Media System of Japan

Japan is the most interesting country in the world.

Shibuya Crossing (via Lonely Planet)

Whether its the history, the food, or the technology, Japan has something for everyone.  With the capital of Tokyo being one of the planet’s most populated areas, there is media abound.  It is one of the most densely populated areas of the world, and it’s citizens have the financial means to enjoy the fruits of it’s technological prowess.  Everyone is connected to the internet, and thus the world, in the palm of their hand, just like us.

In fact, the Japanese political and media systems very closely resemble the one we have here in the United States.  They are a constitutional monarchy with 3 branches of government, the legislative, judicial and executive. Sound familiar?  Their media is similar, with mostly private companies owning most of the television, radio, and newspapers, and some publicly funded outlets thrown in.  NHK is the biggest Japanese television network, and it is publicly funded. It is the Japanese version of BBC News, and the one that the world knows. The American example of NHK would be PBS, as they take money from the public but have no real bias.  It is state funded, but not state owned. Other networks include Nippon, Fuji, Tokyo Broadcasting System, TV Asahi, and TV Tokyo. Radio stations include NHK Radio, Japan Radio, and National Radio Network. On top of this, Japan’s movie industry is more expansive than you might think.  It grosses more than $1.8 billion USD, but American company Walt Disney is a major player in the market.

Japanese newspapers (via Japan Visitor)

Newspapers are still alive in Japan, as well, second only to Iceland in terms of copies published per 1000 people.  The top ranking paper, the Yomiuri Shimbun, is published all over Japan and is privately owned by Yomiuri, Japan’s largest media conglomerate.  Others include the Asahi, the Seikyo, the Mainichi, and the Chunichi Shimbun, among others. All have circulations above 3.4 million. All of Japan’s papers tend to have a certain bend, however, with Yomiuri being known as more conservative, and the Asahi and Mainichi leaning more left.  This differs from the United States, as the overwhelming majority of news publications (magazines not included) are expected to be straight, down the middle news with no slant at all. What Japan does in its newspapers, the U S of A does on TV.

When it comes to freedom, both countries have similarities.  The press is free, no social media apps are blocked, and no censorship of political content is allowed.  Freedom House gives Japan a score of 23 out of 100, though, with the United States getting a score of 86.  Japan’s score drops significantly because of worries over government surveillance, which Japanese lawmakers argue is necessary for security reasons.  Also, government actions to restrict hate speech has worried supporters of free speech, an issue that western countries will have to deal with very soon, as well.

Akihabara in Tokyo (via Japan Travel Guide)

The government not being involved in any of it’s media is a good thing that both Japan and the United States have in common.  While America tends to keep it’s politically slanted outlets confined to TV, such as Fox News and MSNBC, Japan does that in it’s newspaper offerings.  Both countries, however, allow almost anything to be printed on paper and said on air, with little to no government interference. A good thing if there ever was one.  

This also leads to one more thing that Japan has that I wish America did, and that’s no screaming talking heads yelling at each other on it’s news shows.

Perhaps that’s why everyone is so nice there.  Maybe we should take note.