We have been loyal Japan Times readers since 1971.
To be even more magnanimous I bought Japan Times every day for the past 30 plus years.
Now its over.
I am kicking the habit unless Japan Times changes its name.
Here are some suggestions for a new name:
War Criminal Japan Times
Comfort Women Chronicle
Gaijin Gazette
Yasukuni Observer
or even
Japan Christian Mirror.

Joking aside it is very sad to see what has happened with the content of a formerly good daily newspaper since Mr Ogasawara bought it. Something is very fishy since the ultimatum: "Either resign or you're fired." to Fred Varcoe, veteran sports editor of the Japan Times.
It is beyond any doubt that everybody at Japan Times is "dancing to the same tune". Are they afraid of loosing their job?

We took the time and did a simple comparison on Japan Times own database. Anybody can check the advanced search window in http://www.japantimes.co.jp/


Searchwords: Results in Japan Times

comfort women 129 articles since May 2006

yasukuni 1418 articles since Aug. 2000

hinomaru 203 articles since Feb 1997

kimigayo 180 articles since Aug 1997

hiroshima bombing 43 articles since March 2007

masanobu tsuji 6 articles since July 2000

Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara 9 articles since Oct 1999

tibet 233 articles since April 1998

hibakusha 137 articles since Sept 1997

russo-japanese war 101 articles since Dec 2003

onsen 249

mukden 10

meiji restoration 41

ise jingu 5

Same search in Peoples Daily Online
( http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ )

comfort women 194 articles sinceFeb. 2001

yasukuni 889 articles since April. 2001

hinomaru 1 article

kimigayo 2 articles

hiroshima bombing 28 articles since july. 2001

masanobu tsuji 0

Chiune and Yukiko Sugihara 0

tibet 3042 articles since Jan 2001

hibakusha

russo-japanese war

onsen

mukden 4

meiji restoration 4



In Washington Post search engine the same search shows:

yasukuni 2 articles
"comfort women" 7 articles
hiroshima 23 articles


Based just on this it is clear that the new name should be Yasukuni Observer or Comfort Women Chronicle.

We prefer to call the publication War Criminal Japan Times, hence 2006, when Yukiko Ogasawara became president.
It is understandable that Papaa Ogasawara wants his Yukiko to be somebody, what is mystifying is the motivation of "Snow-queen Eastmoreland" to smear dead Japanese patriots and their memory with an almost vindictive vehemence. She obviously do not know that since ancient times there are two acceptable causes for a man to die for: For his country or for a beautiful women. Snow-queen never had the fortune to meet men of such character and probably newer will, as she surrounds herself with errand boys and grocery clerks like Mike Hoffman, Eric Prideaux, Will Underwood and Mark Schreiber.
Nevertheless in her speech "FOUNDING PRINCIPLES UNCHANGED" she claims :
Although I am the new kid on the block, I am also very conscious of both the honor and the weight of this legacy on my shoulders.... Technology foreshadows social change, and today, I believe we are setting our sails to catch another colossal wind of change. But to see the future for The Japan Times we must also assess our raison d'e^tre. Before we speed ahead, we must first stop and ask ourselves: Who are we and what relevance do we hold?........ You'll see a new focus on freshness and information about Japan and for readers in Japan. With both insight and foresight, looking out while looking in, we will deliver all news, features and analysis in a manner that only a true independent paper such as The Japan Times can do.
The speech goes on and on in similar flowery tone until she actually reviels her real policy by saying:
Having said that, I know that people are having to become multitaskers to keep up with the daily flood of information. Using our greatest asset, our expertise at distilling the essence of the zeitgeist, The Japan Times will strive to deliver the smartest, most interesting content and news to our readers in real time, and do it efficiently, in a lucid to-the-point style that engenders debate and discussion and satisfies your concerns and curiosity. As Reuters CEO Tom Glocer so rightly observed last year, media needs to serve as a "filter of content." We will continue to sift through the flotsam and jetsam to deliver to you what is essential, what matters.
Well now.
Filtering content is o.k.
As for filtering historical facts ... that is a NO NO!
Unless the title is "Filtered witness to war".



by

Gabor Fabricius

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