reed Stevenson 15 One to dine out on Suvendrini Kakuchi

18 New members, Join the Film Committee, The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan Marunouchi Nijubashi Building 5F New in the library, Regular by eggs Marunouchi 3-2-3 Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-0005 Tel: (03) 3211-3161 Fax: (03) 3211-3168 fccj.or.jp

Published by the FCCJ All opinions contained within EXHIBITION Number 1 Shimbun are those of the authors. As such, these opinions do not constitute an official position of Number 1 Shimbun, the editor or the 20 International Women in Photo Award 2020 Foreign Correspondent’ Club of Japan. Please pitch and send articles and photographs, or Cover: Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime address comments to [email protected] Read the Number 1 Shimbun online: minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/ www.fccj.or.jp/number-1-shimbun Bloomberg Credit: POOL/ZUMA Wire/Alamy Live News 04 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

THE FRONT PAGE From the President

Dear Members,

’m feeling somewhat encouraged as I write this, hours after the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced a tally of 1,070 I new coronavirus cases for the day, which is less than half the peak we saw two weeks ago. The lockdown-lite may be playing havoc with our social lives by closing most places down at 8 p.m., but it is clearly taking us in the right direction. Meanwhile, vaccinations are set to begin in Japan in roughly a month, which will be another milestone in the battle against the disease. Nonetheless, we still have a long way to go to get cases in the capital back under 500 a day, one of the criteria for the government to end the state of emergency. ©FCCJ / JULIO SHIIKI Sadly, the restrictions imposed to contain the infection have affected business at our much-loved Masukomi Sushi bar, which will temporarily close its doors from February 1 until the emergency is lifted. It’s disappoint- ing that our members will be deprived of the in the media with some of the country’s most delicious offerings from Masukomi for a while, experienced female journalists earlier in the and I know you will all join me in hoping that month. The audio from that event is available infections in Tokyo subside quickly enough to to members on our website. end the emergency sooner rather than later. In other good news, the outsourcer in our That means we all have to do our part, and Main Bar, W&D, has got off to a good start, not forget to wear masks in the Club, includ- with many members praising both the food ing in the Work Room, except when eating or and wine. We look forward to a fuller service drinking. Please also sign in and have your tem- from Chef Shimizu next month, although perature taken when you enter the premises. some restrictions resulting from the virus We need cooperation from all our members as emergency are likely to remain at least until we try to offer the best service we can, while February 7. minimizing the risk of infection. Finally, I wanted to mention that we will be There’s still plenty going on at the FCCJ to working with a team of young businesspeople take your mind off the virus and the chilly from the Japan Market Expansion Competition winter weather, though, and much of it can be over the coming months. Their brief is to help experienced either in person or online. In Jan- the Club operate more efficiently and effec- uary, we had a fascinating press conference tively, without of course losing its raison d’être. with dissident Chinese artist and filmmaker The members of the team will be gathering Ai Weiwei, who discussed everything from his information at the Club in the near future, so if early life as an exile in Xinjiang to Beijing cen- you happen to meet them, please make them sors’ influence over the global film industry feel welcome and let them know your opinions and the reasons why he doesn’t expect anyone on any aspect of the FCCJ. to poison his tea. Do catch up with that conver- sation on our YouTube channel if you missed it. One of the prime minister’s foreign policy ● Isabel Reynolds has been reporting for advisers, Kunihiko Miyake, also spoke to mem- Bloomberg in Tokyo since 2012. She has lived in bers, while our Diversity Committee staged an Japan for more than 20 years and been a Regular illuminating online discussion panel on women Member of the FCCJ for most of that time. 05 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

COVER STORY COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN YOSHIHIDE SUGA’S TESTY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MEDIA LAID BARE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC PHOTOGRAPHER: KIYOSHI OTA/BLOOMBERG CREDIT: WIRE/ALAMY LIVE NEWS POOL/ZUMA

Yoshihide Suga, Japan’s prime minister, speaks during a news conference at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021.

DAVID McNEILL

ust before Christmas, the muckraking weekly “I think there are people who want an explanation magazine Shukan Bunshun speculated on the about what is going on,” prodded Arima. possible removal this April of Yoshio Arima from Observers noted that the atmosphere in the studio J his role as anchor of NHK’s flagship evening cooled as Suga treated Arima to his trademark hooded news program News Watch 9. glare. “There are things that can be explained and things During a live interview last October, Arima had asked that cannot,” he said, cutting him off. Afterwards, Suga’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to elaborate on why he had handlers allegedly bore down on NHK for asking an blocked the appointment of six science council scholars unscripted question. as advisors on government policy, reportedly as payback The interview, and its possible denouement (ironically, for their criticism of his predecessor, Shinzo Abe. the Bunshun piece makes sacking Arima more difficult) 06 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

may sound familiar. In 2014, Hiroko Kuniya, clear that he is a poor public speaker too.” To who had anchored NHK’s investigative pro- insulate himself from the growing flak about gramme “Close-up Gendai” for two decades, his pandemic response, he says, Suga sticks to was also removed following an uncomfortable prepared texts and carefully stage-manages encounter with Suga. his meetings with journalists. The weekly press then, too, blamed Kuniya’s Trusted reporters from the elite media are downfall on an interview in which she asked assigned in advance by Kantei bureaucrats. In the then chief cabinet secretary an impromptu most cases, says Teddy Jimbo, founder and CEO question on the possibility that new securi- of Internet broadcaster Video News Network, ty legislation might mean Japan becoming Suga is literally reading his replies from a script. embroiled in other countries’ wars. Jimbo is one of the few reporters to ask a Arima’s predecessor, Kensuke Okoshi was non-scripted question, at a live televised press also allegedly ousted after a clash with a mem- conference in January. “I said, ‘All night you ber of the Abe government. have you been asking us what we are prepared The near simultaneous departure of Kuni- to sacrifice. My question is, what has the gov- ya and two other liberal TV anchors from the ernment been doing while asking for sacrifices. airwaves, Ichiro Furutachi of TV Asahi’s “Hodo Japan has the largest number of hospital beds Station”, Shigetada Kishii of TBS (all compara- in the world, so why is our medical situation in tively robust critics of the government) sparked an emergency?’” a major political row and drew global attention The query, and the suggestion that the gov- “It’s not a free to the Abe government’s attempts to cajole and ernment was not doing enough to push the coerce the media. Japan Medical Association to convert more press if it is all hospital beds to emergency use, seemed to pre-arranged. Thin-skinned throw Suga, recalls Jimbo. “He was looking at But that’s how Expectations that Suga might improve relations me very nervously and simply said, ‘I’ll look with the press corps were low, therefore, when into it.’ I don’t think he understood the issue.” it works: the he succeeded Abe in September 2020. If any- The kisha clubs are hardly a new topic in bureaucrats are in thing, he has been worse than predicted, says Japan. But their role in stage-managing news Kaori Hayashi, a media scholar at the University has become starker as the ranks of freelancers control of 99% of of Tokyo. “I think the situation has exacerbated and internet journalists grow. The only reason what happens in under Suga,” she says. “Abe was talkative but Jimbo got to ask the question at all, he spec- Suga just tries to avoid questions and manage ulates, is because the new Kantei press man- Japanese politics” what to say. He has no opinions at all.” ager may not have known who he was. Jimbo These qualities are laid bare during Suga’s reckons he got to ask just two questions in the press conferences on the coronavirus pandem- seven-and-a-half years of Abe’s tenure. ic, which often seem closer to stenography “It’s not a free press if it is all pre-arranged. than journalism. His non-answers and repeated But that’s how it works: the bureaucrats are in use of the phrase “I would like to refrain from control of 99% of what happens in Japanese responding” has become a mocking internet politics,” he says. meme. Observers note his apparent nervous- ness at the lectern, and how be clams up or Shut down lashes out – his stock phrase is “Your point is Suga earned his political spurs as Prime irrelevant” – when pressed to explain govern- Minister Abe’s loyal enforcer during his record ment policy. stint as the government’s top spokesman. His “The prime minister seems to believe that the tenure was marked by terse encounters with role of press conferences is to unilaterally convey reporters, and a renewed government focus on the government’s oven-ready thoughts,” says bastions of perceived liberal journalism, partic- Toshiaki Hibino, a Kyoto Shimbun reporter and ularly in The Asahi Shimbun and NHK. member of the Kantei press club. “New facts are One of Abe’s first moves was to appoint four rarely unearthed at these press conferences.” conservative allies to NHK’s board. Momii Kat- Suga’s new role has exposed his lack of suto, the corporation’s new president, had no political skills, says one senior NHK journal- broadcasting experience and quickly asserted ist. “He was always thin-skinned, but it is now that NHK’s role was to reflect government pol- 07 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

icy in a now notorious formulation: “When the cal lessons – and hold a grudge. government is saying right, we cannot say left”. The FCCJ is part of LDP lore, too. In 1974, The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) wrote to Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka was grilled at television bosses in 2014 demanding political the club over a weekly magazine article that impartiality. In 2016, the communications min- accused him of corruption. It had been a tra- ister, Takaichi Sanae, threatened to close televi- dition to invite sitting prime ministers to polite sion stations that flouted rules on impartiality. luncheons at the club, but Tanaka’s public There were skirmishes with reporters deemed humiliation – and his resignation a few weeks “anti-government” and access granted to later – ended that. favored scribes. In 2014, Suga agreed to a press conference Those who stepped out of line, such as Isoko at the FCCJ (after over a year of badgering) but Mochizuki, the spry Tokyo Shimbun report- then tried to turn it into a kisha club event by er who became Suga’s nemesis during daily requesting questions in advance. When it was government briefings, were slapped down. In pointed out that the FCCJ could not work that December 2018, for example, Mochizuki repeat- way, he demanded the first question be agreed edly questioned Suga on land-reclamation work beforehand, then attempted to fill a one-hour in Henoko, Okinawa, where the government is event with a 45-minute monolog. building an offshore US airbase, mostly in defi- Suga has brought those hard-shouldered ance (as Mochizuki pointed out) of local wishes. tactics into the Prime Minister’s Office, says Mochizuki was harried throughout by the Jimbo. “He is strengthening media control, “In a democracy press club moderator to wind up her question. using the same tactics, more thoroughly and you need some Suga grew increasingly irritated before shut- completely.” Jimbo recalls that when a report- ting his briefing book, snapping back: “This is er recently asked a question that was slightly ability to explain not the place for responding to your assump- rephrased, “someone rushed over to complain and demonstrate tion,” and stalked out of the room. Suga then and said the prime minister was very angry policy. I don’t launched a campaign against Mochizuki for because the question was not the same. That “spreading disinformation”. didn’t happen that much under Abe.” know if Suga The encounters between a dogged journalist These attempts to throw a cloak over the can maintain determined to probe authority and a govern- government’s actions may not be working. ment accused of authoritarianism had a mythic Public approval for Suga’s government plum- his power while quality that has appealed to some. Mochizuki meted to 40% in January, according to an NHK not explaining was the subject of a 2019 documentary by poll, the steepest fall since Naoto Kan’s tenure acclaimed filmmaker Tatsuya Mori and is the a decade earlier. anything at all.” fictional heroine of a drama called “The Jour- Unless his fortunes dramatically improve, nalist”, which won best picture at the Japan Suga may return Japan to the tradition of Academy Awards in 2019. revolving-door leaders that prevailed before Abe took office in 2012. Grudge match If that turns out to be the case, Suga’s poor The LDP’s distrust of the media has deep roots. communication skills and testy relationship In 1993, amid economic stagnation and corrup- with the media will be partly to blame, says tion scandals, the party was drummed out of Jimbo. “In a democracy you need some abili- office for the first time since 1955. Party strate- ty to explain and demonstrate policy. I don’t gists concluded that they had underestimated know if Suga can maintain his power while not television and the influence of a new breed of explaining anything at all.” unconventional anchors, particularly Hiroshi Kume of TV Asahi’s News Station. ● David McNeill is co-chair of the FCCJ’s TV Asahi’s director of news Tsubaki Saday- Professional Activities Committee and a oshi seemed to confirm this when he rashly professor at the Department of English Language, boasted (in a private meeting) of his network’s Communication and Cultures at Sacred Heart power to swing public opinion against the University in Tokyo. He was previously a government. The consequences of the Tsubaki correspondent for The Independent and The Incident, rippled far into the future and demon- Economist newspapers and for The Chronicle of strated the ability of LDP elders to learn politi- Higher Education. 08 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

PAC EVENT REPORT BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY IN THE NEWSROOM IS A REFLECTION OF JAPAN’S WIDER GENDER PROBLEM

Panelists take part in a women in Japanese media event held at the FCCJ in January ILGIN YORULMAZ

ne of Japan’s first notable female Hani, one of five female journalists working on journalists was Motoko Hani, the the frontline of the media who appeared at the co-founder of the country’s oldest Club in January, warned that a lack of diversity O women’s magazine, Fujin no Tomo in media not only adversely affects the content, (Women’s Friend), 118 years ago. The publica- distribution and perception of news, it also tion was launched at a time when women’s lives makes it harder for women to break through were dictated by customs and traditions, and into managerial ranks and effect much-needed very few had connections outside their homes. change in both the local and national media. The monthly magazine is still going strong, The statistics support their concerns. Japan and is now edited by Hani’s grandniece, Yoko came 121st out of 153 nations in in the World Hani, who told a recent FCCJ event that, Economic Forum’s 2020 gender gap index – its despite the passage of time, gender roles in lowest ranking ever. Japan remain largely unchanged – including in Few sectors reflect that male dominance of the media. the economy and society more than Japan’s 09 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS YOKO HANI FCCJ

media. According to Japan Media Culture Infor- rial and managerial roles, she said. Top: Ilgin Yorulmaz emcees a women in Japanese media event mation Group’s 2020 survey, women fill less Aihara recalled her male editors’ attitude at the FCCJ in January than 10% of management roles in Japanese when she told them she was interested in Right: Yoko Hani, editor-in-chief print and broadcast companies. And of 10 mar- becoming a Fulbright fellow. None of them of Fujin no Tomo (Women’s kets recently analyzed by the Reuters Institute, appeared to grasp how important it would be Friend) magazine Japan stood alone in having no female senior for her career, she said. news editors, despite a steady increase in the “I had to plead with my editor to allow me to number of women working in journalism. do the fellowship,” she said. “He kept asking Hani, who has years of experience as a ‘What is Fulbright? What kind of change will reporter and editor, acknowledged that Japan it make in your life anyway?’” After getting a had made progress since the days when her job at a local newspaper, she and other female great-aunt ran stories on managing household writers discovered they were paid less than finances and heavy-drinking husbands, but male journalists doing equivalent jobs. added that gender roles inside the home had Magdalena Osumi, a Polish journalist who not fundamentally changed. has worked for the Japan Times for seven “Many [Japanese] women think political news years, considers herself “a minority within a belongs to men,” said Hani, a former political minority” as a foreign female journalist. reporter, adding that many women struggled to “Women are not taken seriously,” said Osumi, make the link between their everyday lives and who writes about social and legal issues. “And the decisions made in the lower house of the that includes female journalists.” Diet, where just 9.9% of lawmakers are women, When writing articles, Osumi finds that according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. she invariably ends up having to talk to male Hiroko Aihara, a former reporter for Fukushima experts due to the dearth of women comment- Minyu Shimbun and now a freelance journalist, ers, a common problem that inevitably skews recalls learning an early lesson about society’s reporting towards a male outlook. expectations for girls and women when she was Video journalist Grace Lee, who covers Asia growing up in Fukushima in the late 1960s. for a diverse, international audience, agrees “Girls from my junior high school and I were that the sense among women journalists that trying to negotiate with our male teachers on they are not as trusted as their male counter- everything from wearing white socks to playing parts can affect their self-confidence. in the school boys-only soccer team,” she said. “A lot of young women start off with a “This was my first battle with gender issues,” imposter syndrome, thinking that maybe she added, noting that one of those girls was they’re not the right person to tell this story, or Asako Takakura, who went on to play for the they don’t have enough authority to do this,” Japan national team and is now its manager. said Lee, a Korean-Canadian who reports on Without a clear program to help women gain Japan for outlets such as CBS in Canada and a footing in journalism and rise through the NPR in the US. By contrast, she said, many of ranks, female journalists find it hard to obtain their less qualified male counterparts did not the experience they need to compete for edito- seem to have any self-confidence issues. “Just 10 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

was carried out soon after Junichi Fukuda, then the most senior bureaucrat in the finance ministry, resigned over claims that he had made sexually inappropriate comments towards a female journalist. Fukuda’s then boss, the finance minister, Taro Aso, later blamed the victim, earning him an award for the year’s most sexist remark. “Aso made very hostile remarks about Japa- nese reporters, and we couldn’t let this incident go,” said Yoshiko Hayashi – co-founder in 2018 Yoshiko Hayashi, freelance journalist and co-founder of of Women in Media Network (WiMN Japan), a Women in Media Network diversity and safety advocacy group for female Japan, during a visit to Kusatsu, journalists in the Japanese media that now has a hot spring resort whose 100 members. mayor has been accused of sexually assaulting a female Hayashi, who spent 30 years at the Asahi assembly member. YOSHIKO HAYASHI YOSHIKO Shimbun before resigning in 2016, said she was inspired to help launch the group by the keep your head up,” she said. Fukuda case and the lack of remorse shown by Although relatively new to Japan, Lee said Aso and other men in positions of power. most of the people put forward for her to After the Fukuda incident, WiMN Japan pub- interview are men, even when she is covering lished a white paper, Mass Communication and gender-related issues, even for a report on Sexual Harassment in Japanese Media, which non-regular workers hit hard by the coronavi- documented episodes of systemic harassment rus pandemic, most of whom are women. against female reporters. “Having grown up in South Korea, I recognize “I don’t think the current Japanese gov- and sympathize with the kind of environment ernment is enthusiastic when talking about that girls here grow up with from a young age,” gender equality,” Hayashi said. “They just want she said. women to contribute to the economy because While female journalists are overlooked in the population is declining.” one sense, in another they receive more scru- Despite the many challenges, women in the tiny than men, according to Osumi, “especially media are beginning to make their presence when we cover issues that are more controver- felt. Miwa Higashimuki of Reporters Without sial and don’t please a large audience.” Borders said the organisation had recently Her encounter with Foreign Minister Toshim- joined hands with a group of concerned jour- itsu Motegi last September, when he appeared nalists to create the first Charter for Gender to question her Japanese-language ability in Equality in Japan’s Media Industry. response to a question about immigration And in April last year, the Asahi Shimbun policy, invited accusations of sexism. “We are became the first Japanese media organisation attacked more on social media because we are to announce a Gender Equality Declaration. women, and I think that happens quite often to The Asahi said it would “seek to at least many women managers,” Osumi said. double the number of women in managerial The discussion inevitably turned to sexual positions, who currently hold about 12 percent harassment in the workplace. of such posts. We will also seek to improve the A 2018 survey by Prof. Mayumi Taniguchi, a ratio of male employees who take paternity gender studies expert at Osaka International leave. We will also review the work style of all University, found that women working for Jap- employees and make efforts to foster person- anese newspapers and TV networks had been nel so that everyone, regardless of gender, can sexually harassed – many repeatedly – with be active workers while also caring for their government officials, police officers and MPs children and aged relatives”. cited as the perpetrators in about a third of the cases. ● Ilgin Yorulmaz is a reporter for BBC World The poll, which uncovered 150 cases of Turkish. She is secretary of the current FCCJ Board alleged sexual harassment targeting 35 women, and co-chairs the Diversity Committee. 11 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS COMMITTEES IN ASIA TOGETHER WE STAND

WITH PRESS FREEDOM UNDER ATTACK ACROSS ASIA, CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUBS THROUGHOUT THE REGION JOIN FORCES PHOTO BY IZHAR KHAN FROM PEXELS FROM KHAN IZHAR BY PHOTO

SIMON DENYER

ith press freedom in Asia under ingly authoritarian Chinese government, and intensifying attack, the region’s fueled by the uncertainty created by the coro- foreign correspondents’ clubs navirus pandemic, according to the industry W are forging a united front. watchdogs Reporters Without Borders. In a very rare move, seven clubs and associ- The FCCs of Japan, Hong Kong, Jakarta, the ations for the foreign press came together to Philippines, South Asia, Taiwan and Thailand issue a joint statement in December express- joined hands to back a statement by the FCC in ing concern about the detention of Bloomberg China seeking an explanation from the authori- journalist Haze Fan by the Chinese authorities. ties for Fan’s detention. Fan’s detention strikes at an issue of central The statement was coordinated by the FCCJ’s concern to all foreign correspondents – the Freedom of the Press committee, which has set safety of the national staff who work along- out to forge closer links between foreign corre- side us and may not enjoy the same protec- spondents’ clubs across Asia as part of its man- tions as we do. date to “defend the freedom of the press and the But it also reflects a significant deterioration free exchange of information,” a key objective in press freedom across Asia, led by an increas- laid out in the club’s Articles of Association. 12 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

TOGETHER WE STAND

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Asia is home to the world’s biggest prisons for journalists and bloggers – especially China and Vietnam – the deadliest countries, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Bangladesh, and two of the most repressive, North Korea and Laos.

Six FCCs came together again in January to demic, and pointed out that the Communist issue a strong protest against the convictions Party’s censorship had a key role in allowing and harsh prison sentences of between 11 and the virus to spread unchecked in the initial 15 years handed down by a Vietnamese court weeks of the outbreak. to three Vietnamese journalists, Pham Chi In addition, democracies across the world Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh have used the pandemic as an excuse to Tuan, for “spreading anti-state propaganda”. reduce the space for the transparent flow of Vietnam imprisoned 28 journalists in 2020, information, he added. highlighting the growing contradiction between The Trump administration has been “the its efforts to portray itself as a modern state and worst possible exemplar” in its attitude towards friend of the West, and the reality of censorship the press over the past four years, according to and repression under one-party rule, as the joint Alviani, who said he was also “very disappoint- statement noted. ed” by the failure of Japanese Prime Minister There has never been a more important Yoshihide Suga to make any attempt at improv- time for foreign correspondents’ clubs to stand ing the situation for press freedom here. together, and to stand alongside national jour- “Because democracies are not able to be nalists across the region. exemplars of press freedom, authoritarians Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says Asia feel entitled to extend their repressive appara- is home to the world’s biggest prisons for tus,” he said. “Japan should be a better exam- journalists and bloggers – especially China and ple. Considering its power, we cannot accept Vietnam – the deadliest countries, including Japan would just be an average country (for Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Ban- press freedom).” gladesh, and two of the most repressive, North To further its mandate, the Freedom of the Korea and Laos. Press Committee is planning to revive the FCCJ Cédric Alviani, the East Asia bureau head for Freedom of the Press Awards this year. RSF, said press freedom in Asia was continuing As well as an award for a Japanese individual to deteriorate, due in part to “the very bad or media organization whose coverage exem- example set by the Chinese regime in the past plifies the value of press freedom, we also plan six to seven years,” and its repression of both to create another award that recognizes efforts professional and citizen journalists. to support press freedom and confront the In late December, citizen journalist Zhang powerful elsewhere in Asia. Zhan was jailed for four years for her video and blog reports from the coronavirus lock- ● Simon Denyer is the Tokyo bureau chief of the down in Wuhan. Washington Post, covering Japan, North Korea and Alviani said seven journalists remain behind South Korea, and co-chair of the FCCJ Freedom of bars in China due to their reporting of the pan- the Press Committee. 13 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

CLUB NEWS BROADENING DEBATE AT THE FCCJ

TASK FORCE PLAN WILL ADD VALUE TO CLUB EVENTS ©FCCJ / JULIO SHIIKI

ANTHONY ROWLEY

he FCCJ likes to bill itself as a place Launching this kind of forum is of more than “where the news is made”. True to its just academic interest and importance. The word, the club has a long history of FCCJ needs to make better and more intensive T hosting key speakers whose appear- use of its spacious, modern premises to provide ances have often made waves. Now is the time existing and potential members with a wider to broaden the club’s remit and strengthen its range of professional events that will in turn role as a place not only where the news is made, make membership of the club more attractive but also where discussion and debate flourish. and give members better value for money. That is the main recommendation of an events Critically, the club needs to generate new task force that has been approved by FCCJ Pres- revenue and is ideally situated to tap into new ident Isabel Reynolds and the FCCJ board. income sources by virtue of its location in the The task force’s remit was to examine how heart of Tokyo's Marunouchi business and we can expand our menu of professional financial district. By staging more frequent pro- events to include activities that are informative fessional events, particularly those of a finan- and educational. cial and economic nature, the club will be able 14 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

BROADENING DEBATE AT THE FCCJ

PHOTOS: ©FCCJ / JULIO SHIIKI

capitalize on its location and reputation. free, and details of fees for other attendees will These events should reflect the diverse follow soon. To begin with, the events will be nature and needs of FCCJ members who are held on a trial basis to give us the opportunity drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds and to evaluate them. professions that extend beyond journalism To avoid increasing the workload on FCCJ and writing in general. bodies such as the PAC and Special Events The task force, which includes associate as Committee, the task force, with help from club well as regular members, is keenly aware of a staff, will organize a number of trial events desire among non-regular members to become after consultating the relevant committees. more involved in suggesting events and speak- The plan is to hold one event a week to begin ers, and in helping organize professional events. with, starting early this year. They will initially They would like to see the predominantly be held in English, but if there is demand for news-related press conferences and briefings interpreting services – and if revenues allow – organized by the Professional Activities Com- then English-Japanese interpretation could be mittee (PAC) supplemented by regular and provided later. in-depth events centered on a particular theme. By putting on informal and specialised events, Those could include climate change and sus- the task force hopes to foster greater interaction tainable investment – with an emphasis on their and dialog among all FCCJ members, to engen- ramifications for the business world – Japan's der a community spirit by encouraging people prospects as a technological superpower, or to play an active part in the project’s success. developments in medicine and pharmaceuti- Task force membership is as follows: FCCJ cals. The potential list of subjects is long and President Isabel Reynolds, Associate Member eclectic, from the latest in crypto and digital Kanji Vicki Beyer, Task Force Chair and FCCJ currencies, to fintech and Tokyo’s mission to past President Anthony Rowley, FCCJ Honorary become a global financial center. Member and Senior Advisor to Wisdom Tree All members of the club are invited to submit Investments (Japan) Jesper Koll, Associate ideas for events that encompass a wide range Member and head of Partners Group (Japan) of themes. Anthony Rowley (arowley@orion. Shunsuke Tanahashi and former FCCJ Presi- ocn.ne.jp) will then present them for discussion dent Suvendri Kakuchi. Members interviewed by members of the task force. for their views include current FCCJ Board We envisage the events taking the form of member Mary Corbett and former co-chairs of breakfast meetings, morning coffee briefings, the FCCJ Associate Members Liaison Commit- lunch meetings and possibly afternoon or tee Yusuke Wada and Keiko Packard. evening gatherings, depending on the level of interest in each topic. ● Anthony Rowley is the Tokyo correspondent for Working journalists will be able to attend for Singapore Business Times 15 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

CLUB NEWS ONE TO DINE OUT ON

NEW CHEF TADAAKI SHIMIZU BRINGS ©FCCJ / JULIO SHIIKI DECADES OF EXPERIENCE TO THE FCCJ TABLE

SUVENDRINI KAKUCHI

e walked into the FCCJ kitchen Shimizu is the new head chef of FCCJ restau- to find Tadaaki Shimizu mak- rant and bar service. He is the proud owner of ing bread: rows of unbaked a Michelin star, gained during the 12 years he W buns – kneaded and neatly spent at the opulent and historic French restau- rounded – laid out on trays ready to be popped rant La Tour d’Argent. Shimizu served as the into the oven. Then he turned his attention to second chef at the restaurant in Paris before the soup of the day, simmering away in a pot becoming Japanese chef at its branch at the and sending the sweet aroma of pumpkin and Hotel New Otani in Tokyo, where his long list sage wafting through the kitchen. It was only of notable diners includes the Showa emperor. when he was satisfied that his assistant could The FCCJ restaurant staff include Shimizu’s take over that he turned to me and the photog- brother, Tadahisa, who has a long career as a rapher and, with a broad smile, apologized for wine sommelier and manager, and Champika keeping us waiting. Bandara, a professional chef who has worked 16 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

ONE TO DINE OUT ON

PHOTOS: ©FCCJ / JULIO SHIIKI

at the Club before and won fans for his tasty, prices, to go into effect in February, are a wholesome dishes and warm hospitality. bonus: ¥900 excluding tax, with the option of The response among diners since the trio took a dessert for an additional ¥400. over in January has been overwhelmingly posi- Club members are delighted with the quality tive. The new Correspondent`s Lunch is proving of the food and the value for money they are particularly popular. Available between noon and getting. “With the coronavirus scare, the Club 2pm, it comprises a main dish of either fish, meat is the best place to dine given its exclusivity,” or pasta, accompanied by soup, bread and coffee. said Kazuko Drake whose favourite seat is at The dishes come with an elegant and colorful the long Open Table in the bar. “And now we flourish, garnished with fresh herbs and accen- have such great and affordable food. My plan tuated by the lightest of sauces. The attractive is to eat here five days a week.” 17 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

ONE TO DINE OUT ON ©FCCJ / JULIO SHIIKI

Dan Slater, a regular at the restaurant, told and dinner. “That tradition has become an The FCCJ’s new head chef, Tadaaki Shimizu (second from friends he had just eaten “the best meal I’ve important part of my career,” he said. left), with, from left, Tadahisa had for a while” at the Club. Bradley Martin, a His day begins at 4 a.m. with a trip to Toyosu Shimizu, Champika Bandara and longtime member, could barely believe the wholesale market to source ingredients, with Mohammed Hanif new price of his favourite tiple – a gin martini an emphasis on seasonal produce. His team is – which has dropped by almost half to ¥450. now putting the finishing touches to their FCCJ “That means I can order a double,” he said. fine-dining menu, which should be available as Shimizu’s approach to cooking, honed over 45 soon as Covid-19 restrictions have eased. years in the catering industry, suggests there will Shimizu, though, is aware that the unique be strong demand for a table in the restaurant. atmosphere of the FCCJ will keep him and his He insists on using the freshest ingredients staff on their toes. “We are catering to a global and cooking every dish from scratch. “By fol- membership with diverse palates and expecta- lowing these rules my cuisine stands out for its tions,” he said. “In addition, the Club isn’t a pub- perfect flavors,” he said. “That is more important lic space, so our business must put the needs of than even visual presentation, which some other our customers above everything else.” chefs put before everything else. The greatest Devising a bold new menu for a discerning reward is when diners not only tell me they’ve clientele and instilling a new approach to dining enjoyed their meal but keep coming back.” at the FCCJ will be a challenge. But it is one that Shimizu’s time in France taught him that for Shimizu and his talented team are relishing. many people dining out is something akin to a spiritual experience. He recalls French diners ● Suvendrini Kakuchi is Tokyo Correspondent for spending hours talking to friends over lunch University World News in the UK. 18 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

CLUB NEWS

New members

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

DAISUKE TAJIMA MASAKAZU HORITA ROLAND HONEKAMP Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd. Jellyfish Delegation of the European Union

TARO FUJIKAWA YUTA NAGAKURA YUTO IZAWA SMBC Nikko Securities, Inc. Crecer Management Partners, Inc. Izawa Special Research Institute

REGULAR MEMBER

NOAH SNEIDER is The Economist’s Tokyo Bureau Chief, covering Japanese politics, business, society and culture. Prior to this he covered Russia and the former Soviet Union as Moscow Correspondent. Before joining The Economist, he reported for a range of publications, including The New York Times and The New Republic. His writing has also appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic, and Slate, among others. He is a member of the third generation in his family to live and work in Japan.

The beste of Trieste

Thanks to the generous donation of a IPERESPRESSO coffee machine from illy Coffee Japan, we can now enjoy the beste of Trieste. Choose from Classic, Intense or Deca blends, all at a very reasonable price. 19 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

CLUB NEWS

New in the library 1 2 The Wars for Asia 1911-1949 The Only Gaijin in the Village: S.C.M. Paine A Year Living in Rural Japan Cambridge University Press Iain Maloney Polygon Gift from Iain Maloney

3 4 Japan Through the Lens of The Memoirs of Takashi Oka the Tokyo Olympics Takashi Oka Barbara Holthus (ed.); Isaac Gagné (ed.); Wolfram Frederking & Thaler Manzenreiter (ed.); Franz Waldenberger (ed.) Gift from Megumi Oka Routledge Gift from German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ Tokyo)

Join the Film Committee…

n Wednesday February 17 at 6:30 pm for a special screen- ing of the 4K digitally remastered version of director Hiroshi Inagaki’s The Rickshaw Man (1943), and a short Odocumentary by Ema Ryan Yamazaki that imaginatively illuminates the process of restoration as well as the film’s fraught history, The Wheels of Fate: The Story of the Rickshaw Man. Inaga- ki’s film had been subjected to strict censorship not only by Japan’s ©KADOKAWA1943 Home Ministry before its release, but also by the GHQ after WWII had ended. Made at a time when works of art were expected to celebrate the glory of the Japanese Empire, Inagaki and his renowned cam- eraman Kazuo Miyagawa nevertheless created a deeply humanist work about a rickshaw driver (Tsumasaburo Bando) who devotes his life to caring for a widow and her young son, with an innovative final sequence that is one long cut with 46 embedded shots. Joining us for the Q&A session will be director Yamazaki, restoration producer Eric Nyari and veteran cinematographer Masahiro Miyajima, who served as Miyagawa’s chief assistant and spearheaded the restoration project. (The Rickshaw Man, Japan, 1943, 82 minutes; The Wheels of Fate: The Story of the Rickshaw Man, USA/Japan, 2020, 20 minutes. Both in Japanese with English subtitles).

● Karen Severns 20 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021

EXHIBITION INTERNATIONAL WOMEN IN PHOTO AWARD 2020

FEBRUARY 6 - MARCH 5, 2021

International Women in Photo, IWPA, is a French nonprofit association with two global missions: to promote women photographers of all origins and nationalities, and to work for parity and equality through photography around the world.

he roots of IWPA’s goals lie in the underrepresentation of women photographers, who do not receive sufficient recognition or assignments, and whose work comprises a tiny percentage of all the photographs we see daily in the press, social media, museums T and art exhibitions. IWPA also draws attention to social issues that are often ignored or simply not covered by a male-dominated perspective of the world. To give more visibility to women photographers, IWPA acts as a platform and organizes the annual IWPA Award, a photography competition followed by exhibitions in major cities and capitals across the Middle East, Asia and Europe showing the work of the laureate and finalists to a large international audience. All of the exhibitions were cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, so IWPA is pleased to present for the first time in public a selection of photographs from the 2020 finalists, as well as special awards, in collaboration with the FCCJ. The winners were chosen by an international jury from 650 submissions from 70 countries and six continents. The current exhibition features only a limited number of the submitted images. The complete series of the best photographers in 2020, as well as their statements, interviews, and a virtual tour can be viewed online at https://iwpa.fr IWPA would like to express its gratitude to the main sponsors Leica Camera Japan Co., Ltd., East Japan Railway Company and their partners for their invaluable support in making this exhibition possible. 21 | FCCJ | FEBRUARY 2021