Reports from Single Viewpoint

It is not so strange that one thing looks different, depending on who sees it. The result of meeting between Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and the United States Vice President, Joe Biden, was reported several ways. Having said that, newspapers in Japan mostly reported it from one perspective: both agreed with possessing concern about China setting air defense identification zone. Japan’s failure in achieving U.S. support on Japan’s request for turning down the setting was almost ignored. That showed the nature of Japanese media highly dependent on information trickled down from the government.

Most reports highlighted the firmness of Japan-U.S. alliance against current boldness to assert its control in the air over East China Sea. Headlines read “Performed Japan-U.S. Unification on ADIZ (Asahi Shimbun),” or “Significance of Alliance Reinforced (Yomiuri Shimbun)” Although they added Biden’s request avoiding unintended collision between Japan and China, most newspapers welcomed the reconfirmation of mutual interest over China. It is a reflection of Japan’s situation that it cannot deal with China by itself and feeling some comfort with U.S. support.

However, U.S. is not supporting Japan in so unilateral way that most Japanese expect. The government of Japan announced its request to China to dismiss newly set ADIZ as unacceptable, while it seemed as something unrealistic. Reports in Japan had expected that the government would ask Biden to agree with Japan’s request before VP’s visit. However, there was no sign that it was discussed in his meeting with Abe. It was arrogant for Japan to assume U.S. pushing China to back off already declared ADIZ with one-sided support to Japan. It was only Nikkei that raised a headline reading “No Mention on ‘Dismissal.’”

Actually, Biden explained Xi Jinping his and Japan’s concern on unilateral change of status quo in Beijing after the visit of Japan, only being argued by Xi that setting ADIZ had been legitimate exercise of self-defense right. Needless to say, VP did not requested turning down the zone.

Japanese media is not accustomed to view diplomacy and security issues in different perspectives from that of the government. It is overwhelming tendency since the wartime, when newspapers kept on reporting Japan’s “victories” in sea battles against U.S. Those reports later proved to be false, reducing people’s credibility on journalism in Japan. Japanese media organizations need to remind of the history of governmental deception, and have independent viewpoints in every circumstance.