Democracy Behind Closed Doors

Why was the decision to hold a state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a cabinet decision? The records of discussions with the "guardian of the law," the Cabinet Legislation Bureau, were withheld by the Prime Minister's Office. The three foundations of democracy are "records," "disclosure," and "review." However, over the past decade, the government has been rampant in concealing and falsifying public documents, even violating the Freedom of Information Act. Without knowing the processes, we cannot continue to approve government actions.

Polluted with PFOA

PFOA, a toxic chemical formerly used in products like non-stick pans, is carcinogenic and harmful to unborn children. Although banned in Japan from October 2021, high concentrations of PFOA have been found in Settsu City, Osaka, near a Daikin plant that used to manufacture the chemical. For years, residents were not told of the pollution.

Adults in the Student Suicide Case

A high school student committed suicide in 2017 at Kaisei Gakuen, a private Catholic school in Nagasaki Prefecture, as a result of bullying. The bereaved family is pursuing the truth, hoping that the tragedy that happened to their child will not be repeated. However, the high school, Nagasaki Prefecture, Kyodo News, and the Nagasaki Shimbun stand in their way. Adults who attempt to save their skins maintain the structure of recurrent bullying-related suicide. Self-protection comes at a high cost.

Uploaded and Re-Uploaded

Unbeknownst to the subjects themselves, photos and videos are turned into sexual “products” traded on smartphone apps. Users looking for money post and spread them one after another, and the authorities can’t keep up — while the victims’ suffering lasts forever. The app is available from Google and Apple and has been downloaded at least 100,000 times. This hell won’t end until IT giants stop enabling these apps.

Death on Distant Water

Numerous crew died while working on distant-water tuna fishing vessels belonging to Dalian Ocean Fishing, a Chinese company whose primary market was Japan. In this series, Tansa reveals the system that keeps crews’ suffering out of sight and out of mind for Japanese consumers.

Coal Crusades

For years, Japan has supported the construction of coal-fired power plants both at home and abroad. In 2018, Tansa investigated a pollution-belching plant in Indonesia. Now, we examine the construction of a new plant in Japan that will only add to the worsening climate crisis.

Myanmar Left for Dead

Hundreds of civilians have been massacred following the Myanmar military’s coup in February 2021. While citizens appeal for help from abroad and risk their lives to protest the seizure of power, the Japanese government has been slow to act. After all, Japan’s political and business elite have a vested interest in the country.

Abandoned at Futaba Hospital

During the Fukushima nuclear disaster, at least 45 patients at Futaba Hospital and an adjoining retirement home lost their lives after being left behind as the area was evacuated. But even 10 years later, no one has been held accountable for the mismanaged evacuation.

Shady Subscriptions

Newspaper solicitors and distributors are using coercive sales tactics to pressure elderly individuals, even those with dementia, to take out subscriptions. Are Japan’s newspapers aware of the problem — and do they care?

Blowing Unsmoke

Tobacco giant Philip Morris touts its heated tobacco product IQOS as a better option than cigarettes. Experts raise concerns about the product’s risk, but nevertheless, IQOS has found a warm welcome in tobacco-friendly Japan.

The Missing Nuclear Scientist

A Japanese plutonium specialist went missing in 1972 — and now he’s on the police’s list of potential abductees by North Korea. Did Japan do enough to respond to the abduction threat, or to manage its nuclear technologies?

A Cancer Study’s Secret Funder

A clinical trial of Chugai Pharmaceutical’s cancer drug Xeloda had incredible results, but they failed to mention Chugai’s financial support. Internal documents obtained by Tansa told a different story.

On the Hunt for DNA

The National Police Agency has a DNA database of roughly 1.2 million profiles, about 1% of Japan’s population. In theory, it’s meant to fight crime, but the majority of profiles were collected for minor offenses.

Sweet Bananas, Bitter Work

Workers at banana plantations and packing plants in the Philippines face harassment and attacks for demanding fair wages and better working conditions. Their underpaid labor gives Japan its cheapest fruit.

Money for Docs

Together with the Medical Governance Research Institute, Tansa created a database — the first of its kind in Japan — of additional income paid by pharmaceutical companies to doctors. Here’s what we found.

Forced Sterilization

Under its post-war Eugenic Protection Law, Japan forcibly sterilized over 16,500 individuals from 1948 to 1996. The program targeted individuals with disabilities, in order to “revive the Japanese race.”

Journalism for Sale

For years, Kyodo News, Japan’s major newswire, published compensated articles about pharmaceuticals masquerading as normal news. The articles were commissioned by the advertising giant Dentsu Group.