Latest news with #YomiuriShimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Parties, Candidates Compete Fiercely on Social Media During Election; Baseless Information Rampant
Political parties and many candidates in the House of Councillors election engaged in fierce competition on social media, by posting many videos on YouTube, for example. The Yomiuri Shimbun has examined the view counts of each political party's official YouTube channel during the election campaign period from July 3 to 19. The view count of Sanseito's official YouTube channel surpassed 50 million in total, far more than the channels of other parties, including the Liberal Democratic Party, which had more than 40 million views. Meanwhile, on X (formerly Twitter), posts on various issues and policies from the consumption tax to foreign nationals were flying around, but false and inaccurate information was also rampant.
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
‘A Different Man' Offers Unexpected Look into Physical Appearances, Human Nature
About 20 years ago, 'Hito wa Mitame ga Kyuwari' (Appearances matter 90% for people) became a bestselling book in Japan. With its eye-catching title, the book discusses the importance of non-verbal communication. The author, Ichiro Takeuchi, used 'mitame,' meaning appearance, as an umbrella term not only for looks, but also various non-verbal information about someone, such as facial expressions, demeanor and tone of voice. Still, preoccupations with looks persist no matter what. But why? A Different Man, a new film written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, shakes up viewers' preconceptions through its unexpected setting. Protagonist Edward (played by Sebastian Stan of 'The Apprentice' and the 'Avengers' franchise) has severe facial disfigurements; living alone in his New York apartment, he dreams of becoming an actor, but cannot find a way forward. He spends his days unable to express himself, always concerned about how others look at him. He has a crush on a new neighbor, aspiring playwright Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), but cannot act on his feelings. One day, however, Edward's appearance undergoes a dramatic change. An experimental treatment he has undergone at the suggestion of a doctor has worked, and he starts a new life under a new name. Everything is going fine until Oswald (Adam Pearson), a man who looks exactly like Edward's former self, comes along. Can we become someone we want to be if our appearance changes? If not, why? Through Edward's story, the film depicts the tragic nature of always wanting what we cannot have. Stan skillfully portrays Edward's inner conflict with the help of special effects makeup in the film's first half, and his own face in the latter half. The ensemble, with Pearson's Oswald as the epitome of non-verbal communication and Reinsve naturally embodying a woman unbound by societal values, are also outstanding. In showing the consequences of obsession with appearance and surprising twists, the film shares some elements with 'The Substance,' starring Demi Moore. Both introduce fictitious advanced medical treatments – but as real-world cosmetic procedures pervade society at an incredible speed, the horror comes from the stories not seeming completely fantastical. Stan and Moore both won the 2025 Golden Globe awards for best performance in a motion picture in the musical and comedy category for these film roles. The fact that they won in this category may mean that people saw the inherent ludicrousness of human nature reflected in both performances. But I can't just laugh it off. Onda is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior writer with expertise in film.
The Star
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Japanese actress Nagiko Tono found dead in her Tokyo apartment
Nagiko Tono in June 2013. - Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun file TOKYO: Actress Nagiko Tono has died, it was learned Thursday (July 17) from the Sugamo Police Station of the Metropolitan Police Department. She was 45. On Thursday, DNA analysis revealed that a body found in Tono's apartment in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, on July 3 was hers. Because there were no external injuries and no signs of vandalism inside the apartment, the police believe no foul play was involved. The cause of death is unknown. After working as a child actress, Tono was cast as the heroine in NHK's 1999 drama 'Suzuran.' After that, she continued to appear in two-hour dramas and variety shows. She also appeared in movies and on stage. - The Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Shimbun
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Yomiuri Reporters Receive Journalism Award for Reporting on Security Issues; Team Studied Satellite Images to Understand Military Movements Near Japan
A team of Yomiuri Shimbun reporters covering security issues has won the top journalism award bestowed by the International House of Japan. They were presented with a commemorative prize at the award ceremony held in Tokyo on Monday. This year marked the second round of journalism awards for excellent reporting, columns and journalistic activities given out by the public interest incorporated foundation. The Yomiuri Shimbun's series of reports on security issues, including the activities of the Chinese military around Japan and the movement of a Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer through the Taiwan Strait, received praise. 'The team demonstrated a new approach to international reporting, utilizing satellite images and other tools,' said Kaori Hayashi, executive vice president of the University of Tokyo and chairperson of the selection committee. 'It is the pinnacle of reporting by a major media outlet.' Hirotaka Kuriyama of The Yomiuri Shimbun's Political News Department represented the reporting team and said, 'We would like to continue to serve our purpose as a news organization by delving into realities which we cannot reach by simply repeating government announcements.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Upper House Election: Expert Concerned as Unverified Posts on X Left Unchallenged; Community Note Suggestions Published in Under 10% of Cases
About 90% of Community Notes created on the X social media platform to help users correctly understand posts containing unverified information about the upcoming House of Councillors election have not been released, it has been learned. The analysis was jointly conducted by Hiroyuki Fujishiro, professor of social media studies at Hosei University, and The Yomiuri Shimbun. The low release rate of Community Notes had also been highlighted as a problem in posts about the Hyogo gubernatorial election and the U.S. presidential race last year. Fujishiro called for caution in the use of social media in the run-up to elections. X in Japan introduced the Community Notes function in 2023 as part of measures against false and misleading information. The function allows users who have signed up as 'contributors' to add useful background information to posts that may cause misunderstanding among readers. Community Notes are not immediately displayed. Other contributors evaluate them as either 'helpful,' 'somewhat helpful' or 'not helpful.' Until sufficient ratings are obtained, notes remain unreleased. If a note is deemed helpful from a variety of people with different perspectives, it is released, but when a note is rated not helpful, it is not published. Fujishiro and the general incorporated association Code for Japan have extracted and categorized posts and notes related to the July 20 upper house election from X's database, among other sources. The Yomiuri Shimbun analyzed the collected data and found out that, as of Wednesday, 368 notes had been created for 315 posts. Of these notes, only 21 had been released with another 21 rated not suitable for release, leaving 326 notes, about 90%, remaining unreleased. Voting for the upper house election will take place in the middle of a three-day weekend. A total of 40 notes were created in response to 32 posts making such claims as that the election schedule was 'a government plot to lower voter turnout.' Combined, these posts had earned at least 36.25 million views. Most notes denied the claims, saying that they are baseless information, but none have been published, with 39 notes listed as unreleased, with the remaining note rated as not suitable for release. Regarding a post saying 'identification is not required for early voting, making it so easy to commit fraud,' which had amassed at least 5.12 million views, one note denying the content was created, but remained unreleased. 'This is completely wrong,' Fujishiro said. 'Even notes about posts that appear uncontroversial are not being shown, and the reasons why are unclear.' 'Removing false or misleading information from social media is difficult, so not looking at it when elections near is an option,' he said. The Yomiuri Shimbun sought comments from X Corp. in Japan through its official account, but no response had been received by Friday.
