Video: Unpacking Sanseito and the 'Japanese First' movement
Marcantuoni's research focuses on contemporary Japanese opposition politics. He has co-authored a forthcoming paper on Sanseito and its ideology.
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Kyodo News
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- Kyodo News
Record 120 countries, regions to attend Hiroshima A-bomb ceremony
HIROSHIMA - A record 120 countries and regions, along with the European Union, plan to attend the ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima on Wednesday, according to the western Japanese city. While Russia is expected to again be absent this year, its close ally, Belarus, is set to attend for the first time in four years, the Hiroshima city government said, after the municipality effectively lifted the attendance ban on the two countries due to Moscow's war on Ukraine. Among nuclear-armed states, representatives from the United States, Britain, France are expected to attend. India, which is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as the de facto nuclear state of Israel will also take part. Palestine and Taiwan, which are not recognized as countries by the Japanese government, will be participating in the ceremony for the first time. China, Pakistan, and North Korea have no plans to show up. Following last year's controversy over inviting Israel amid its war in the Gaza Strip, Hiroshima has this year switched from sending invitations to simply "notifying" all countries and regions of the annual memorial ceremony. The previous record-high attendance was set in 2023, when 111 nations, plus the EU, took part. Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui said there was growing international awareness of his city's history, noting that a record-high 2.26 million people visited the city's museum documenting the devastation of the bombing during the previous fiscal year that ended March. "As the first city to experience nuclear aim to share globally 'the spirit of Hiroshima' that hopes for the realization of true peace and foster grassroots awareness of peace," Matsui said in a written interview with Kyodo News. Nagasaki, which was bombed three days after Hiroshima in 1945, is also expecting a record-high attendance from over 100 countries and regions for its ceremony on Saturday. The city has this year invited all countries and regions with diplomatic missions in Japan or representative offices at the United Nations. The city also accepted a request from Taiwan to attend for the first time. "I hope that by witnessing the reality of the atomic bombing firsthand, (attendees) will feel the inhumane consequences of using nuclear weapons," Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki said in a separate interview with Kyodo News. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and three days later in Nagasaki killed more than 210,000 people by the end of that year. Japan surrendered six days after the Nagasaki bombing, bringing an end to World War II. Each year, the cities hold memorial ceremonies to mourn the victims and pray for lasting peace. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass will attend both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki ceremonies, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo announced Monday. His predecessor Rahm Emanuel skipped the Nagasaki event last year in response to the city not inviting Israel.
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The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Editorial: Sanseito's act of kicking reporter out of Japan press conference unacceptable
A reporter from the Kanagawa Shimbun newspaper was expelled from a regular press conference held by the right-wing populist party Sanseito in the Diet building following the House of Councillors election. This raises doubts about whether the party understands the public's right to know. Initially, party staff on-site cited the lack of preregistration as the reason for the expulsion. Two days later, however, the party changed its explanation, claiming that the reporter's coverage during the upper house election was "obstructive behavior" and stated, "We judged there might be a risk of confusion." The reporter had written numerous articles critical of a Sanseito candidate during the campaign period. The journalist pointed out that the candidate's claim that "foreigners are given preferential treatment" was false, and reported that the candidate called people who gathered to protest at a street speech "unpatriotic." Sanseito insists that it had "no intention of excluding specific reporters or media outlets," but their action can only be perceived as an attempt to shut out journalists unfavorable to them, making their explanation unpersuasive. It is the role of media organizations to verify the truthfulness of statements made by individuals aiming to become lawmakers and to highlight remarks that could promote discrimination. It is only natural that the Kanagawa Shimbun protested the party's action, stating that it "disregards the right of the Japanese public and citizens to know, and is utterly unacceptable." Sanseito argues that by distributing all press conference content via video, it is respecting the public's right to know. However, press conferences are occasions where reporters ask questions to clarify facts and viewpoints from the subjects. Although the Kanagawa Shimbun reporter was allowed to attend a press conference on Aug. 1, there was no apology from the party for undermining readers' right to know. This incident reveals Sanseito's attitude of disregarding the autonomy of media organizations. While claiming to respect freedom of the press, the basis of this, "freedom of expression," is not clearly stated in the party's constitutional amendment proposal. Instead, it states, "Media organizations have an obligation to report on national policies in a fair manner without bias." If the government determines what is "fair," it could lead to control of the media. The guarantee of freedom of the press and the right to know are fundamental to the functioning of democracy. Arbitrarily selecting media outlets that can attend press conferences is behavior that must never be tolerated.
