Kyodo News is a general incorporated association. Members include 55 newspaper companies, mostly local papers, as well as NHK. It has such influence that Kyodo News president Toru Mizutani shared with new employees at their induction ceremony in April of this year:

“I mentioned that newspaper circulation is declining, but the total circulation of member companies’ newspapers is just under 20 million. According to the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, the overall circulation of daily newspapers in Japan in fiscal year 2022 was roughly 30.85 million copies, implying that Kyodo articles were used in more than 60% of the newspapers issued. We are a powerful organization. Please be proud of your contribution to this work.”

Member companies have a close relationship with Kyodo News. What do they think about Kyodo News suppressing press freedom by subjecting Yoichi Ishikawa, author of “The Sanctuary of Bullying”, to an examination committee? Are there any member companies that are willing to put a hold on Kyodo News’ wrong decision?

Members of the board of directors are particularly essential in the management of Kyodo News among the member companies. Tansa sent a questionnaire to the board’s 42 presidents via certified mail. We called the Nagasaki Shimbun separately and sent a questionnaire.

Part of the organizational chart of Kyodo News

The chairman of the board is the president of Chunichi Shimbun

The board of directors, along with the standing board of directors, which is comprised of Kyodo News executives, including President Mizutani, governs the whole Kyodo News organization. The president is also chosen through the board of directors.

Uichiro Oshima, president of Chunichi Shimbun, is the chairman. Chunichi Shimbun is based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and publishes around 1.9 million copies each year, primarily in the Tokai region. The overall circulation exceeds 2.3 million when combined with the approximately 390,000 copies published by Tokyo Shimbun, which is owned by the same corporation as Chunichi Shimbun, and the approximately 79,000 copies published by Hokuriku Chunichi Shimbun. Oshima is a member of the Oshima family, one of the company’s founding families, and worked at the company’s Tokyo headquarters’ political department.

The vice-chairmen are Toshizo Oda, chairman of Niigata Nippo, which has a circulation of about 380,000, and Hideo Doi, president of Ehime Shimbun, which has a circulation of about 180,000.

All 43 members did not respond

Tansa sent a questionnaire to 43 board members.

After describing Kyodo News’ actions in response to the Nagasaki Shimbun’s protest over Ishikawa’s book, we asked them to answer the four questions below, along with their reasons:

1)  Mr. Ishikawa does not have the authority to stop the reprinting of this book. Do you think it was appropriate for Kyodo News to notify Mr. Ishikawa that reprints would not be permitted?

 

2) Do you think Kyodo News should propose Bungeishunju that it will not permit reprints of this book?

 

3) Do you believe the contents in Chapter 11 of the book, which Kyodo News deemed “extremely inappropriate,” to be defamation of the Nagasaki Shimbun?

 

4) Do you believe even though Mr. Ishikawa was on childcare leave, it was inappropriate for Kyodo News to ignore Mr. Ishikawa’s attorney, Yoichi Kitamura, persistently contact him, and cause him mental distress?

Only three companies responded: Yamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, and Iwate Nippo. They informed us that they would not respond, saying they “did not know the details” and were “not in a position to respond.”

Everyone else is ignored.

Below are the board members who we sent questions to. (Information as of July 14, 2022, that was posted on the official website of Kyodo News as of May 18, 2023, when the questionnaire was sent)

Chairman of the Board	Chunichi Shimbun Co., Ltd.	CEO	OSHIMA, Uichiro
Vice Chairman of the Board	The Niigata Nippo Co., Ltd.	CEO	ODA, Toshizo
	The Ehime Simbun Co., Ltd.	CEO	DOI, Hideo

 

Director	Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)	President	INABA, Nobuo
	Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd.	CEO	KONDO, Tetsuji
	Nikkei Inc.	President & CEO	HASEBE, Tsuyoshi
	The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd.	President & CEO	MATSUKI, Ken
	The Hokkaido Shimbun Press	CEO	HIROSE, Kenzo
	Kahoku Shimpo Publishing Co.	CEO	ICHIRIKI, Masahiko
	The To-o Nippo Press	CEO & Chief Editor	SHIOKOSHI, Takao
	The Akita Sakigake Shimpo	CEO	SAGAWA, Hiroyuki
	Yamagata Shimbun	CEO & Chief Editor	SAGAE, Hiroji
	The Iwate Nippo Co.,Ltd.	Special Advisor	AZUMANE, Chimao
	Fukushima-Minpo Co., Ltd.	CEO	YOSHIMI, Koichi
	The Fukushima Minyu Shimbun	CEO	NAKAGAWA, Toshiya
	Shimotsuke Shimbun	CEO	WAKANA, Eisei
	The Ibaraki Shimbun Company	CEO	NUMATA, Yasuhiro
	Jomo Shimbun, Inc.	CEO	UCHIYAMA, Mitsuru
	Kanagawa Shimbun	CEO	SUDO, Hiroyuki
	The Yamanashi Nichinichi Shimbun	Sannichi YBS Group President	NOGUCHI, Eichi
	The Shinano Mainichi Shimbun	CEO	KOSAKA, Sotaro
	The Shizuoka Shimbun	Representative Director Advisor	OISHI, Go
	Gifu Shimbun	CEO	YAJIMA, Kaoru
	The Kitanippon Shimbun	CEO	KAMACHI, Makoto
	The Hokkoku Shimbun	Vice President	NUKUI, Shin
	The Kyoto Shimbun Newspaper Co., Ltd.	CEO & Chief Editor	ONISHI, Yuji
	The Kobe Shimbun	CEO	TAKANASHI, Ryutaro
	The Sanyo Shimbun	CEO	MATSUDA, Masami
	The Chugoku Shimbun Co.,Ltd.	CEO	OKAHATA, Tetsuya
	The San-in Chuo Shimpo Newspaper Co., Ltd.	CEO	MATSUO, Norio
	The Shikoku Shimbun	CEO	HIRAI, Ryuji
	The Tokushima Shimbun	President and Group Management Committee Chairman	IKEGAMI, Harunori
	The Kochi Shimbun	CEO	NAKAHIRA, Masahiko
	The Nishinippon Shimbun Co., Ltd.	CEO	SHIBATA, Kenya
	Oita Godo News Company	CEO	NAGANO, Ken
	Miyazaki Nichinichi Shimbun	CEO	KAWANO, Seiji
	Nagasakishimbunsha	CEO	TOKUNAGA, Hidehiko
	Kumamotonichinichi Shimbun	CEO	KAWAMURA, Kunihiko
	Minaminippon Shimbun.Co.,Ltd.	President	SAGATA, Ryuichi
	The Okinawa Times Co., Ltd.	Representative Director and President	TAKETOMI, Kazuhiko

 

Auditor	Fukui Shimbun	CEO	YOSHIDA, Masahito
	The Saga Shimbun	CEO	NAKAO, Seiichiro
	The Ryukyu Shimpo Co., Ltd.	President	FUKUHARA, Hitoshi

 

If they have read this series and, as the head of a news organization, have determined that Kyodo News’ actions will lead to a loss of trust in Japanese journalism, we would like to hear back from them now.

To be continued.

(Originally published in Japanese on June 28, 2023. Translation by Mana Shibata.)

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