Japan's media?

Question

Having recently just learned a lot on Japan, I was curious what some people who might be knowledgable in the subject would like to comment on what they believe are the biggest issues facing the media in Japan right now.

Answer 1

Having lived in Japan for eight years of my life, I think one of the problems in their electronic media is a compulsion to copy the West. So, news is now being read by folks whose main claim to fame may be an acceptable degree of physical beauty, without reference to any real credentials in news gathering.
In the print media, Japan is hobbled by its language. In every social interaction, one must avoid a situation where "haji" (shame) is accidentally heaped on the other person or the other person is placed in a position to accidentally heap shame on you. Westerners call it "loss of face", but it's really about avoiding the instance of shame. Because of that, their editorial pieces and op-ed columns appear stilted and non-confrontational. Rather bland stuff compared to some of the "bomb throwers" who inhabit the op-ed pages in American newspapers and magazines.
All that aside, the media also have to deal with Japan's eventual emergence from over sixty years of government-imposed pacifism. Since most of the media have no first-hand knowledge of the Pacific War or its aftermath when Japan was occupied, they cannot approach the problem from the same perspective as those who had "been there and done that".

Answer 2

If you "have learned a lot on Japan," please give us more specific questions so that we can give you more accurate answers. But these are some "answers" from me in relation to the U.S.

1. The Abe administration is losing the nation's support, which is obvious in the disastrous result of the recent Upper House election.

2. Whether or not Japan should continue to cooperate with the U.S. for what Japanese media calls "U.S. war against terrorism in the Middle East."

3. Whether or not Japan should revise its "pacifist" Constitution to have its own military for the defense of Japan. (Japan has its Self Defense Forces; however, its Constitution, which was written (or forced) by the U.S. after the WWII, clearly denies militaristic means to solve any international disputes).

4. In reference to the issue #3, the nation and its media are worried that Japan's self defense capability (after revising its Constitution) would negatively affect U.S.-Japan relations that have been based on U.S.-Japan security treaty since the end of the WWII.