Jake Adelstein's Blog, page 2

The Documentary Black Box Diaries and Marriot International: Who’s Actually Protesting?

The documentary Black Box Diaries has taken the world by storm. It is the story of journalist Shiori Ito, who directed the film. In 2015, the young journalist was raped by Noriyuki Yamaguchi, a powerful media figure with close ties to then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Even more disturbing was how the police had initially pursued the case, obtaining an arrest warrant for Yamaguchi, only to have the arrest suddenly quashed by a high-ranking government official. Then a political lackey of the Prime Minister scuttled the case, and the prosecutors dropped the ball. It was a blatant example of political interference in law enforcement, the kind of cover-up that reeked of abuse of power.​​

Screenshot

The documentary which uses footage from the hotel, recordings from eyewitnesses and other materials to tell the story,  has been met with widespread critical acclaim and has even received nominations at the Oscars and BAFTAs. 

But in filmmaker Shiori Ito’s home country of Japan, the film is facing yet another uphill battle. 

Domestic press coverage could easily be about the merits of the film or consternation that the film has yet to be released in Japan. Coverage could, and should, also include the injustices in Shiori Ito’s life since 2015 when she was raped by Shinzo Abe’s personal biographer Noriyuki Yamaguchi. Civil courts determined Yamaguchi was a rapist, but the criminal investigation was curiously dropped moments before his arrest. Our editor in chief previously posted an explainer on this story, which is worth a read if you’d like more context.

Shiori Ito came forward to talk about her rape and the lack of investigation of sexual assault in Japan.

Instead, the film is currently embroiled in a different kind of national discussion — a hair-splitting spat about how journalists are allowed to use video and audio footage, initiated by Ito’s former legal representatives. 

The video footage in question is a CCTV recording obtained from the Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo. The clip used in the documentary is a disturbing sequence of Ito’s limp body being dragged out of a taxi by Yamaguchi, everything in frame blurred except Ito herself. 

The hotel first disclosed this footage to Ito and accompanying investigating detectives on April 15, 2015. While the police acquired the footage as evidence, Ito made a separate inquiry to get the footage herself after this initial visit. The hotel should be commended for fully cooperating with the police investigation.

Ito’s former lawyer and representatives take issue with the fact that she didn’t get permission from the hotel to use this footage outside of the courtroom.  The hotel has been owned by hotel conglomerate Marriott International since 2016, after the incident occurred. 

“The use of unauthorised images and sounds is legally and ethically problematic,” insists Yoko Nishihiro, Ito’s former counsel.

It is true that Ito and her legal team at the time had a written agreement to use the footage in the courtroom exclusively. However, we reached out to Marriott International, and they have refused to oppose or endorse the use of this footage in the documentary. We appreciate their efforts to respond to our question.

The following is a complete summary of our correspondences. 

Unauthorized footage leakage: 

Q: Many commend the hotel’s cooperation in assisting Shiori Ito during her case. However, there is confusion regarding the leak of footage showing her leaving the hotel appearing untroubled. Do you have any information on how this footage was released?

A: Marriott International has been made aware of this incident.  The incident occurred at a hotel operated by a third party franchisee under a brand, which at the time of the incident was not yet under Marriott International’s portfolio of brands, as the incident occurred prior to Marriott International’s acquisition of the brand relating to this hotel. 

Q. There is confusion regarding the leak of footage showing her leaving the hotel appearing untroubled. Do you have any information on how this footage was released?

A: No answer

Position on the Film’s Release in Japan: 

Q: Are you opposed to the release of “Black Box Diaries” in Japan? If so, could you please explain your reasons?

A: No answer 

Policy on Reporting Sexual Assaults: 

Q: If an incident of sexual assault were to occur on Marriott premises, would your hotel share that information with the police? Could you elaborate on your protocol for handling such situations?

A: Marriott International is fully committed to the safety and well-being of our guests. We are committed to complying with all local laws and strive to maintaining the highest ethical standards. When we are made aware of reported incidents, we will work closely with the local authorities to facilitate any investigation to the extent permitted under laws, including providing information required by laws.

Q: Are you opposed to the release of the film in Japan? If so or if not, why? This could be due to the footage, the subject material, the persons involved, or other reasons which you may be able to explain.  
A: No answer 

Q: Finally, is it correct that Marriott International acquired the brand to which the Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo belongs in 2016? 

A:Thank you for the additional question. Yes, Marriott International acquired the Sheraton brand in 2016.

Marriott subsidiary Sheraton Miyako, the brand directly operating the Sheraton Miyako Hotel Tokyo, has yet to comment.  These are all the answers we have as of 10pm February 19th 2025 (JST)>

The hotel has set a precedent of not addressing unauthorized use of footage. In particular, the hotel did not take action regarding the leak of CCTV footage showing Ito leaving the hotel the next morning, which was widely circulated years prior with the intention to discredit and libel Ito. In short: they seem to not care. They also have the power recognise that the use of the film is in the public interest. According to the producers of the film, the hotel chain was notified and shown how the footage was used in the documentary before it was released.

It is unusual for the victim’s former counsel to be raising these concerns rather than the parties supposedly affected. 

Nishihiro argues that unauthorized use of footage could lead to businesses being more reluctant to cooperate with investigations, causing future harm to future victims. I

t’s hard to imagine how much more uncooperative they could be. The hotel reportedly provided the footage to Ito for use in her court case at a whopping fee of 400,000 yen ($3000). Holding this video evidence ransom is akin to price gouging for a victim of a violent crime, company policy or not. 

It is difficult to say for certain whether such unauthorized use could affect future relationships between establishments and victims of crimes on their premises. It’s questionable now as to whether you can even call it “unauthorized” at this point. In some senses, in line with their policies, they same have given the use of the footage tacit approval. But it is questionable that businesses already profit from the evidence they hold, even taking into account the high privacy standards in Japan. It’s yet another mechanism that protects assailants, not victims.

Ex-Japanese Lawmaker Found Guilty Of Sexually Assaulting Pre-Teen – and Walks

This article was originally posted on tokyopaladin.substack.com. Subscribe for exclusive posts, right to your inbox.

Tokyo – The system takes care of its own. 

Former Lawmaker Pleaded Guilty To Raping 12-Year Old Girl and Walked Out Of The Courtroom A Free Man.

A former member of Japan’s House of Representatives, 58-year-old Tamotsu Shiiki, walked out of a Tokyo courtroom Monday with a three-year prison sentence, suspended for five years, for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old middle school girl in a Kabukicho karaoke parlor. Kabukicho is the red-light district of Tokyo. The ruling ensures that, barring another conviction, he will never see the inside of a cell.  

Tokyo District Court Judge Chikako Murata called the crime “vile” and condemned Shiiki for “preying on the vulnerability of a child”, whose “immaturity” he had exploited. But in the next breath, the court extended its mercy. Shiiki had apologized. He had paid his compensation. And, critically, he had not explicitly used his position as a former lawmaker—only the quiet authority and confidence that men like him are granted as a birthright.  

Prosecutors had sought five years. They got nothing. 

A Crime in the Heart of Tokyo’s Nightlife District

According to the indictment, on August 20, 2024, in the neon-lit sprawl ofKabukicho, Shiiki took the girl to a karaoke parlor and assaulted her. He had nothing to say in court. He had already admitted to the charges.  

By any measure, the facts were not in dispute. The court noted that Shiiki’s motive was pure self-interest—his own sexual gratification. The crime was “despicable and malicious,” but the sentence reflected the familiar calculus of Japanese justice, where men of standing rarely serve time unless their guilt is both undeniable and inconvenient.  

A Political Career Unraveled 

Once a rising politician, Shiiki was first elected to the Lower House in 2012, under the banner of the Japan Restoration Party. He clawed his way in through “proportional representation”, serving two terms before falling from political grace.  

Now, he joins a growing list of disgraced public figures who have found a way to survive scandal—not in elected office, but in the margins, where apologies and settlements stand in for justice.  

Shiiki left the courthouse a “convicted sex offender”, but a free man. That, too, is part of the system. Japan doesn’t have a sex offenders registry so he is free to go and live where he wants, do what he wants, and if he can stay clean for five years, it will be as if nothing ever happened. 

The courts consider a guilty plea accompanied by  the payment of “compensation” to the victims to be a sign of remorse, and are likely to award a suspended sentence for first-time offenders. As they say in Japan, jigoku no sata mo kane shidai (地獄の沙汰も金次第). Roughly translated, “Even at the gates of hell, it just depends on how much money you have.”

Only roughly 4% of sexual assault cases in Japan are reported according to some sources. Prosecutors drop roughly 50% of sexual assault cases that actually make it to their desk. Politicians often get special treatment.  In the case of Shiori Ito, the journalist raped by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s biographer, politicians can even stop rape investigations before an arrest takes place. 

It’s unlikely that Shiiki will ever hold office again in Japan after being found guilty  for sexual assault. Perhaps, he is contemplating a move to the USA where that may be less of a political liability. 

Going Gently Into That Good Night May Not Be So Bad

‘Teki’ means enemy. 

The 77-year old protagonist Gisuke Watanabe in Teki Cometh (Japanese title: Teki) can’t quite figure out the exact identity of that enemy but he’s aware it’s coming to destroy him. Will the enemy be upon him today or next week? Does he still have time to do something, anything? And then, mercifully, Gisuke dies. 

That’s not a spoiler, but a crucial and inevitable event in the story of Gisuke Watanabe (played with astonishing acumen by Kyozo Nagatsuka). From the onset of Teki, Gisuke is hyper aware that death is imminent – indeed, he rarely thinks about anything else. On the surface though, Gisuke is a suave and tidy individual who is perfectly okay with dying. It’s just the ‘enemy’ that disrupts his usually serene thought processes, like a pebble in his shoe that he somehow can’t rid. He has virtually no information about this enemy other than as a mysterious link attached to a spam mail. Gisuke doesn’t dare open that link but it seems that the enemy has already infiltrated his house, poisoning the air before seeping into his dreams. 

Directed and written by Japan’s veteran filmmaker Daihachi Yoshida, who’s known for being a solid artisan topped with a dash of auteur, Teki Cometh is an engrossing, even mesmerizing examination of old age in Japan’s super-aged society. That Yoshida shot Teki in black and white is an aesthetic choice both fitting and romantic. Nagatsuka turns eighty this year but aided by the artful color scheme, withstands the relentless scrutiny of the camera that’s focussed on his face and physique for almost the entire duration of the film. In other words, Gisuke is quite simply, hot. 

ⓒ2023 TEKINOMIKATA

The first half of the story concentrates on Gisuke’s orderly life. He eats, flosses his teeth, uses the bathroom, scrubs himself in the bath after sniffing his armpits. In one scene, he is lying on a doctor’s table after a bad attack of indigestion; he has eaten too much kimchi for dinner. “At your age you can’t gorge on spicy foods and expect no bad effects,” the doctor scolds him. O, the indignity. 

And yet, Nagatsuka as Gisuke brings something new to the discussion of life after a certain age. He’s tall and slender, moving with a kind of grace that comes, not from hours spent at the gym but years of cultivating a particular lifestyle. Here’s a man – an elderly, Japanese man, mind you – who does all his own cooking and housework. He goes about in dress shirts and slacks during the day, then changes into pajamas and a bathrobe at night. Instead of watching TV, he reads French novels and frequents a chic bar. Restraint and self-discipline are his watchwords. At all cost, he doesn’t want to be a burden to others. Even more than that, he doesn’t want to appear ridiculous. 

In 2024, the average life span for Japanese men was 81.09 years old: shorter than women by about 6 years, but longer by the same 6 years since the 1980s. This means that the average male must have a reasonably hefty amount of savings by the time he retires at age 65 to sustain the 15 or so years before he checks out of existence. Gisuke, who used to be a French literature professor, was forced to take early retirement and now he supplements his pension by writing a monthly essay in a travel magazine and giving the occasional lecture. It’s not enough, especially since the fees for a dating app totals to 120,000 yen a month. 

But Gisuke takes all that in stride. Probably because of his French lit background (interestingly, Nagatsuka is a Sorbonne University graduate who studied French theater), Gisuke has a laissez-faire attitude propping up his epicurean lifestyle. He needs that lifestyle in order to be his his dandified, gentlemanly self and cocoon his fragile but sizable ego. 

Everyday, Gisuke stares at the numbers in his bank account, calculating just how much longer he can last before running out of money. “I don’t want to live just for the sake of living,” he says to himself. When the cash is gone, he has a grand plan: suicide, after making arrangements for his funeral. 

As for relationships, though Gisuke has been a widower for the past two decades, he’s better off than many older men, like his unappealing next door neighbor. He has kept in touch with a handful of former students, now in their late 30s to 40s, who once idolized him and are now happy to take the time to see him over coffee or drinks. 

Yasuko (Kumi Takiuchi), whom he secretly lusted after when she was his student, now comes to see him at his home two or three times a year. They share a meal, open a bottle of wine and reminisce about the old days. In one scene, she falls asleep on his sofa and wakes up in time to get to the station and catch the last train. Gisuke can’t bring himself to ask whether she wants to stay the night. If she had said yes (as he fantasizes later), he would have melted with happiness. 

Teki is based on the 1998 novel of the same title by Yasutaka Tsutsui. Tsutsui is one of Japan’s most influential novelists of the late 20th century, a pop culture giant with a penchant for the sublime and academic. At 90 years old, he’s still writing while residing in a care facility. These days he limits himself to essays and memoirs. Earlier this year, Tsutsui was interviewed by Yomiuri Shimbun and was full of praise about the adaptation, adding that he advised Yoshida to portray Gisuke as an older man prone to “dreams and hallucinations” instead of a geriatric with dementia. 

Accordingly, dreams and hallucinations are what come to define both Gisuke and the film. In the beginning, Gisuke seems to be in total control of his existence and then gradually, almost imperceptibly, we witness his mind fraying at the edges. In his nighttime dreams, his dead wife Nobuko (Asuka Kurosawa) rebukes him about the fact that he had never taken her to Paris. Before long, she appears in the house in the daytime, telling him that he must never remarry and that she knows of his lust for Yasuko. In the next scene, Yasuko is with him in the house., and they have a meal of lamb with bearnaise sauce, which is a dish from Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. Gisuke made this from a recipe he found on the Internet, because a young hostess at the bar he goes to, told him she liked Proust. 

Did Yasuko really come to the house, or was that a fantasy playing out in his head? Did he ever have that conversation with the hostess? He must have, because he offers to pay for her college tuition and after that, his bank statement shows he has just 6,505 yen left in his account. 

But as Gisuke says in one of his dreams, “This is all a fantasy, and it’s okay because I’m not being a burden to anyone in the real world.” It’s a touching sentiment and aptly, the story is ultimately kind to Gisuke, shielding him from the usual, humiliating incidents of old age. Gisuke exits the world with dignity and full of kind thoughts for others, which is probably the best end any of us could hope for. 

90 Million Yen Settlement for “Women’s Trouble” continues with Nakai Masahiro Losing His Shows

By Tori H. Tale

In the December 19th edition of Josei Seven, it was reported that 90 million yen was paid by Nakai Masahiro in a settlement awarded to a woman in connection with the notorious and ambiguous event known as “women’s trouble.”

The incident began in 2023, when Nakai, the woman, and a third person—a TV Fuji executive—were scheduled to attend a dinner party. However, at the last minute, the third person backed out, leaving only Nakai and the woman. What transpired next is what Japanese newspapers have referred to as “women’s trouble,” an event that many speculate was a case of rape. Although these allegations remain speculative, the unprecedented sum of 90 million yen awarded to the victim suggests a massive cover-up of something significant. According to Shukan Bunshun, the victim, described as being in her 20s and part of the entertainment industry, said, “I have not forgiven either the perpetrator or Fuji TV, and of course, I am angry.” This comment implies that the victim may partly blame Fuji TV for its role in the cover-up.

Nakai Masahiro is one of Japan’s most well-known public figures, having been the leader of one of Asia’s biggest idol groups, SMAP. His record is immaculate. Chosen to lead the group in 1988 at the age of 14, Nakai—often affectionately called “Nakai-kun” by his fans—has been a beloved figure for almost an entire lifetime. Tragically, his agency was Johnny & Associates, founded by Johnny Kitagawa, one of Asia’s most infamous predators, who allegedly preyed on young boys for decades without facing repercussions, owing to his immense power in the entertainment industry.

According to Josei Seven, a TV Fuji executive commented, “Since a settlement has been reached between the two parties, the issue is considered ‘resolved,’ and at present, there has been no discussion of ending the program or taking any other actions beyond what is being discussed at Fuji TV.”

While the settlement may have been an attempt to silence the story, it was Sponichi Annex, a sports magazine, that first reported the `trouble` as rape. “Women’s trouble” could be a euphemism for something as trivial as a domestic spat or a cheating accusation, but the 90 million yen settlement suggests something much more serious. In Japan, this kind of settlement money is crazy, and in cases like this, it may be about as close to prison as wealthy, high-profile individuals get when they are accused of rape.

Even when women come forward publicly—like Ito Shiori, who received only the equivalent of 30,000 USD after her assault—media and police response she accused them of diminishing the severity of her crime. Nakai’s case is an example of this: the allegations are dismissed as “women’s trouble,” a vague term that obscures clarity on the seriousness of the situation and fosters doubt about the nature of an alleged crime. With a clean track record and a massive fanbase, any allegation against him won`t be taken lightly. It’s the last thing anyone expected.

But if it wasn’t Nakai-kun and it was anyone of high importance, would it only take 90 million yen to get away with rape? Why was Nakai’s case deemed worth 90 million yen? Nakai has been losing shows only after the settlement leak. How much did these stations know before, and whose reputation, really, was the 90 million yen meant to protect?

Moto Fuyuki, an actor and entertainer commented on the situation saying “Masahiro Nakai is an indispensable person in this entertainment industry, so I hope this problem will be resolved soon.”

Nakai made an official statement on his website on January 9th addressing the controversy saying “There was no involvement of parties other than those concerned in this case.” and  “In relation to this trouble, there was no violence, such as by raising my hand as reported by some media.” while also stating “This dispute is all due to my inadequacies.”

It is clear from his statement he is eager to get back to work when he said, “With the settlement reached, I am able to continue my entertainment activities without issue going forward.” However it’s unclear if things will completely blow over for him as one show suggested that his time was over. TV Asahi Corp announced the same day as Nakai’s statement they would suspend his show indefinitely.

The fact that Nakai said there was no violence is concerning if the parameters of the “trouble” were sexual assault. If this was sexual assault, which is highly likely, this raises concerning questions about the parameters of consent and if rape is considered a violent act in Japan. There may never be a time in which the word rape or sexual assault are most assuredly used regarding this situation but it can be left up to anyone’s common sense.

The following is a translated transcript of Nakai’s entire apology:

I am very sorry for causing trouble to everyone.

Some of the information reported by the media is not true, and I am very sorry to the other party and all those concerned.

I was refraining from sending out a message due to confidentiality obligations associated with the settlement with the other party.

As I have caused others pain in many ways in my own activities, I would like to explain to the extent possible.

It is true that I had gotten into trouble.

It is also true that the matter has been resolved following a settlement through attorneys for both parties.

Over the course of the settlement, I sincerely faced up to proposals made by the other party and responded to them.

In relation to this trouble, there was no violence, such as by raising my hand as reported by some media.

With the settlement reached, I am able to continue my entertainment activities without issue going forward.

There was no involvement of parties other than those concerned in this case.

Here are my closing words.

This dispute is all due to my inadequacies.

The other party is involved in this case.

I respectfully request that you refrain from prying into the matter based on conjectures or making slanderous statements regarding this matter.

I extend my deepest apologies to all of you.

I am truly sorry.

Jan. 9, 2025

Masahiro Nakai, Nonbiri Nakai

TBS and TV Asahi have removed at least 2 upcoming shows with Nakai including shows that have Nakai`s name in the title (To Masahiro Nakai’s Friday Smiles). Despite the noticeable absences of Nakai TV news stations aren’t saying much. According to Nikkan Sports, a TBS public relations officer said, “We will refrain from answering as this is a matter related to contracts with individual companies.”

TV Fuji has not commented on inquiries regarding the situation.

Sources

1【スクープ】中居正広が女性との間に重大トラブル、巨額の解決金を支払う 重病から復帰後の会食で深刻な問題が発生｜NEWSポストセブン

[Scoop] Nakai Masahiro has serious trouble with a woman and will pay a huge settlement. Serious problems arose during a dinner party after his return from a serious illness.

2024.12.20 19:00 Josei Seven

2 中居正広9000万円SEXスキャンダルの全貌 X子さんは取材に「今でも許せない」と… | 週刊文春 電子版

The full story of Masahiro Nakai’s 90 million yen sex scandal: Ms. X says in an interview, “I still can’t forgive him”…

 Weekly Bunshun editorial department

3 中居正広「9000万円女性トラブル」代理人が「週刊文春」に回答「トラブルは事実」「暴力はない」「謝罪を申し入れましたが…」 | 文春オンライン

Masahiro Nakai’s “90 million yen trouble with a woman” – his agent responds to “Weekly Bunshun”: “The trouble is true,” “There was no violence,” “I offered to apologize, but…”

4 中居正広 高額示談金トラブル 女性側、当初から性被害主張― スポニチ Sponichi Annex 芸能

Masahiro Nakai: High settlement amount trouble; woman claims sexual assault from the start

[ December 26, 2024 04:45 ] Sponichi Annex Reporting Team

5  Softbank pitchman Masahiro Nakai embroiled in ‘woman problem’

By Mieko Shimizu on December 28, 2024

6Nakai Masahiro embroiled in scandal – Neo-Tokyo 2099

January 3, 2025

7 SMAP’s Nakai Masahiro Disappears from Japanese TV as Scandal Grows – Unseen Japan

January 4, 2025

Jay Allen

8. 中居正広MC「仰天ニュース」７日特番「放送に関しては適切な対応を致します」と日テレがコメント – 芸能 : 日刊スポーツ

Masahiro Nakai MC “Astonishing News” special program on the 7th, “We will take appropriate action regarding the broadcast,” Nippon Television commented

January 7, 2025 5:00 AM

9  「いい印象しかない」中居正広の女性トラブル報道に大物ベテランタレント（72）がブログで吐露…「早くスッキリして欲しい」と真相解明訴え

“I only have good impressions” of Masahiro Nakai (72) in a blog post about the reports of his troubles with women… “I want him to clear it up quickly” – appealing for the truth to be revealed

1/7(Tue) 11:00

10  Ex-SMAP member Masahiro Nakai apologizes for issue with woman, says he can stay in showbiz – The Mainichi

January 10, 2025 (Mainichi Japan)

Emperor Nabetsune Has Passed Away: The Yomiuri Shogun is gone

by Robert Whiting

I read with sadness of the passing of Tsuneo Watnabe, the long time shogun of the Yomiuri group, which publishes the Yomiuri Shinbun–(editor note: and also owns the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, Yomiuriland–an amusement park and more) . He died recently at the age of 98 after a bout with pneumonia.

He was so powerful I didn’t think he would ever actually die.

Under Watanabe’s leadership, the Yomiuri Shinbun became the  largest newspaper in the world with a daily circulation 12 million for its morning edition.

Watanabe was known for his close ties with political leaders, including many in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), especially Yasuhiro Nakasone. His editorial direction often supported conservative policies and advocated for constitutional revision, particularly revising Japan’s pacifist Article 9.

He also became the “owner” of the Yomiuri Giants, a post he was unqualified for, as he did not particularly like baseball and did not even understand the rules. During his regime at the top, he conspired with Seibu Lions owner Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, in an ill-advised plan to contract the 12 NPB teams of the Central and Pacific league into one 8 team league, starting with a plan to combine the Kintestu Buffaloes and the Orix Blue Wave into one team, the Orix Buffaloes . This led to the only player strike in the history of professional baseball, lasting all of two days, which effectively canceled the plan to contract and effected the creation of a new team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles to restore the 12 team balance.

I knew Tsuneo Watanabe fairly well. In 1968, while I was a student at Tokyo’s Sophia University, a professor named Kan Ori who was teaching a class I attended in Japanese politics, approached me about teaching English to his friend Watanabe, who at the time was one of Japan’s top reporters and who was being assigned to take over the Washington DC Yomiuri Shinbun Bureau.

As I understood the situation, the Yomiuri Shinbun wanted to buy some land and put up a new building in Ohtemachi. The government agreed to cooperate only on the condition that Watanabe—who had greatly irked the Sato Eisaku cabinet with constant criticisms in his newspaper columns—be sent out of the country, hence the DC appointment.

I accepted and for the next year I went to Watanabe’s apartment in San Ban Cho for three times a week.  

We would retreat to Watnabe’s  den, seated on tatami at a low table, surrounded by stacks of books on government and politics around the world. He would drink tea and talk about affairs of the day in English, which he was in fact, quite good at. Occasionally we would be joined by his friend Sam Jameson, the famed correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and later the Los Angeles Times, It was there that I also Yasuhiro Nakasone and a Mr. Kobayashi who was Nakasone’s secretary general. They were all regular members of Mr. Watanabe’s benkyo-kai, a weekly study group, that Watanabe had organized for his political associates, to discuss politics and play mah-jongg.

Watanabe was not a typical Japanese conservative.  The son of a banker Tokyo who died prematurely from stomach cancer,  Watnabe  grew up in comfortable circumstances and, as a junior high school student, openly opposed the army and teachers who promoted militarism. In high school, he was  called to work in a factory making airplanes  which he resisted by making defective parts. Drafted by the Japanese Imperial Army in 1945 during the last stages of the war, as a lowly private, he suffered physical abuse at the hands of his superiors.

It was during that time that the military began dispatching kamikaze pilots, whom the Japanese right wing went on to glorify as willing martyrs for the emperor.

“It’s all a lie that they left filled with braveness and joy, crying, ‘Long live the emperor!’ ” Watanabe  would tell me, with anger in his voice,. “They were sheep at a slaughterhouse. Everybody was looking down and tottering. Some were unable to stand up and were carried and pushed into the plane by maintenance soldiers.” (NY Times)

Tsuneo Watanabe was the Rupert Murdoch of Japan, ruling over the Yomiuri Shimbun Empire for decades .

He told me that he had hated the militarism of Japan with every fiber of his being.

After the war, in September 1945, he entered Tokyo University, he had applied for membership in the Youth Communist Federation. He distributed pamphlets, fliers and encouraged people to attend the lectures. By  1947, he was acknowledged as a regular member of the Communist  party. He belonged to one of  the cells in the university and  delivered speeches in other universities which resulted in increasing party members.

But he came to find the movement too dogmatic and in December 1947, he submitted his resignation from the JCP. Others say he was booted out for criticizing the movement.

After graduation, he joined the Yomiuri Shimbun where by the end of the 1950’s he had become the paper’s leading reporter and by then had become conservative in his leaning. He was captain of the Kisha Club reporting on Ono Bamboku a leading conservative in the newly formed Liberal Democratic Party and developed a close relationship with Yasuhiro Nakasone, a up-and-coming politician (and future prime minister of Japan), whom many Japanese were comparing to a JFK—young, healthy, vigorous, and dressed in tailored suits with designer silk ties.

Watanabe was gruff, blunt. He wore his politics on his sleeve. He absolutely hated the Emperor and the Imperial system, which, of course,  was an amalgam of state and religion. In particular, he blamed the Emperor for allowing the war to happen and he told me he thought the Imperial Palace should be torn down, the grounds paved over and turned into a parking lot.

He was an outspoken opponent of Yasukuni Shrine and thought Shinto was a mumbo-jumbo religions.

I did my best to help Watanabe-san improve his English. As it turned out, however, I was the one who got the education.

It was from Watanabe that I first learned how corrupt politics in Japan was. It was all about money, starting with Prime Minister and LDP Party Boss Eisaku Sato.

“Japanese politics is dirty,” he liked to say  “It’s all about money. Not policy. Only money. “

Watanabe absolutely despised  Eisaku Sato, the elephant-eared, prime minister of Japan at the time. Sato, son of a samurai turned sake brewer,  was  the younger brother of  the aforementioned Nobosuke Kishi, the American puppet and CIA favorite.   Watanabe thought he was corrupt to the core  and indeed the PM’s tenure at the top was engulfed in a string of corruption scandals that earned the nickname the Black Mist. Among them, bribes paid by the Kyowa sugar company to LDP politicians for help in obtaining $20 million in loans, Sato’s Transportation Minister arranging for  an express train to stop at his local home town station, and LDP Dietman extorting businessmen for money, the head of the Self-Defense Force using YS-11 for private use, the speaker of the Lower House dealing in fraudulent bank drafts  (“tegata”) (all in 1966)

Watanabe described in detail how he thought Sato obtained  won the post of Prime Minister. In 1964 former Prime Minister Hayato Ikeda, suffering from throat cancer,  was compelled to resign his post because of failing health. It was decided by party officials that rather than endure a difficult intra-party battle between the leading factions over his successors that it would be better for Ikeda to chose the next party president  who would automatically become PM, in Japan’s parliamentary system. The logical  choice was Ichiro Kono, the man who had organized the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and who was close to Ikeda.  Ikeda, who was unable to speak because of his illness, wrote down the name of his successor, Kono, on a piece of paper, folded it and handed it to an aide.

“Somewhere along the line,” said Watanabe, “the paper was intercepted, made to disappear, a large amount of money changed hands, and a new piece of paper appeared with Sato’s name on it.”

For a naïve 24 year old, that was quite a revelation.

Corruption in the Sato regimen was a frequent target of Watanabe’s columns and he told me that  Sato’s wife had visited his wife with a gift—an envelope full of money—a not so subtle hint that she might suggest to her husband to ease off on his attacks on the PM’s office. Watanabe’s wife, a former actress and model, refused.

“Sato should commit hara-kiri” said Watanabe with contempt in his voice.

In November 1966, Sato went on television and told a nationwide audience: “It is regrettable that my administration and party have invited public distrust for lack of moral standards. The main thing is that I, as the responsible person, fully grasp the implications.” On the theory that he could best correct the situation, Sato thereupon announced his candidacy for a second term as party president. (TIME, Nov. 4) No one doubted that he would win, as he in fact did in the December election.

I introduced Watanabe to friends in Washington DC, who helped him settle in and I saw Watanabe periodically over the years. He ran a nice interview and story about me in his newspaper for my first book The Chrysanthemum and the Bat, which helped make it a best seller..

But I relationship went south in 1990 when I wrote a column in the Shukan Asahi exposing the Yomiuri Giants false attendance reports at their new stadium the Tokyo Dome.. The Giants reported a capacity crowd of 56,000 for every home game at the Tokyo Dome. But I counted the seats—42,761 and the standing crowd 3,600—and also discovered a sign on the B3 Level of the Dome parking area posted by the Tokyo Fire Department which read 46,134.

According to Sam Jameson, Watanabe was very angry about that story and told him “I’ll never forgive that son-of-a bitch Bob Whiting for writing that to the Asahi.”

Said Sam, “It was the disloyalty that bothered him.”

So much for truth and objectivtity in reporting.

Tsuneo Watanabe RIP.

Note: This column was cross-posted from Robert Whiting’s Substack with his permission. If you want to know about the history of post-war Japan and get a deeper look at current events, definitely subscribe.

Is there space on shelves for foreign authors? Book industry professionals give tentative encouragement

Japan is the second largest market for publishing books in the world — a fact that probably comes as no surprise to people living in Japan who only need to throw a stone to hit a bookshop. 

Foreign authors looking to publish in Japan may look at this and think they have a great chance of making their way into the literary scene. If they’re writing in English, they aren’t entirely wrong — 80% of translated books in Japan are translated from English. 

That being said, the number of newly published books in Japan is decreasing every year, and the literary scene is extremely competitive. Publishers are prioritizing domestic literature rather than taking the risk of new, untested literature in translation. Only a sliver of newly published books in Japan are in translation — 5.7 percent. 

According to the publishers at Kadokawa, one of the largest publishing houses in Japan, the best strategy for foreign aspiring authors is to try their hand at non-fiction. 

Back in the day, foreign perspectives on Japanese culture were rare and the novelty rendered them near-certain bestsellers. These days, the captive audience isn’t what it used to be, but Japanese readers have yet to fully move on from the foreigner’s take on Japan. They’re just a bit more picky. 

Satoshi Gunji, a former supervisor at Kadokawa, says that Japanese readers appreciate rediscovering their culture through foreign perspectives. Aspects of food culture have been particularly successful in recent years. Fermentation, for example, is a process that is both trending in the west and a staple process in many cuisines including Japan. Authors can come from many backgrounds and approach Japanese fermentation culture from many fresh perspectives. Onigiri is another unexpectedly popular topic in recent years for its simplicity and versatility. 

Japanese-American author Roland Kelts noted that many of the aspiring authors, or “gaijin geeks” as he calls them (not without some wry affection) lack the crucial element that makes books in the “outside-looking-in” genre compelling—personal connection beyond consumption. To succeed, or to be picked up by a publisher in the first place, the best thing to do is to find a genuine niche to write in. 

Author Robert Whiting is a clear example of this. On his 13th publishing bid, he was finally able to see his first book in print in 1977. The Chrysanthemum and The Bat is a book about baseball’s popularity in Japan and proved to be a hit in the United States — the Americans, it seems, were curious about its most famous export in Japan as well. Following its success, Japanese publishers took it on as a translation project, and the rest is a nearly 50 year long history of Whiting’s career in Japan. 

Whiting was blessed with good timing, certainly, by being able to tap into the market at a time when there were relatively few foreign authors in Japan. But the success of the book in both America and Japan led to Whiting being able to pursue a career in writing not only books but also consistent paid work as a sports writer for newspapers and magazines. Through the connections and reputation developed through these columns and interviews, he was able to reach sources that other writers weren’t able to access—Japanese or foreign. Whiting became a foreign authority on baseball in Japan, and later, on foreign relations between the two countries. 

It was after tens of books in both English and Japanese that he published his memoir Tokyo Junkie, as well as his arguably most well known book Tokyo Underworld, a biography and true crime reportage about an American gangster in Japan. 

Whiting credits his success to sticking to nonfiction, echoing the remarks of the Kadokawa publishers, as well as the merits of writing in volume. “To be good at something, you gotta put in ten thousand hours — I put in my ten thousand hours,” he remarked.

Can foreign authors find success in Japan? It depends on the kind of success they’re looking for. If it’s being a one-off, Japan-only runaway hit, that might be difficult. 

Miko Yamanouchi, also of Kadokawa, suggests having a clear strategy. If they want to write in Japan no matter what, a work of nonfiction with a clear and unique perspective on Japanese culture would be the most sensible. However, if being widely published globally is the goal, the author could try for any genre. Literature today is trending toward romantasy and feel-good novels: do with that information as you will.

Whiting’s advice is less business-informed and as such perhaps more appealing to aspiring authors. He suggests writing and publishing books without any expectation of making much money from it. Instead, he emphasized being open to the possibility of coming into work by virtue of being a published author with some authority on a topic. That might be the most practical shot at making a living through writing. 

But who knows? Maybe you’ll beat the odds on your own terms—and just be that breakout hit.

Japanese Spies, Hollywood Stars and Pearl Harbor

By Ronald Drabkin

It’s been a long and unexpected journey—from the moment I discovered my father had been a spy, to seeing my nonfiction book, Rutland, Omae wa Dare Da, prominently displayed in the history section of Kinokuniya and other major Japanese bookstores. (The English version, published by HarperCollins, is called Beverly Hills Spy.)

The hero and villain of the story is one English war hero named Frederick Rutland. Born a son of a poverty-stricken day laborer in Victorian England, the odds of success were stacked against him. Yet, in World War I, he became famous as he flew a rickety plane from a ship on a mission over the German fleet during the Battle of Jutland. Later, discriminated against due to his low-class birth, Rutland accepted an offer to work for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Out of sight from other westerners in a large villa in Zaimokuza, Kamakura—just down the street from the future Admiral Yamamoto—he helped modify and update the Japanese aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga, the lead ships in the Pearl Harbor attack. Then, he redesigned parts of the Mitsubishi planes to enable safe landing on those carriers.

20 years before Pearl Harbor, Japanese fishermen off the Boso Peninsula watch torpedo bombing practice

The Japanese naval officers were impressed with Rutland and decided that this Englishman would be a terrific spy. In a move that surprised him as much as anyone, they moved him and his family to Hollywood. Hanging out with friends such as Boris Karloff and the Japanophile Charlie Chaplin, he stole significant technical and strategic information that helped the Japanese Navy execute their attack on Hawaii.

I never imagined I’d write a book—not with my shaky college English record and a career in tech that had nothing to do with history. But somehow, everything fell into place in the most unexpected way.

It all began after my father passed away in 2017. He had occasionally dropped hints about his time in espionage, mentioning that he’d been involved in “rounding up communists in Los Angeles.” However, he always stopped short of sharing any real details, leaving me intrigued but in the dark.

Frederick Rutland

Curious about my dad’s shadowy past, I began digging into the world of espionage in Los Angeles. A few online searches eventually led me to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the FBI. For anyone curious, filing a FOIA request is straightforward—you can do it right on the FBI’s website. The FBI archivists were remarkably helpful in my search. If there’s any declassified information on the person you’re researching, they’ll send it to you.

As luck would have it, my timing was perfect. The FBI responded with recently declassified documents. While the files didn’t mention my family, they uncovered a gripping and little-known narrative: a clandestine network of Japanese spies and Hollywood stars, all coordinated by a rogue British pilot, Frederick Rutland.

The FBI files offered only the American perspective on Japanese espionage. To complete the picture, I turned to friends who serve as active-duty officers in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Their passion for Imperial Japanese Navy history and their expertise were invaluable, helping me uncover details from the Japanese side of the story that I would never have found myself.

Official records from Japan’s Naval Intelligence in the prewar period were burned around the time of Japan’s surrender, with smoke rising over Hiyoshi, on the location of Keio University’s campus today. However, many of the Japanese Navy’s spymasters went on to write detailed memoirs after the war. These firsthand accounts offer vivid insights into the activities of Japanese spies, shedding light on their covert missions in Hollywood and other parts of the United States.

My book,『Rutland, omae wa dare da!」in dark blue at Kinokuniya.

Returning to the story of my father, the spy: he worked for U.S. military counterintelligence in Los Angeles shortly after World War II. At the time, his unit was part of the U.S. Army, but has since become part of the FBI.

Much of his unit’s work focused on uncovering Soviet spies targeting aircraft manufacturers like Lockheed and Douglas. Lockheed, then as now, was a leader in developing America’s most advanced warplanes. During the 1950s, the Soviets were relentless in their attempts to steal information on the cutting-edge technology being developed there.

Before World War II, the Japanese Navy had mounted similar operations with the same goal: acquiring advanced American aircraft technology from Lockheed and other manufacturers. And, as history shows, they succeeded.

One of the primary objectives of prewar Japanese spies was to figure out how to make their planes fly farther on a single tank of fuel. With the vast distances of the Pacific Ocean, long-range capabilities were essential for any successful military campaign. Lockheed, at the time, was arguably the leader in developing aircraft with exceptional range—most famously exemplified by the plane they built for Amelia Earhart. Stolen information from Lockheed is believed to have played a significant role in the design of Japanese warplanes like the Mitsubishi Zero, which was renowned for its incredible range.

Lockheed and the FBI were well aware of the potential for espionage and kept a close watch for suspected Japanese agents attempting to infiltrate their operations. However, they were looking in the wrong places. As it turned out, no Japanese spies were found working inside the Lockheed plant. Instead, the source of the leaks was a surprising duo: Frederick Rutland, the celebrated British pilot, and his unlikely accomplice—an Irish night janitor. Even more astonishing were the janitor’s Hollywood connections: he had previously done odd jobs for Boris Karloff and Douglas Fairbanks’ brother, even using their names as references.

Rutland was the first pilot to take off a plane from a gun turret — one of many feats

I’m thrilled that my book is now available in Japanese, and I can’t help but wonder how the Japanese reading public will respond to it. If I have one lingering regret, it’s that despite all my research, I never found any FBI or government records detailing what my father actually did during his time in intelligence.

Perhaps one day, if such files exist, they too will be declassified—and I’ll finally uncover the full story of my father’s mysterious past.

Performing Kaoru’s Funeral

The Story of the Woman Who Scripted Her Own Funeral

by Kaori Shoji

Noriko Yuasa strikes you as the kind of person who locks eyes with every bull that dares cross her path, grabs it by the horns, and makes it clear who’s in charge. Ambitious and unrelenting, Yuasa was employed by a media production company right out of university and often she worked so hard that she sometimes slept standing up and leaning against the office copier. At 36 she went solo to become that rare creature in the Japanese media: an independent female filmmaker and screenwriter. Any Japanese woman who has worked in the industry knows the near impossibility of pulling this off. Cliches like ‘gutsy’ and ‘force of nature’ come to mind but they sound like disrespectful understatements.

 

paying last respects to Kaoru and reminiscing over her life

Performing Kaoru’s Funeral is Yuasa’s second commercial feature and a joint project with funding and staff participation from Spain and Singapore. After the Japan release on November 22, the film is slated to travel to Nepal and Bangladesh and onto the international film festival circuit. Yuasa had managed to crowdfund, set up an international team and carry out the filming and offshore post-production – all in the midst of the pandemic chaos. According to an interview found on the net by producer Mika Shimoeda, the entire crew and cast faced multiple set-backs, extensions and do-overs. But for both Yuasa and Shimoeda, “giving up” had never been part of their vocabulary.

The film is an engrossing 100 minutes that tracks the beginning and end of a Japanese funeral, interspersed with the story of a boy and girl who meet, marry and divorce. Ten years later, the girl winds up dead and the boy – now on the brink of middle age – is called upon to take charge of her funeral. Yuasa penned the original screenplay and in the film she can’t help riffing on the adage that original scripts in Japan have awful trouble getting greenlighted. One line goes: “Anime is the only exception. Otherwise, original scripts never, ever get off the ground.” Hah!

“Performing…” is also a funny, melancholic and classic Japanese love story. Classic because within the traditional Japanese relationship, a man and woman only realize the depth of their love for each other in the face of death, not in the life that they had shared together. Consider that a Japanese man often proposes by saying “let’s get buried in the same grave,” and a woman divorces him by saying “no way am I going in the same grave as you and your parents.” In Japan, marriage is a long, long haul that doesn’t ensure happiness, joy or sex but will probably guarantee a nice funeral and someone to hold your hand when you die. Which is perhaps, the point of getting married at all.

Also telling is that Kaoru (played by London-bred actress Kano Ichiki)’s funeral takes much longer than the day she got married, which consisted of a proposal in a karaoke box followed by an ecstatic embrace in the street. Her funeral is a long, protracted goodbye, and there’s a lot of entertainment value for every one of the guests – a chance to get rip roaring drunk, a chance to weep and admit to pent-up emotions, a chance to look long and hard into the face of a woman who loved you and whom you loved back, a chance to get lost in the woods and throw mud pies into each other’s faces.

Yuasa proffers little or no explanation of who Kaoru really was. She died after being hit by a truck on a remote road in Okayama, after getting off a shift at a factory that makes hot towels. She was 40 years old, and left a 9-year old daughter with the same name: Kaoru. She never disclosed the identity of her daughter’s father. When she was alive, she was a professional screenwriter who once won an important award. Enigmatically, she left a will with detailed instructions to her own funeral, including a request that the ceremonies be presided over by her ex-husband whom she hadn’t seen in a decade.

In Japan, marriage is a long, long haul that doesn’t ensure happiness, joy or sex but will probably guarantee a nice funeral and someone to hold your hand when you die. Which is perhaps, the point of getting married at all.

Kaoru’s ex is Yokotani (Koji Seki), an out-of-work actor who now makes a living by driving call girls to clients’ homes, wait around for the sessions to end and then driving the girls back again. In the opening segment, a girl calls him for help because a creepy client dared to kiss her thighs. The whole thing is set up to extract extra money from the client; the drill is that Yokotani comes thundering in, and accuses the client of abuse whereupon a bodyguard appears from nowhere to beat Yokotani up. The girl picks up 300,000 yen in cash as compensation, and a bloodied Yokotani drives her home. The job is pathetic and stupid but the only one available for many male freelancers during the pandemic, just as hordes of young women turned to sex work to support themselves.

Kaoru used to work all hours of the day and night, dressed or completely naked.

Yokotani is a nice enough guy but he’s bland to the point of numbness. When he gets the call from a funeral home in Okayama about Kaoru, he procures a black suit and boards the bullet train out of Tokyo. He arrives at the temple where the wake is to be held and barely manages to convey a sense of loss. When Yokotani and Kaoru were married, he failed one audition after the other while she wrote scripts on a laptop set up on the kitchen table. They had been working in the same theater company when they fell in love after a drunken tryst. Awhile later, he got up the courage to propose and then moved in with his new wife. But between her frenzied work schedule and his futile attempts to land a role, Yokotani never really got the chance to know Kaoru. And now, the mysteries of her life post-divorce both enthralls and slightly repels him. Weirdly, her funeral brings them closer together than they had perhaps been during their marriage.

Through Yokotani’s gaze, the audience too, becomes ensnared in the enigma of Kaoru. She was never the cliche of a good wife or mother and by snippets of conversations among the few friends who gather at the funeral, we gather that she suffered from her own insecurities and was constantly at war with herself. Maybe she couldn’t live according to the script running in her head but judging from her will, she sure as hell had the script to her death all done up and ready to go. Kaoru didn’t want her ashes to sit in an urn or be buried anywhere but requested that they be scattered on the Seto Inland Sea.

And in the final hour of the two-day long funeral, Kaoru’s daughter Kaoru sings her mom’s favorite song out loud, which is Dream Come True’s “Osaka Lover,” a song that Yokotani knows well. And in that moment, Kaoru’s funeral becomes so poignant, so fraught with meaning, that you can’t help but bow your head down and cry.

Rest in peace, Kaoru-san.

[image error]

filmmaker/writer Noriko Yuasa. 
credit: PLUG MAGAZINE 

カルト、腐敗、失敗、そして崩壊。選挙で有権者が懲りない自民党を拒絶。

故安倍晋三元首相の罪悪: 使途不明金、失敗した経済政策、そして旧統一教会との関係が彼の党を追い詰めた。

2024年の衆議院選挙で、自民党は苦杯を舐める結果となりました。1955年以来、ほぼ途切れなく政権を握ってきた自民党が、遂に崩壊の危機に瀕しています。与党がその腐敗スキャンダル、失敗した経済政策、そして最も批判されるべきは、旧統一教会との関係から逃れられなかったのです。日本のメディアはその側面に多く言及しませんが、旧統一教会が批判的な報道を行う新聞やメディアを訴え始めたためです。

自民党とその連立パートナーである公明党は、政権維持に必要な233議席を確保できず、214議席に終わりました。自民党自体は191議席に減少し、立憲民主党が148議席を獲得して、衆議院の最大の野党となりました。

自民党は様々な派閥から成り立っていますが、それはまるで日本最大のヤクザ組織である山口組のようです。党内で権力を争う派閥が存在していました。

かつて党の中心で輝いていた安倍派は、今や取り返しのつかないほど汚染され、最も大きな敗者となりました。2022年の安倍元首相の暗殺は政治的な地震でしたが、その後の開示が自民党の根幹を揺るがしました。安倍氏は国民のために働く政治家ではなかった。安倍総理は安倍友人のために働く輩でした。しかも彼とその内輪は統一教会との怪しい腐れ縁も力の源だったようです。旧統一教会は日本人の信者を搾取し、その資金一部を政治献金に流していると報告されています。

経済的には、安倍晋三氏の成功と言われた「アベノミクス」は、実際にはデータ改ざんに基づく幻想でした。その結果、深刻な格差、生活費の高騰、そして長年停滞した賃金が残されたのです。岸田文雄首相は路線転換を約束しましたが、同じ失敗した政策を続けました。日本の国民はついに限界に達しました。

この選挙は自民党にとって単なる敗北ではなく、政治システムそのものが徐々に崩れていることを示すものでした。立憲民主党が148議席を獲得したことは、国民感情の変化を表しています。また、日本維新の会や国民民主党といった政党も、今後の日本の未来を形成する上でより大きな役割を果たす立場にあります。

自民党の崩壊は、長期間政権を握り続けた政権が抱える失敗を象徴しています。傲慢、腐敗、そして社会の変化に適応できない体質です。権力が長く集中しすぎると、内部から腐り始めるのです。

自民党と統一教会の不健全な結びつきは、まさに引き金に過ぎませんでした。この選挙は、日本の政治における劇的な転換点を示し、与党に対する長年の不満がついに沸騰し始めたのです。

「下村博文氏の落選は大問題の縮図」

東京11区で9期連続当選してきた元文部科学大臣、下村博文氏が、この選挙で立憲民主党の阿久津幸彦氏に敗北したことは、皮肉的な凋落劇と言えるでしょう。下村氏はかつて政治エリートの寵児でしたが、彼のキャリアを釘打ち人形のように刺してきたスキャンダルが積み重なり、ついに選挙に敗れました。

70歳の下村氏は、政治資金を巡る裏金問題に深く関わりました。その評判は取り返しのつかないほど汚れていました。彼は自民党の比例代表名簿から除外されましたが、これは政治的に「角に立たされた愚者」のような扱いでした。

彼の凋落に驚きの無さを隠せません。自民党の他の多くの政治家と同様、彼のキャリアもスキャンダルによって損なわれましたが、その軌跡は自己風刺のように見えます。

下村氏は、30年近くも政治的策謀を生き延びてきましたが、その晩年に相対的に無名の候補者に敗れることとなりました。ギリシャ悲劇の合唱団が「我々は言ったではないか」と叫んでいるような皮肉な情景です。

さらに皮肉なのは、彼が統一教会に関連するスキャンダルの中心人物の一人であったことです。奴は文部大臣を務めた2015年にこの宗教団体の名称変更を認可しましたが、それが彼の政治的評判に深く傷を残しました。彼の選挙キャンペーンでは、8000軒の家を訪問して謝罪を繰り返しましたが、これも有権者の不信感を拭うには至りませんでした。

こうしたスキャンダルは個別の事件ではなく、政治階層の腐敗を象徴するものです。下村氏の凋落は、自民党が自らに突き刺した自己破壊の一例に過ぎません。

安倍晋三氏の呪い

下村博文氏とその同志たちが今回の選挙で政治的に崩壊した背景を理解するためには、安倍派の崩壊とその残した惨状をより広い文脈で捉える必要があります。ほぼ10年にわたって、安倍晋三氏とその側近たちは、まるで専制君主のように自信満々に日本を支配し、反対意見を押しつぶし、物語を操作し、政治をスキャンダル化してきました。それはまるで職務の一環のようでした。安倍氏自身は、その衝撃的な暗殺が起こるまで、舞台裏で絶大な権力を握っており、しばしば報道の自由を抑圧し、メディアの重鎮を酒席で籠絡することが常態化していました。しかし、その鉄壁の支配を打ち破ったのは、非常に陰険な暴露であり、さすがに寛容で知られる日本の有権者もついに限界を迎えました。

安倍氏の暗殺後、堰が切れたように事実が明らかになりました。彼と自民党の高官たちは、統一教会と密接に結びついていたのです。そうです、あの統一教会です。日本ではカルトと呼ばれることが多いその宗教団体は、何十年も軽蔑されてきました。安倍氏とその仲間が単に関与していたのではなく、彼らと深い結びつきを持ち、有権者が身の毛もよだつほどの規模での関係があったことが、国中に衝撃を与えました。それは単なる見た目の問題ではなく、安倍時代を象徴するような裏取引の極みだったのです。

歴史を学んだことがあるなら、自由民主党がヤクザの資金で設立されたことをご存じでしょう。戦時の利益を得た児玉誉士夫氏と戦犯であった安倍氏の祖父、岸信介氏によって設立されました。悪い種からは、悪いものが育ちます。安倍氏の過ちとは、単に不適切な団体と手を組んだだけではなく、安倍派全体が透明性や民主主義を軽視していたことを象徴していました。彼はまた、右派のカルト団体である日本会議とも深い関係を持ち、その団体は多くの日本国民が支持する政策に反対していました。しかし、彼の遺産に最も打撃を与えたのは、統一教会とのつながりでした。実際、彼の暗殺者はそのつながりを明るみに出すために彼を狙ったのです。岸田文雄氏が安倍氏に豪華な国葬を与えようとした時、80%の国民がその無駄遣いに反対しました。

自民党が統一教会との関係でどれだけ深く腐敗していたのかが国民に明らかになった今、その積み上げたカードの家は崩壊し始めました。

下村氏が痛感したように、謝罪し続けても有権者が耳を貸さなくなる瞬間がやってきます。彼は8000軒もの家を訪問し、個人的に謝罪を行う「誠意ツアー」を展開しましたが、自民党を悩ませるより大きな問題と比べると、それは無意味に見えました。人々が怒っていたのは彼個人だけでなく、彼のような人物が30年近くも権力を握り続けたシステムそのものに対してでした。

安倍氏のいわゆる経済的成功、「アベノミクス」は、彼の遺産とされていました。しかし、実際にはそれは政府による捏造されたデータに基づく巧妙に作られた幻影に過ぎませんでした。彼の在任中における日本の経済回復の基盤は、操られた情報とスピンによって支えられていました。賃金は停滞し、インフレは急上昇し、富の格差はますます広がりました。上層部の人々は利益を享受しましたが、何百万人もの人々は、生活費が上昇し、機会が減少する中で宙ぶらりんの状態に置かれました。そして、下村氏の敗北が示すように、有権者はついに限界に達しました。

この選挙は下村氏だけでなく、安倍派に関わるすべての者に対する清算の時となりました。安倍氏に結びついた候補者たちは軒並み不調に終わりました。彼の暗殺は人物を取り去ったかもしれませんが、彼のスキャンダル、統一教会との関係、そして彼の専制的な傾向は今も影を落とし、自民党はその残骸の中で新たなアイデンティティを模索しています。

下村氏の凋落は、政党や派閥が自身の腐敗にあまりにも慣れ親しんだ時に何が起こるかを象徴しています。インフレの高騰、停滞する賃金、そして広がり続ける富の格差に直面する日本の人々は、もう我慢の限界です。自民党はあまりにも長い間、権力の座にあったため、国民に奉仕するのではなく、支配することを目的とするようになってしまったのです。そして今、安倍時代が本当に終わりを迎える中で、下村氏やその他の安倍派の仲間たちは、街頭に立ち、マイクを握りながら懺悔しているでしょうか。多分懺悔はないが、後悔は深いでしょう。

石破茂首相の奇襲か？

石破茂首相には、まるでマスコットのように彼を「かわいい」と感じる日本の女性たちから、独特な支持層が存在しています。確かに、彼は子供たちに愛される菓子のヒーロー、アンパンマンに似ています。しかし、彼は子供ではありません。自民党の選挙崩壊の中心には、この現首相であり元防衛大臣でもある石破氏の大胆な行動がありました。その力の行使は、多くの人々に見逃されたかもしれません。石破氏は、政治資金スキャンダルで現行犯逮捕された自民党候補者に対し、党の支援を拒否するという政治的潮流の変化を感じ取ったかのようでした。さらに注目すべきは、彼がこれらのスキャンダルに関与した人物たちを比例代表名簿から除外したことです。これにより、小選挙区での敗北が避けられなかった彼らは、救命ボートを失ったかのように立ち往生しました。下村博文氏のような政治家も、この安全網を失った結果、孤立してしまったのです。

石破氏の戦略は明確でした。たとえ自民党の権力基盤を一時的に弱体化させることになっても、党の損失を最小限にし、腐敗の汚点を浄化しようというものでした。それは計算された賭けであり、スキャンダルにまみれた人物たちから党を引き離すだけでなく、石破氏自身の自民党内での政治的ライバルたちを巧妙に排除することにもつながりました。その結果、自民党は古参メンバーを失い、弱体化し、勢いを増す野党と対峙せざるを得なくなりました。この戦術は短期的には自民党の崩壊を加速させ、野党に決定的な勝利をもたらしました。この行動が、最終的に党を救った戦術的傑作として記憶されるのか、それとも安倍時代の自民党にとどめを刺す最後の釘となるのかは、まだ分かりません。

The sins of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the slush fund, the failed economic policies, and the ties to the unification church came back to haunt his party. 結果: 2024年衆議院選挙自民党: 191議席立憲民主党: 148議席日本維新の会: 38議席国民民主党: 28議席公明党: 24議席れいわ新選組: 9議席日本共産党: 8議席社会民主党: 3議席その他: 12議席

カルト、腐敗、そして崩壊: 大敗北で日本の与党を有権者が拒絶。お尻叩かれた自民党の現状

故安倍晋三元首相の罪悪: 使途不明金、失敗した経済政策、そして旧統一教会との関係が彼の党を追い詰めた。

2024年の衆議院選挙で、自民党は苦杯を舐める結果となりました。1955年以来、ほぼ途切れなく政権を握ってきた自民党が、遂に崩壊の危機に瀕しています。与党がその腐敗スキャンダル、失敗した経済政策、そして最も批判されるべきは、統一教会との関係から逃れられなかったのです。日本のメディアはその側面に多く言及しませんが、旧統一教会が批判的な報道を行う新聞やメディアを訴え始めたためです。

自民党とその連立パートナーである公明党は、政権維持に必要な233議席を確保できず、214議席に終わりました。自民党自体は191議席に減少し、立憲民主党が148議席を獲得して、衆議院の最大の野党となりました。

自民党は様々な派閥から成り立っていますが、それはまるで日本最大のヤクザ組織である山口組のようです。党内で権力を争う派閥が存在していました。

かつて党の中心で輝いていた安倍派は、今や取り返しのつかないほど汚染され、最も大きな敗者となりました。2022年の安倍元首相の暗殺は政治的な地震でしたが、その後の開示が自民党の根幹を揺るがしました。安倍氏は国民のために働くだけではなく、彼とその内輪は統一教会との怪しい関係に深く巻き込まれていたのです。この教会は信者を搾取し、その資金を政治献金に流していると報告されています。

経済的には、安倍晋三氏の成功と言われた「アベノミクス」は、実際にはデータ改ざんに基づく幻想でした。その結果、深刻な格差、生活費の高騰、そして長年停滞した賃金が残されたのです。岸田文雄首相は路線転換を約束しましたが、同じ失敗した政策を続けました。日本の国民はついに限界に達しました。

この選挙は自民党にとって単なる敗北ではなく、政治システムそのものが徐々に崩れていることを示すものでした。立憲民主党が148議席を獲得したことは、国民感情の変化を表しています。また、日本維新の会や国民民主党といった政党も、今後の日本の未来を形成する上でより大きな役割を果たす立場にあります。

自民党の崩壊は、長期間政権を握り続けた政権が抱える失敗を象徴しています。傲慢、腐敗、そして社会の変化に適応できない体質です。権力が長く集中しすぎると、内部から腐り始めるのです。

自民党と統一教会の不健全な結びつきは、まさに引き金に過ぎませんでした。この選挙は、日本の政治における劇的な転換点を示し、与党に対する長年の不満がついに沸騰し始めたのです。

「下村博文氏の落選は大問題の縮図」

東京11区で9期連続当選してきた元文部科学大臣、下村博文氏が、この選挙で立憲民主党の阿久津幸彦氏に敗北したことは、皮肉的な凋落劇と言えるでしょう。下村氏はかつて政治エリートの寵児でしたが、彼のキャリアを釘打ち人形のように刺してきたスキャンダルが積み重なり、ついに選挙に敗れました。

70歳の下村氏は、政治資金を巡る裏金問題に深く関わりました。その評判は取り返しのつかないほど汚れていました。彼は自民党の比例代表名簿から除外されましたが、これは政治的に「角に立たされた愚者」のような扱いでした。

彼の凋落に驚きの無さを隠せません。自民党の他の多くの政治家と同様、彼のキャリアもスキャンダルによって損なわれましたが、その軌跡は自己風刺のように見えます。

下村氏は、30年近くも政治的策謀を生き延びてきましたが、その晩年に相対的に無名の候補者に敗れることとなりました。ギリシャ悲劇の合唱団が「我々は言ったではないか」と叫んでいるような皮肉な情景です。

さらに皮肉なのは、彼が統一教会に関連するスキャンダルの中心人物の一人であったことです。奴は文部大臣を務めた2015年にこの宗教団体の名称変更を認可しましたが、それが彼の政治的評判に深く傷を残しました。彼の選挙キャンペーンでは、8000軒の家を訪問して謝罪を繰り返しましたが、これも有権者の不信感を拭うには至りませんでした。

こうしたスキャンダルは個別の事件ではなく、政治階層の腐敗を象徴するものです。下村氏の凋落は、自民党が自らに突き刺した自己破壊の一例に過ぎません。

安倍晋三氏の呪い

下村博文氏とその同志たちが今回の選挙で政治的に崩壊した背景を理解するためには、安倍派の崩壊とその残した惨状をより広い文脈で捉える必要があります。ほぼ10年にわたって、安倍晋三氏とその側近たちは、まるで専制君主のように自信満々に日本を支配し、反対意見を押しつぶし、物語を操作し、政治をスキャンダル化してきました。それはまるで職務の一環のようでした。安倍氏自身は、その衝撃的な暗殺が起こるまで、舞台裏で絶大な権力を握っており、しばしば報道の自由を抑圧し、メディアの重鎮を酒席で籠絡することが常態化していました。しかし、その鉄壁の支配を打ち破ったのは、非常に陰険な暴露であり、さすがに寛容で知られる日本の有権者もついに限界を迎えました。

安倍氏の暗殺後、堰が切れたように事実が明らかになりました。彼と自民党の高官たちは、統一教会と密接に結びついていたのです。そうです、あの統一教会です。日本ではカルトと呼ばれることが多いその宗教団体は、何十年も軽蔑されてきました。安倍氏とその仲間が単に関与していたのではなく、彼らと深い結びつきを持ち、有権者が身の毛もよだつほどの規模での関係があったことが、国中に衝撃を与えました。それは単なる見た目の問題ではなく、安倍時代を象徴するような裏取引の極みだったのです。

歴史を学んだことがあるなら、自由民主党がヤクザの資金で設立されたことをご存じでしょう。戦時の利益を得た児玉誉士夫氏と戦犯であった安倍氏の祖父、岸信介氏によって設立されました。悪い種からは、悪いものが育ちます。安倍氏の過ちとは、単に不適切な団体と手を組んだだけではなく、安倍派全体が透明性や民主主義を軽視していたことを象徴していました。彼はまた、右派のカルト団体である日本会議とも深い関係を持ち、その団体は多くの日本国民が支持する政策に反対していました。しかし、彼の遺産に最も打撃を与えたのは、統一教会とのつながりでした。実際、彼の暗殺者はそのつながりを明るみに出すために彼を狙ったのです。岸田文雄氏が安倍氏に豪華な国葬を与えようとした時、80%の国民がその無駄遣いに反対しました。

自民党が統一教会との関係でどれだけ深く腐敗していたのかが国民に明らかになった今、その積み上げたカードの家は崩壊し始めました。

下村氏が痛感したように、謝罪し続けても有権者が耳を貸さなくなる瞬間がやってきます。彼は8000軒もの家を訪問し、個人的に謝罪を行う「誠意ツアー」を展開しましたが、自民党を悩ませるより大きな問題と比べると、それは無意味に見えました。人々が怒っていたのは彼個人だけでなく、彼のような人物が30年近くも権力を握り続けたシステムそのものに対してでした。

安倍氏のいわゆる経済的成功、「アベノミクス」は、彼の遺産とされていました。しかし、実際にはそれは政府による捏造されたデータに基づく巧妙に作られた幻影に過ぎませんでした。彼の在任中における日本の経済回復の基盤は、操られた情報とスピンによって支えられていました。賃金は停滞し、インフレは急上昇し、富の格差はますます広がりました。上層部の人々は利益を享受しましたが、何百万人もの人々は、生活費が上昇し、機会が減少する中で宙ぶらりんの状態に置かれました。そして、下村氏の敗北が示すように、有権者はついに限界に達しました。

この選挙は下村氏だけでなく、安倍派に関わるすべての者に対する清算の時となりました。安倍氏に結びついた候補者たちは軒並み不調に終わりました。彼の暗殺は人物を取り去ったかもしれませんが、彼のスキャンダル、統一教会との関係、そして彼の専制的な傾向は今も影を落とし、自民党はその残骸の中で新たなアイデンティティを模索しています。

下村氏の凋落は、政党や派閥が自身の腐敗にあまりにも慣れ親しんだ時に何が起こるかを象徴しています。インフレの高騰、停滞する賃金、そして広がり続ける富の格差に直面する日本の人々は、もう我慢の限界です。自民党はあまりにも長い間、権力の座にあったため、国民に奉仕するのではなく、支配することを目的とするようになってしまったのです。そして今、安倍時代が本当に終わりを迎える中で、下村氏やその他の安倍派の仲間たちは、街頭に立ち、マイクを握りながら懺悔しているでしょうか。多分懺悔はないが、後悔は深いでしょう。

石破茂首相の奇襲か？

石破茂首相には、まるでマスコットのように彼を「かわいい」と感じる日本の女性たちから、独特な支持層が存在しています。確かに、彼は子供たちに愛される菓子のヒーロー、アンパンマンに似ています。しかし、彼は子供ではありません。自民党の選挙崩壊の中心には、この現首相であり元防衛大臣でもある石破氏の大胆な行動がありました。その力の行使は、多くの人々に見逃されたかもしれません。石破氏は、政治資金スキャンダルで現行犯逮捕された自民党候補者に対し、党の支援を拒否するという政治的潮流の変化を感じ取ったかのようでした。さらに注目すべきは、彼がこれらのスキャンダルに関与した人物たちを比例代表名簿から除外したことです。これにより、小選挙区での敗北が避けられなかった彼らは、救命ボートを失ったかのように立ち往生しました。下村博文氏のような政治家も、この安全網を失った結果、孤立してしまったのです。

石破氏の戦略は明確でした。たとえ自民党の権力基盤を一時的に弱体化させることになっても、党の損失を最小限にし、腐敗の汚点を浄化しようというものでした。それは計算された賭けであり、スキャンダルにまみれた人物たちから党を引き離すだけでなく、石破氏自身の自民党内での政治的ライバルたちを巧妙に排除することにもつながりました。その結果、自民党は古参メンバーを失い、弱体化し、勢いを増す野党と対峙せざるを得なくなりました。この戦術は短期的には自民党の崩壊を加速させ、野党に決定的な勝利をもたらしました。この行動が、最終的に党を救った戦術的傑作として記憶されるのか、それとも安倍時代の自民党にとどめを刺す最後の釘となるのかは、まだ分かりません。

The sins of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the slush fund, the failed economic policies, and the ties to the unification church came back to haunt his party. 結果: 2024年衆議院選挙自民党: 191議席立憲民主党: 148議席日本維新の会: 38議席国民民主党: 28議席公明党: 24議席れいわ新選組: 9議席日本共産党: 8議席社会民主党: 3議席その他: 12議席