A Year of Obedient Dog

President of Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK), Katsuto Momii, again revealed his incompetence in managing his relation to politics and controlling his mouth. In the meeting of Democratic Party of Japan, Momii invited displeasure from the lawmakers over his former statement on his governance in NHK. He was grilled in House of Representatives Budget Committee next day. This kind of trouble may happen again as long as he presides the public broadcasting organization.

Soon after taking the seat in NHK, Momii let the Board of Governors submit their resignation latter to grab their fate in his hand. In the DPJ meeting over the annual budget of NHK, which demanded approval of the Diet, Representative Takeshi Shina asked Momii’s perception about his former statement that collecting that kind of letters were something frequently seen in private corporations. “There was more than nothing,” answered Momii. Making difference between “frequently seen” and “more than nothing,” Shina accused Momii of changing his words and required withdrawal of his statement. Momii rejected it and left a word, “Stupid.”

Shina got furious and raised this issue in his committee. “If my statement caused a misunderstanding, I really regret it. I will make my best effort to precisely state my opinion to send correct message,” replied Momii. Although Momii is a close aide of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Abe rejected commenting on the issue.

As an only public broadcasting corporation in Japan funded by tax money, NHK is supposed to take politically neutral position. But, Momii was not sure whether the corporation would broadcast a program related to comfort women, because he did not know the standpoint of the government. Broadcasting station is not expected to consider standpoint of the government, when it deals with political issue. He said in his press conference right after he took the seat a year ago that NHK could not say left, on which the government says right. He worked as an obedient dog of Abe for a year.

Japan Congress of Journalists earlier this month submitted a letter to NHK that demanded immediate resignation of Momii. The congress criticized him of his opinion on its program and comfort woman as nothing but following the standpoint of government. For a year, media have been reporting strange changes of reports from NHK, which intensely refrained from dealing with political issues with complicated political interests. Directors or producers are said to be leaning on Momii’s standpoint and other staffs against Momii were reportedly purged. NHK gradually becomes propaganda organization of the government.