On July 26, 2024, the sixth oral pleading was held in a lawsuit filed by former Kyodo News reporter Yoichi Ishikawa against the company to protect “freedom of the press.”

One year after the lawsuit was filed, Kyodo News dropped its claim that the contents of Ishikawa’s book, “The Sanctuary of Bullying,” published by Bungeishunju, defamed the Nagasaki Shimbun.

Kyodo News lawyer: “It’s not about whether there was defamation or not”

Since the book’s publication, Kyodo News has pursued Ishikawa, saying that “‘The Sanctuary of Bullying’ damaged the reputation of the Nagasaki Shimbun and harmed the interests of Kyodo News,” and has maintained this position in court.

However, Kyodo News has not given any evidence to support its claims, and the plaintiff has been waiting for them to do so.

Tansa editor-in-chief Makoto Watanabe spoke with Yoichi Kitamura, Ishikawa’s lawyer, in the waiting room 15 minutes before the trial began. “What do you think of the preliminary document ?” The preliminary document refers to Kyodo News’ counter-papers, which were submitted to the plaintiff and the court before the oral pleading that day.

Attorney Kitamura was upset.

“What’s going on here? There’s no mention of the fact that the book has damaged the reputation of the Nagasaki Shimbun or damaged the credibility of Kyodo News.”

Oral pleading began.

Presiding Judge Takashi Nakajima referred to the contents of the briefs submitted by Kyodo News.

“You have written a summary of the whole thing.”

In other words, it’s just a compilation of things that have already been said, and there’s nothing new in it.

Next, the court asked the plaintiff whether it had any objections to the contents of the preliminary document.

Attorney Kitamura began by saying, “I would call this a rebuttal, but as I have been saying for a while now…”

“Are you not alleging that there is evidence that the book written by the plaintiff has defamed the Nagasaki Shimbun and that Kyodo News has lost credibility? I would like to ask whether you will provide any evidence.”

“Since this is a ‘summary,’ should I understand that you will not be making any further assertions regarding the facts going forward?”

In response to questions from Attorney Kitamura, Attorney Katsunori Fujita, who represents Kyodo News, answered. (Tansa added information in parentheses.)

“The issue is not whether or not there was defamation, but rather that the failure to inquire the Nagasaki Shimbun’s opinion was a mistake, and we have decided to ‘revoke consent for outside activities.'”

“We have no intention of alleging any new facts regarding defamation.”

Nonetheless, it all started when Kyodo News apologized to the Nagasaki Shimbun for damaging the company’s reputation with Ishikawa’s book, as recorded in the minutes of the Nagasaki Shumbun’s board of directors meeting that Tansa obtained.

On November 10, the day after the book was released, Kyodo News Fukuoka branch manager Makoto Taniguchi visited the Nagasaki Shimbun headquarters.

From the Nagasaki Shimbun, Editor-in-Chief Kenji Ishida, News Headquarters Director Takaki Yamada, and News Director Mukai responded, asking questions such as “why did you give permission to publish the book?” and “will you ask Bungeishunju to suspend its publication?” They said, “The content is insulting and degrading to the Nagasaki Shimbun and is contrary to the facts. It feels malicious. Kyodo News must take appropriate action.”  They also requested that any application forms for reporter Ishikawa to write outside the company be submitted.

Kyodo News Fukuoka branch manager Taniguchi apologized, saying that there are parts of the book that hurt the reputation of Nagasaki Shimbun and its reporters. He listed several points that Kyodo News considers to be problematic, stating, “The problematic description is Ishikawa’s personal assertion, and it does not align with Kyodo’s belief,” and “The Head Office’s General Affairs Bureau and Legal Affairs Bureau are considering responses.”

Did Kyodo News inquire all of the people it criticized?

Kyodo News has not shown any evidence that Ishikawa’s book has damaged the reputation of the Nagasaki Shimbun. From now on, it seems that they will focus on the fact that Ishikawa did not inquire the Nagasaki Shimbun for its views when criticizing it.

However, this is also contradictory because Kyodo News offers fact-based criticism despite not inquiring the other party.

The evidence was presented by the plaintiff during the fifth oral pleading.

The following are the targets of Kyodo News criticism during the three months from August 1 to October 31, 2022.

Prime Minister Kishida, Japanese government, Unification Church, prosecutors, Kansai Electric Power, Constitutional Democratic Party, Russia, LDP lawmakers, LDP, Japan Innovation Party, Putin, Ministry of Defense, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, former UK President Johnson, Self-Defense Forces, Komeito, North Korea, Saga Prefecture, Japan Railways, Bank of Japan, lawmaker Seiichiro Murakami, Italian far-right party, former Eneos Chairman  Tsutomu Sugimori, Dentsu, lawmaker Hiroyuki Hosoda, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, actor Teruyuki Kagawa, Judge Masamitsu Shiseki, lawmaker Daishiro Yamagiwa, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Xi Jinping, China, Kobe Family Court, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

Did Kyodo News directly inquire all of the parties above?

The next pleading: September 13 at 2:30 p.m. in Courtroom No. 611 of the Tokyo District Court

The number of galleries is increasing with each session.

For the first time during the oral pleading that day, numbered tickets were distributed to those wishing to attend.

The next hearing will be held at 2:30 p.m. on September 13 in Courtroom 611 of the Tokyo District Court.

Tokyo District Court

(Originally published in Japanese on July 26, 2024. Translation by Mana Shibata.)

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