The magazine of The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan The lives of journalists in February 2016, Volume 48 No. 2, ¥400 court, on the page, finding funds, on stage and with governments JOURNALISMand freedom of the press in Korea JOURNALISMand the history of the Stars and Stripes JOURNALISMand funding stories JOURNALISMand performance poetry JOURNALISMvs diplomacy Vol. 48, Number 2 February 2016 contact the editors [email protected] Publisher FCCJ Editor Gregory Starr Art Director Andrew Pothecary www.forbiddencolour.com Editorial Assistants Naomichi Iwamura, Tyler Rothmar Photo Coordinator Akiko Miyake Publications committee members Gavin Blair, Freelance (Chair); Geoffrey Tudor, Orient Aviation; Monzurul Huq, Prothom Alo; Julian Ryall, Daily Telegraph; Patrick Zoll, Neue Zürcher Zeitung; Sonja Blaschke, Freelance; John R. Harris, Freelance FCCJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Suvendrini Kakuchi, University World News, UK Yuri Kageyama, 1st Vice President Peter Langan, Freelance 2nd Vice President Imad Ajami, IRIS Media right, with Secretary Mary Corbett, Cresner Media Trupti Pandkar Treasurer Robert Whiting, Freelance Directors at Large Masaaki Fukunaga, the Sanmarg Milton Isa, Associate Member p8 Yuichi Otsuka, Associate Member CHAN EBA James Simms, Forbes Contributor, Freelance In this issue Ex-officio Lucy Birmingham Kanji William Sposato, Freelance FCCJ COMMITTEE CHAIRS The Front Page Associate Members Liaison Milton Isa Compliance Kunio Hamada From the President by Suvendrini Kakuchi 4 DeRoy Memorial Scholarship Masaaki Fukunaga Collections 4 Entertainment Sandra Mori, Suvendrini Kakuchi Exhibition Bruce Osborn From the archives by Charles Pomeroy 5 Film Karen Severns Finance Robert Whiting Food & Beverage Robert Whiting I testified for Sankei in a Seoul courtroom 6 Freedom of Press Pio d’Emilia, Khaldon Azhari House & Property Peter Langan by Donald Kirk Human Resources Suvendrini Kakuchi Information Technology Roger Williams Library, Archives & Workroom Koichi Ishiyama, The many lives of Yuri Kageyama 8 Suvendrini Kakuchi Membership Peter O’Connor, Monzurul Huq by Tim Hornyak Membership Marketing Bill Shin, Rie Sakamoto Professional Activities David McNeill, Tetsuo Jimbo Profile Publications Gavin Blair Special Projects Haruko Watanabe Gregory Clark 10 Web Committee Gavin Blair by Gavin Blair 70th Anniversary Panel Yoshio Murakami Foreign Press in Japan Justin McCurry U.S. military newspaper still publishing in Japan 12 by Mark Schreiber In need of a career boost? 14 The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan Yurakucho Denki Building, North Tower 20F, by James Simms 1-7-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006. Tel: (03) 3211-3161 Fax: (03) 3211-3168 fccj.or.jp Exhibition Published by the FCCJ All opinions contained within Number 1 Shimbun are those of the authors. As such, Into the Heart of the Arctic 16 these opinions do not constitute an official position by Yoichi Yabe of Number 1 Shimbun, the editor or the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. Please pitch and send articles and photographs, or Club News 17-18 address comments to [email protected] Join the Film Committee . /Hacks & Flacks/ Read the Number 1 Shimbun online: New Members/New in the library fccj.or.jp/number-1-shimbun/ Cover design by Andrew Pothecary FCCJ FEB 2016 3 FRONT PAGE COLLECTIONS FROM THE ARCHIVES DAVID BOWIE AND JAPAN SEIDENSTICKER SENSEI From the President The instrumental “Moss Garden” features Bowie playing the koto THE FCCJ GREETED 2016 with our traditional 俺の頭に弾 On “Heroes,” 1977, and inspired by a visit to Saihoji in Kyoto Hacks and Flacks Party, bringing correspondents and journalists together with foreign and Japanese を打ち込めば dignitaries, business figures and PR managers who were invited to support better networking and sharing of information. The annual party, as always, was well 新聞は書き attended – with drinks and food at hand. This year marks yet another crucial one for the FCCJ as we strive to increase our membership 立てる numbers and strengthen our services to ensure the “I don’t know why he was so attracted “Put a bullet in my brain stability of this organization, both economically and to things Japanese, but perhaps it and it makes all the papers” professionally. To assist the Club in this important Lyric spoken in Japanese, “It’s No Game, mission, I recently established an ad hoc Futures wasn’t so much Japan or Japanese-ness Pt 1,” Scary Monsters and Super Creeps, 1980 Committee, comprised of respected older journalists itself. He knew when he looked good who will work with correspondents dabbling with online journalism. The Committee also includes in something.” “I wanted to break down a particular associate members, invaluable members of the Club Kansai Yamamoto, clothes designer, type of sexist attitude … the ‘Japanese At a professional luncheon on April 27, 1983, noted translator, author, and Japanologist who bring legal and business talent to the table. Their BBC News website, Jan. 12, 2016 girl’ typifies it, where everyone Edward G. Seidensticker expanded on his recent book, Low City, High City: Tokyo from numbers are increasing and no doubt they expect the pictures them as … very sweet, Edo to the Earthquake. He also detailed some of the intricacies of converting Japanese future of our Club is to continue to be the dynamic demure and non-thinking, when in literature into an interesting read in English while remaining true to the spirit of the journalist hub it has always been. He also sometimes wore a kimono-inspired cape fact that’s the absolute opposite of original. Seated next to him is then-president Karel van Wolferen (NRC Handelsblad), How this pans out in the next decade is an with traditional Japanese characters on it which what women are like. … I wanted to who himself would soon become famous for his controversial book on Japan, The important challenge. As I have said previously, I spell out his name phonetically, but also translate to caricature that attitude by having a Enigma of Japanese Power. Partially visible next to him is Richard Pyle, a veteran believe the current diversity of our correspondent very forceful Japanese voice on it. So AP correspondent noted for his coverage of the Vietnam War, who had re-energized members is a solid platform to build a futuristic vision. I had [actress Michi Hirota] come out journalistic discussions in the Main Bar after being assigned to Tokyo in 1980. An Asia Journalist Forum has also been formed, “FIERY VOMITING with a very samurai kind of thing.” including correspondents from Taiwan, Singapore, Edward Seidensticker became well known for his deft translations of Japanese Bangladesh and Vietnam, among others. Our new AND VENTING David Bowie about “It’s No Game, literature, both modern and ancient. Translations of works by Kawabata Yasunari, little group will provide a space in our Club for turning Pt 1,” quoted in The Man Who Changed particularly Snow Country (1956) and Thousand Cranes (1959), led to Kawabata the spotlight on news in the region and will also act as the World, by Wim Hendrikse winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1968. During the same time frame he a catalyst to increase the number of correspondents IN A MENACING also translated two books by Tanizaki Junichiro, Some Prefer Nettles (1955) and The who are interested in this specific area. Indeed, the Makioka Sisters (1957), and then In Praise of Shadows (1977) two decades later. Equally FCCJ’s koeki status is contributing to the global MANNER” well known are his translations of the Heian-era Kagero Nikki, which he rendered as journalism debate. BBC News website, Jan. 12, 2016 The Gossamer Years (1964), and the exceedingly difficult Tale of Genji (1976). Other important news is that we will soon be As an author, Seidensticker followed up Low City, High City with a second book, replacing the grand piano that has served our The two of us were sitting at Tokyo Rising: The City Since the Great Earthquake (1990), that continued his history wonderful Club for so many decades. The purchase About of this great city. (Both volumes were combined into one in 2010, with a preface is being facilitated by a financial contribution from the bar by the beach … when written by his old friend, Donald Richie.) our dearly loved but now departed member, an attractive young woman Seidensticker, born in 1921 in Colorado, was a graduate of the University of Chuck Lingam. passed by [and] exclaimed, Colorado (1942) where he also studied Japanese at the U.S. Navy’s Language A sad but heart-warming event was the memorial 10,200,000 School. Following service as a language officer with the U.S. Marines during WWII held for former AP bureau chief Jim Lagier, who “OH MY GOD, I DON’T and a stint in Japan as a translator, he obtained a master’s degree from Columbia Google search results for “David Bowie Japan” passed away in the U.S. last year at the age of BELIEVE IT. IT’S ROGER University before going on to study Japanese literature at the University of Tokyo. 80. Friends and colleagues who had worked with Seidensticker was also an educator. And as one of his former students I can him in the Tokyo bureau gathered at the Club for PULVERS!” I was the report that he was a good one, with a sense of humor. His course, “The Cultural a memorial. It was a poignant evening, as those “A world in one who couldn’t believe History of Japan,” was quite popular at Sophia University at the end of the ’50s gathered reminisced not only about Jim’s remarkable which David is it, and Bowie . gave out a and early ’60s. Those years were no doubt a good warm up for his later teaching charm but also used the moment to walk back down hearty laugh. “That was positions at Stanford, University of Michigan, and finally Columbia, from 1978 memory lane to a time when martinis were served not living still until retirement in 1985.