Photo by Yo Haga

The “Freedom of the Press Trial,” which began in July 2023, is reaching its climax. Both the plaintiff and defendant have mostly presented their arguments, and preparations have begun to call witnesses to court.

The case was brought by Yoichi Ishikawa, a former Kyodo News reporter, who sued the company for violating freedom of the press.

Ishikawa published his book, “The Sanctuary of Bullying,” which explored the case of a high school junior bullied into committing suicide in Nagasaki, through a publisher named Bungeishunju, after obtaining permission to write outside the company. The Nagasaki Shimbun, whose reporting stance was criticized in the book, claimed defamation against Kyodo News. As the Nagasaki Shimbun is a member company, Kyodo News began pursuing Ishikawa, revoking its permission for outside activities and prohibiting the reprinting of the book.

Kyodo News ultimately dismissed Ishikawa from his position as a reporter. Kyodo News argued in court that the reason for this was that he “did not meet the standards of a Kyodo News reporter.”

In other words, Ishikawa was not punished, rather he was removed from his reporter position simply as a personnel reassignment.

However, at the ninth oral argument on January 10, Kyodo News let its true intentions slip out. It was clear that they were trying to corner Ishikawa at all costs and to calm the anger of their member company, the Nagasaki Shimbun.

The attorney representing Kyodo News slipped his mouth

Kyodo News’ true intentions were revealed towards the end of the trial that day.

Presiding Judge Takashi Nakajima confirmed the schedule for witness questioning.

Witness examination is conducted at the stage when both the plaintiff and the defendant have presented their arguments. The parties and related parties are called to the court as “witnesses,” and the plaintiff, defendant, and judge ask questions. The statements of the witnesses are treated as evidence in the trial.

Presiding Judge Nakajima asked lawyer Katsunori Fujita, representing Kyodo News, who he would bring in as witness.

Attorney Fujita first responded that it was someone from the Chiba branch office. The Chiba branch office was the one Ishikawa was working at when he was dismissed from his job as a reporter and told to transfer to the “research department.” The research department is the department that scans and digitizes past articles.

He continued:

“And one other person at the company headquarters who is involved in the disciplinary process.”

The Nagasaki Shimbun demanded “appropriate action”

“He slipped his mouth,” I thought.

Kyodo News has previously explained that Ishikawa was transferred to the research department because he lacked the qualifications to be a reporter. In other words, the company has not taken any disciplinary measures against Ishikawa, and there is no reason for him to be sued.

However, in reality, the series of actions taken against Ishikawa were disciplinary measures.

The reason they had to go to such lengths was because they needed to calm the anger of their member company, the Nagasaki Shimbun.

The day after the book was released, Kyodo News’ Fukuoka branch chief Makoto Taniguchi visited the Nagasaki Shimbun headquarters to apologize to its executives, including editor-in-chief Kenji Ishida.

The Nagasaki Shimbun questioned Kyodo News, ”why they gave permission to publish the book,” “will they ask Bungeishunju to suspend its publication” and demanded answers from them.

An internal Nagasaki Shimbun document obtained by Tansa stated that the Nagasaki Shimbun was calling for “appropriate action.”

“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.”

The month after the apology, the Nagasaki Shimbun also called for a “response” in an “opinion paper” it sent to Kyodo News.

This book, which damages our company’s social credibility, has already been published nationwide, is on store shelves in Nagasaki Prefecture, and is being purchased and loaned out at libraries across the country. This book will continue to injure our reputation indefinitely, causing further damage. We are neither requesting an apology from Kyodo News for this incident, nor are we requesting that they take disciplinary action against the reporter in question. Given that we have arrived at this point, we would like to know how Kyodo News would respond to our company.

Conflicting assessments

In order to calm the anger of the Nagasaki Shimbun, Kyodo News is eager to pursue Ishikawa. However, there is a contradiction in pursuing what are merely false accusations.

For example, the results of personnel evaluations.

Kyodo News has rated Ishikawa as follows since he entered the company in April 2017. On a seven-point scale, from top to bottom: SS, S, AA, A, AB, B, C

First half of 2017 (Fukuoka branch editorial department): A

Second half of 2017 (Fukuoka branch editorial department): A

First half of 2018 (Nagasaki branch): A

Second half of 2018 (Nagasaki branch): A

First half of 2019 (Nagasaki branch): A

Second half of 2019 (Nagasaki branch): A

First half of 2020 (Nagasaki branch): AA

Second half of 2020 (Nagasaki branch): A

First half of 2021 (Chiba branch): A

Second half of 2021 (Chiba branch): A

First half of 2022 (Chiba branch): A

The written evaluation is as follows:

Achievements/Work Performance: Reports on general news in the field he is in charge of, as well as some important and major news stories, and he carries out his work accurately and at the standard speed expected of him.

 

Duties and Processes/Internal Coordination and Collaboration: Makes necessary contact with superiors and colleagues within the area of ​​responsibility, ensuring smooth division of roles and information sharing.

This contradicts the assessment made by Kyodo News in court that he “did not meet the standards of a Kyodo News reporter.”

Kyodo News’ Criticism of Ishikawa backfires on the company

There are more contradictions.

Kyodo News cited the fact that Ishikawa did not check with the Nagasaki Shimbun when he wrote in his book that the local media “ignored” the story. This is the basis for saying that Ishikawa “does not meet the standards of a Kyodo News reporter.”

However, the expression “ignored” is an assessment made by the reporter based on facts.

Ishikawa broke the scoop that the local government, Nagasaki Prefecture, had endorsed the school’s proposal to cover up the suicide. This was such a serious matter that the prefecture later held an emergency press conference to apologize to the family. Media outlets across the country reported the story, and it even was featured on the top page of Yahoo! News. However, the local newspaper, the Nagasaki Shimbun, didn’t report it at all.

Based on these facts, Ishikawa wrote in his book that the series of events had been “disregarded by the local media” and added the subheading “Local media ignores.” In a statement submitted to Kyodo News, the bereaved family said, “We, the bereaved family, believe that these words are true.”

Kyodo News itself publishes fact-based criticism in its own news articles.

The plaintiff submitted evidence to the court. The following are the targets of Kyodo News’ criticism in 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 interview these people to confirm the content of their criticisms? If not, why is Ishikawa the only one being pursued?

Kyodo News was unable to respond when pressed on this point in court.

Next hearing: March 12, 1:30 p.m., Tokyo District Court, Courtroom 611

Who will the plaintiff call as witnesses?

The most likely person is Kyodo News Executive Director Takehiko Egashira. When he was Director-General of the General Affairs Bureau, he was the one who notified Ishikawa of the cancellation of his outside activities and the ban on reprinting the book, and he was also the one who directly told Ishikawa to leave from his reporting position.

I also think that the family of the deceased Hayato Fukuura is a candidate. They experienced the nature of the Nagasaki Shimbun’s reporting. They have submitted letters and opinions to Kyodo News, arguing that all the contents of Ishikawa’s book are true.

I would like to hear from the executives of Nagasaki Shimbun. They have been silent while Kyodo News has been in the firing line. They have also been ignoring Tansa’s inquiries. But originally, it was the Nagasaki Shimbun that asked Kyodo News to “respond.”

The trial on freedom of the press is reaching a climax. How will it unfold?

When asked about this, Yoichi Kitamura, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, smiled and said, “Well, there are about two more sessions left. It’s the final stage, so please come and observe.”

The next hearing will be held on March 12 at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom 611 of the Tokyo District Court.

(Originally published in Japanese on January 11, 2025. Translation by Mana Shibata.)

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