The magazine of The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan

April 2020 Vol. 52 No. 4 ¥400

COVID-19

In this issueVol. 52, Number 4

April 2020

contact the editors

no.1shimbun@fccj.or.jp
Publisher FCCJTHE FRONT PAGE

From the President by Khaldon Azhari
Freedom of the Press:
Press freedom’s digital predators
by Reporters Without Borders
From the Archives
The Blowback scholar
by Charles Pomeroy

Editor Gregory Starr
Art Director Andrew Pothecarywww.itsumo-music.jp/design
Editorial Assistant Naomichi Iwamura
Photo Coordinator Michiyo Kobayashi
Publications Committee members
Geoffrey Tudor, Orient Aviation (chair)
Warren Devalier, Associate Member
Sonja Blaschke, Freelance
Marina Yoshimura, Student

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FCCJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Khaldon Azhari, PanOrient News
1st Vice President Monzurul Huq, Daily
Prothom Alo
2nd Vice President Robert Whiting, Freelance
Treasurer Mehdi Bassiri, Associate Member
Secretary Takashi Kawachi, Freelance
Directors-at-Large
Mehdi Bassiri, Associate MemberPeter O’Connor, Freelance
Warren Devalier, Associate Member
Abigail Leonard, Freelance
Kanji Kazuo Abiko, Freelance
Associate Kanji Makoto Honjo,
Associate Member
Ex-officio Peter Langan, Freelance

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FEATURES

Tips for journalists covering COVID-19
by Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury

6

Investing in a sustainable futureby Anthony Rowley

8

Censorship redux
by David McNeil

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14
STANLEY TROUTMAN ESTATE

From Hollywood
to the Pacific War
by Torin Boyd

Page 10:
Stanley
Troutman

Foreign Press in Japan Robin Harding

PROFILE

Gavin Blair
Freelanceby David McNeill

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Tel: (03) 3211-3161 Fax: (03) 3211-3168 fccj.or.jp

CLUB NEWSFCCJ Exhibition; Join the Film Committee . . .;Reciprocal Clubs; Membership Campaign; Book Break;
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Lens craftby photographer Members

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FCCJ

APRIL 2020

FCCJ COMMITTEE CHAIRSAssociate Members Liaison Keiko Packard,
Yuusuke Wada
Compliance Kunio Hamada, Yoshio Murakami
DeRoy Memorial Scholarship Abigail Leonard
Entertainment Sandra Mori
Exhibition Bruce Osborn
Film Karen Severns
Finance Mehdi Bassiri
Food & Beverage Robert Kirschenbaum,
Peter R. Tyksinski
Freedom of Press Abigail Leonard
House & Property Khaldon Azhari
Human Resources Khaldon Azhari
Information Technology Yuusuke Wada
Library, Archives & Workroom
Koichi Ishiyama, Suvendrini Kakuchi
Membership Andrew Horvat, Peter O’Connor
Membership Marketing Warren DevalierProfessional Activities Tetsuo Jimbo,
David McNeill
Public Relations Dan Sloan
Publications Geoff Tudor
Special Projects Haruko Watanabe

Published by the FCCJ All opinions contained within
Number 1 Shimbun are those of the authors. As such,these opinions do not constitute an official positionof Number 1 Shimbun, the editor or the Foreign
Correspondents’ Club of Japan.
Please pitch and send articles and photographs, oraddress comments to no.1shimbun@fccj.or.jp
Read the Number 1 Shimbun online:
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Cover design: Andrew Pothecary3The Front Page

FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Members,This time it is not the Club politics or the move, nor the
declining media business. It is a tiny microscopic thing called“coronavirus” that poses a threatening challenge to the FCCJ
and even to the whole planet.
With no sign on the horizon of a halt to the increasing
number of infections, the world is facing a challenge ofexistence, and I quote here Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Social distancing and cancellations of events have become the name of
the game, and almost everybody outside the medical and essential sectors ofsociety were asked to stay home. The call reached the FCCJ to join the telework
trend and to shut down temporarily. But I wondered if the media business would
survive if journalists followed the trend of reporting from home.
At any rate, in response, the Board has instructed the management
to downsize the operation and set up sanitation rules, and informed themembership about it. In fact, the management of the Club said they don’t
think the Club should shut down at the moment. Stricter measures have beentaken, including letting some staff work from home, and arranging press events
without staff. The outsourcing company also said it will be taking its own
measures while respecting the board decision.
I have contacted members in person and online, and the majority supported
downsizing the operations rather than shutting down the Club.
The board felt also that the FPIJ depends on the Club for news gathering andreporting.
All in all, I believe the media has its role in fighting coronavirus and our FCCJ
is the hub for that. So it’s a matter of trying to preserve a balance of physicaland psychological health, professional, and financial issues. It is a fine and often
difficult line to walk.
Common sense dictates that we must take all reasonable precautions such as
banning large gatherings, promoting personal hygiene, encouraging members towear face masks, keeping track of visitors, etc.
The FCCJ’s current premises are spacious and, given the reduced numberof members coming to the Club recently, we have achieved social distancing
without limiting numbers.
The psychological benefits of keeping the Club functioning were apparent
during the General Membership Meeting held on March 27 when we approved
the 2020 budget and business plan, and elected a new Board Member to replacea resigning Board Member. There was a lively and friendly discussion among those
who attended, who seemed happy to have the opportunity for social contact.
When I launched the first of a new series of presidential forums a few
days earlier, the event was quite well attended and provoked a lively debate
between the speaker and the audience. I also applaud the measures taken by theProfessional Activities Committee to ensure that we can continue to hold larger
events without risking a breach of social distancing requirements. The PAC cochairs said that the press conferences are very important function not only for
FCCJ but for Japan as a whole.
Our response in keeping workroom and library facilities open (without risking
the health of the staff) also appear to be appreciated by those who make regularuse of these facilities.
As far as financial factors are concerned, the FCCJ badly needs to continue
generating revenue streams during the crisis and we are doing our best to strikea balance in this area too. Above all, a club needs to be about preserving socialand professional ties among its members, and I firmly believe that we can best
do this by keeping our doors open as much as possible to the membership while
shutting out the menace of coronavirus.
And here is some good news: in February, we gained four new members.
I take this chance to thank all of the dedicated FCCJ staff, the Board andcommittee chairs and members and the whole membership for supporting the
FCCJ so that we can see at the end of the dark tunnel the glowing flame of the
Olympic Torch brightening the Tokyo sky next year.
– Khaldon Azhari
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FREEDOM OF THE PRESSFROM THE ARCHIVES

Press freedom’s
digital predators
To mark this year’s World Day Against
Cyber-Censorship, celebrated on
March 12, Reporters Without Borders(RSF) unveiled its list of press
freedom’s worst digital predators in
2020—companies and government
agencies that use digital technology
to spy on and harass journalists andthereby jeopardize their ability to getnews and information.
Some digital predators operate indespotic countries whose leaders havealready been included in RSF’s list ofPress Freedom Predators. Others are
private-sector companies specializing
in targeted cyber-espionage that are
based in western countries such as
the US, UK, Germany and Israel.
The power of these enemies ofpress freedom takes many forms.
They locate, identify and spy onjournalists who annoy people inpositions of power and authority,
intimidate them by orchestrating
online harassment, reduce themto silence by censoring them in
different ways.
Here are the leading predators inAsia according to the RSF.

■ CYBERSPACE ADMINISTRATION
OF CHINA

Methods used: Internet censorshipand supervision of private-sector
platforms such as Baidu, WeChat,
Weibo and TikTok; blocking anddeleting content and apps.
Known targets: The Cyberspace
Administration of China (CAC) has
stepped up its fight against the spreadof rumors ever since the start of thecoronavirus pandemic. The social
media accounts of media outlets
and bloggers have been suppressedand several media outlets have been
censored, including Caijing, a Beijingbased magazine that ran a story
about unreported cases of infection.

■ YODDHAS, INDIA

Methods used: Social media insults,
calls for rape and death threats.

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Known targets: Rana Ayyub, a journalist who
wrote the Gujarat Files, a book about PM
Narendra Modi’s rise to power, is one of thefavorite targets of the Yoddhas—the trolls
who either volunteer their services or are paid
employees of the ruling Hindu nationalist
party. Swati Chaturvedi, a journalist andauthor of the investigation, I am a Troll: Inside
the Secret World of the BJP’s Digital Army, is also
often targeted.

The Blowback scholar■ INDIAN MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS, INDIA
Methods used: Disconnecting the internet.
Known targets: It completely disconnected
fixed-line and mobile internet communicationin the Jammu and Kashmir on Aug. 5,
2019—an extreme measure preventing
Kashmiri journalists from working freely anddepriving all the state’s citizens of access toindependently reported news and information.
After six months, the government partiallyrestored broadband connections but accessto many sites is largely uncertain. India is thecountry that most uses internet shutdowns—atotal of 121 times in 2019.

■ CALL CENTER HUBS, PHILIPPINES

Methods used: Disseminating fake ormaliciously edited content and fake memes,
and conducting targeted harassment
campaigns.
Known targets: President Duterte’s supporters
have launched a campaign to smear andboycott the ABS-CBN radio and TV networkwith the aim of blocking the renewal of its
licence. They have even gone so far as todenounce an imaginary conspiracy by various
media outlets to overthrow the president.
Cyber-troll armies, which have become big
business ever since Duterte’s 2016 election
campaign, support and amplify the messagesof members of the government with the aimof smearing the media and manipulating
public opinion.

■ FORCE 47, VIETNAM

Methods used: “Reinformation” campaigns
on social media
Known targets: Run by the Ministry of
Public Security, this army of 10,000 cybersoldiers combats online “abuses” and“reactionary forces,” meaning those opposedto the government. After a deadly incident inDong Tam on Jan. 9, in which police actions
were widely criticized, Force 47 floodedsocial media with forced confessions inwhich individuals said they had made petrol
bombs and other weapons in order to attack
the police.

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Chalmers Johnson speaks about the US-Japan relationship at the FCCJ
on Dec. 7, 1998. Seated to his left is Bob Neff (Business Week). As ascholar specializing in China and Japan, Johnson was noted for putting
the term “developmental state” into perspective with his 1982 booktitled MITI and the Japanese Miracle: The Growth of Industrial Policy,
1925–75. That book described the policies and direct influence ofJapanese bureaucrats on the country’s successful economic development.
Johnson was born in Phoenix, Arizona, on Aug. 6, 1931, and received
his higher education at the University of California, Berkeley. After
serving in the US Navy as a communications officer during the
Korean War, he returned to Berkeley to earn his M.A. and Ph.D.
degrees. He then taught political science at Berkeley from 1962,
served as the Director of the Center for Chinese Studies from 1967
to 1972, and chaired the Political Science Department, retiringfrom the University of California, San Diego, in 1992 as a professor
emeritus. He was also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts
and Scientists from 1976 and in 1994 became the co-founder of theJapan Policy Research Institute.
Johnson’s work on the developmental state was later rivalled byhis trilogy on the consequences of US foreign policy that began
in 2004 with Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American
Empire and The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the Endof the Republic in the same year. These two books were followed by
Nemesis; The Last Days of the American Republic in 2007 in which healso describes his work as an outside consultant to the CIA from1967 to 1973, a position that he says was abolished during Nixon’s
second term to prevent influence by outsiders on the National
Intelligence Estimates (NIE).
The Blowback series basically criticized the US failure to reduce
its international military posture to one of basic self-defense
following the collapse of the Soviet Union, thus creating a new formof global empire with its vast system of military bases around theworld. His last major book, Dismantling the Empire; America’s Last Best
Hope, was published in 2010. He also wrote articles for several major
publications and was often interviewed on radio and TV programs.
Chalmers Johnson died at the age of 79 on Nov. 20, 2010.

– Charles Pomeroy
editor of Foreign Correspondents in Japan,
a history of the Club that is available at the front desk
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Coronavirus

Tips for journalists
covering COVID-19
With the situation constantly changing, and affecting every partof society and the world, journalists can understandably feeloverwhelmed. A few hints on reporting a story of this scale.

By Miraj Ahmed ChowdhuryT

he new coronavirus has already become the biggest story in our world, with figures changing hourly.
This global public health emergency—one of the six
declared in recent years by the World Health Organization(WHO), beginning with the 2009 Swine flu—has already
wiped out billions of dollars from the global economy, andaccording to Bloomberg could eventually cost the economy atotal of $2.7 trillion.
Despite all these numbers and estimates, it is difficult tofathom the extent of COVID-19’s spread, and what the ultimate
consequences will be. With all the uncertainties, journalists
around the world are faced with the many challenges of covering the pandemic—including combating misinformation andhealth risks to reporters in the field—while not fueling panic.
To support journalists in their coverage, Global Investigative Journalism Network’s (GIJN) Miraj Chowdhury pulled
together advice from various journalism organizations, experienced journalists, and experts.

Responsible Reporting“These stories often used frightening language; for example, 50
articles used the phrase ‘killer virus.’” —Karin Wall-Jorgensen,
Cardiff University
In her latest research, Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, a journalism
professor at Cardiff University, examined how fear has played
a role in COVID-19 coverage in 100 high circulation newspapers from around the world. She found that one out of every
nine stories on the outbreak mentioned “fear” or related
words, including “afraid.”“These stories often used other frightening language as
well; for example, 50 articles used the phrase ‘killer virus,’’’she writes in a Nieman Lab article.
So, how can we avoid spreading panic while continuing toprovide deep and balanced coverage? According to Poynter’s
Al Tompkins (who plans to put out a daily newsletter about
COVID-19), the solution is responsible reporting. Here is asummary of his suggestions:
1. Reduce the use of subjective adjectives in reporting; forexample: “deadly” disease.
2. Use pictures carefully to avoid spreading the wrong message.
3. Explain preventive actions; it can make your story less scary.
4. Remember that statistical stories are less scary than anecdotal ones.
5. Avoid clickbait headlines and be creative in presentation.
In another Poynter piece, Tom Jones emphasizes finding
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the facts, but not the speeches.
“It’s a science story, not a political one,” he writes. Of course,
politics matter, but be alert for
COVID-19 spin from partisan
political sources, and rely upon
medical experts.

Naming It

Since the outbreak, reporters have been using different
names for the virus. For example, “the coronavirus,” “a coronavirus,” “new coronavirus,”or “novel coronavirus.” “That’s
because this coronavirus is separate from other coronaviruses that have caused their own epidemics or pandemics.
Each gets a name, and each was new (or novel) at some point,”
says Merrill Perlman in a recent CJR article. Want to know
more about names? Look for WHO’s online explanation of
why viruses have different names.

Staying Safe

In a global outbreak of disease, journalists cannot cover thestory from self-quarantine. We need to go to the field, andthere are risks of being infected. The Committee to Protect
Journalists (CPJ) issued a detailed advisory for journalists
covering COVID-19 which includes pre-assignment preparations, tips for avoiding infection in affected areas, travel
planning, and post-assignment cautions. Here’s a summaryof its key tips for field coverage:• Use protective gloves if working in or visiting an infectedsite, such as a medical treatment facility. Other medical personal protective equipment (PPE) such as a bodysuit and fullface mask may also be necessary.
• Do not visit wet markets (where fresh meat or fish are sold)or farms in an affected area. Avoid direct contact with animals(live or dead) and their environment. Do not touch surfacesthat may be contaminated with animal droppings.
• If you are operating in a health facility, market, or farm,
never place your equipment on the floor. Always decontaminate equipment with fast acting antimicrobial wipes such as
Meliseptol, followed by thorough disinfection.
• Never eat or drink while touching animals, or in the proximity of a market or farm.
• Always ensure your hands are washed thoroughly with hotwater and soap before, during, and after leaving an affected area.

The Experts

To stay up-to-date, check the websites of WHO, the US-based
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and theUnited Kingdom’s Public Health England (PHE). Also recommended are the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine COVID-19 map, its coronavirus resource center, and newsletter
updates. Follow the government agencies in your country thatare responsible for providing information on the outbreak.
The Journalist’s Toolbox, by The Society of Professional Journalists, has listed key resources and sources. Here are a few:
• Global Health Security Index, assessment of health security
capabilities in 195 countries• MPassport.com, a database of English-speaking doctors in
180 countries
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For more, check out this website by the Washington, DCbased National Press Club (https://bit.ly/2y7UYwe) or this one
by the University of Southern California Annenberg’s Centerfor Health Journalism (https://bit.ly/2WH2sQR).
Experts on the disease are not easy to find. The virus
is unknown and unpredictable, and there aren’t enoughresearchers or doctors specialized on COVID-19. When choosing experts, consider five suggestions by William Hanage,
associate professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan
School of Public Health:• Choose experts carefully. Receiving a Nobel Prize for one scientific subject doesn’t make someone an authority on all science topics. Nor does having a PhD or teaching at a prestigious
medical school.
• Distinguish what is known to be true from what is thought tobe true—and what’s speculation or opinion.
• Use caution when citing findings from “preprints,” or unpublished academic papers.
• Ask academics for help gauging the newsworthiness of new
theories and claims. To prevent misinformation from spreading, news outlets also should fact-check op-eds.
• Read the work of journalists who cover science topics well.

Advice from Other Journalists

Journalists should check out the tips on the website from
GIJN’s Q&A with Thomas Abraham, a veteran health journalist, an expert on infectious disease and global health security, and the author of Twenty-first Century Plague: The Storyof SARS” and Polio: The Odyssey of Eradication.
Caroline Chen covers health care for ProPublica. She survived the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong at the age of 13,
and later, as a reporter, covered SARS and Ebola from thefront lines. In an article on the ProPublica website, Chenfocuses on what to ask when covering COVID-19; how tokeep things accurate when dealing with estimates, projections, and fast-changing information; and how to stay safe,
above all.
At dartcenter.org, which is a project of the Columbia Journalism school, John Pope, a reporter with two decades’ experience in health issues, wrote up 11 tips to cover swine flu,some of which are relevant for COVID-19 as well. His tipsheet includes—among others—the importance of getting
the basic facts first, mapping the outbreak, keeping things
simple and concise, emphasizing prevention, and to watch
the language.
IJNet has compiled a list of tips for reporting on COVID-19
with advice from journalists who have covered the disease.
Here are the key points:• Understand the mood on the ground—then translate it into
your work.
• Focus on reporting, not analysis.
• Watch your headlines.
• Remember: Not all figures are accurate.
• Talk to as many different people as possible.
• Avoid racist tropes.
• Consider the way you interview experts.
• Don’t neglect stories that aren’t exciting.
• Set your limits. Sometimes it is better to say “no” to the editor.
• When things wind down, stick with the story.

Fact-Checking COVID-19“We’re not just fighting an epidemic; we’re fighting an infoFCCJAPRIL 2020

demic,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 15. In thisage of mis- and disinformation, online myths and conspiracy
theories, journalists may also be debunking bad information,such as the disease being transmitted through goods manufactured in China, that scientists created COVID-19, or that itcame from a particular research lab.
In a recent article, Poynter noted that people in at least fivecountries—including the US, India, Indonesia, Ghana, andKenya—saw or read about a hoax that “the Chinese government had turned to the Supreme Court to request authorization to kill 20,000 people infected with the coronavirus 2019.”
For debunking and fact-checking, check out the initiative by the International Fact-Checking Network which
includes 90 fact-checkers from 39 countries who are collaborating to combat this tsunami of falsehood. By the endof February, the #CoronaVirusFacts / #DatosCoronaVirus
alliance has published 558 fact-checks on the disease.
WHO has a “Myth Busters” page that debunks rumors oncoronavirus which includes shareable images for everyone,
including journalists and media organizations. AFP has
also launched a similar initiative named “Busting Coronavirus Myths.” It’s always worth seeing what advice First
Draft is serving up, including its latest article on slowing
the spread of misinformation.
There are many media houses around the world which don’t
have fact-checking teams or even a person with debunking
skills. If you find hoaxes or suspicious information, reachout to well-established and credible local and regional factchecking groups for help. Typically they are active on social
media and are always looking for leads.

Dealing with Trauma and Victims

We always need to find human faces, visit homes and workplaces, and ask people uneasy questions for our stories. But
in a global outbreak like this, victims are traumatized. They
may not want to be identified and discuss infections. Even
naming where the victim lives can spread panic in that community, leaving the victim’s family even more insecure.
The Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma has assembled alist of resources on COVID-19 reporting. It includes guides,
tipsheets, advisories, best practices, and advice from experts
on interviewing victims and survivors, and working with colleagues exposed to traumatic events. This article from theCenter for Health Journalism also includes lessons for interviewing trauma survivors. Here’s a summary of tips:• Treat the victims with dignity. Let the victim “invite” you into
her story.
• Allow the victim to dictate the timing and setting of interviews; allow counselors.
• Be transparent. Take informed consent on how the victim willbe identified.
• Put humanity before story. Prioritize the victim’s well-being
first, the story second.
• Don’t overwhelm with the most difficult questions first.
Empathize, and listen.
• Dealing repeatedly with traumatized victims may impact you.
Dart’s final tip is advice we should all heed:“Take care of yourself, too.” ❶Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury is the editor of GIJN in Bangladesh. He has 14
years of experience in journalism, mainly in broadcast.
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The climate economy

Investing in a sustainable
futureAP PHOTO/VIRGINIA MAYO

Looking forward
Opposite, climate activist Greta Thunberg speaking with themedia as she arrives for a meeting of the Environment Council
at the European Council building in Brussels on March 5.

Can markets change to meet the desires ofconscionable activists—and save the planet?

By Anthony RowleyY

ou don’t need to be Swedish climate activist Greta
Thunberg to be concerned about climate change. A
generation of millennials and post-millennials areshowing rising anxiety over environmental and socio-economic problems and are looking for ways to help solve them.
Legions of younger investors are interested in putting
money into saving the planet (and saving mankind, for thatmatter). But the global financial system arguably is failing todeliver the means for them to do so effectively. Trillions ofdollars of private investment, along with similar amounts ofpublic finance, will be needed to finance the transition to alower carbon economy and a more sustainable economic andsocial environment in general.
The dimensions of this challenge do not seem to be fully appreciated—even by those professionals who are actively promoting
different approaches to sustainable investment, let alone byidealistic young activists and certain cynical politicians.
There is no shortage of sustainable investment products
on offer—a confusing variety of them, in fact—but arguably
none of these offer investors in stocks and bonds a direct way
to get behind sustainability. This is part of the case made in a8

recently published book of which I was principal author, andwhich appears at a time when interest in sustainable investment has never been stronger or the need for it greater.
Sustainable investment is about more than just investingin a lower carbon future. The climate threat is focusing theworld’s attention on sustainability in a way that has never
happened before. It wasn’t only Greta Thunberg and former
US vice president Al Gore who sounded the alarm about climate change and global warming during the recent World
Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Such concerns areshared by most thinking people.
The focus on climate change in Davos was hardly surprising given the bush fire infernos that were raging in Australia
at that time—along with the sharp increase in climate-related disasters around the world.
Sustainable investment is taking portfolio investors (instocks and shares) into areas which until quite recently wereconsidered to be mainly the province of governments and of
official agencies. As Larry Fink, the CEO of the world’s biggest fund management group BlackRock, has observed: “Weare on the edge of a fundamental re-shaping of finance.”
This raises important questions that have not yet beenaddressed as closely as they need to be. For example, just how
much money is it going to cost to transition to a more sustainable future, who is going to pay the costs, and what is thebest way to go about investing in sustainability?
Sustainable investing comes in many (often rather confusing) shapes and forms such as socially responsible
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influence by selling (or refusing to buy) shares of companies
seen to be engaged in harmful or socially undesirable practices. Today, many are going a step further and seeking to
influence corporate behavior by buying the stocks of companies that comply with ESG principles and using their influence to push them further in that direction.
One example in Japan is the Government Pension Investinvesting, ethical investing, thematic investing, impact
ment Fund, which encourages fund managers to support ESG
investing, green bonds, SDG investing, and ESG (explained
principles. The Bank of Japan, the biggest investor now in
below) investing. Achieving a more sustainable future—exchange-traded funds, is using this fact to exert influencewhichever route we take—is not going to come cheap. The
on companies to follow sustainable practices.
Bank of England estimates the global cost of transitioning
ESG and other forms of sustainable investment are not
to a lower carbon environment at up to $90 trillion over thereally targeted enough to satisfy the needs of those invesnext ten years or so.
tors (younger ones especially) who want a more hands-on
Much of this will need to go toward writing off “stranded
approach, especially toward climate change. Another routeassets,” such as fossil fuel power plants, coal mines and oil
toward sustainability for investors is through “Impact Investrefineries that become redundant in a new green age. Theseing,” where investors require not only a financial return onvast sums might be termed the cost of “re-tooling” the global
their investment but also evidence of a measurable impact.
economy for sustainability. They are mind-boggling amounts
Such investments are found in areas like clean energy andof money. The $90 trillion figure is equal to the value of one
water, low-income housing. micro finance and other sociallyyear’s global economic output or GDP of the entire world. Itoriented ventures. It is a promising area for joint investor
is also equal to around 13 years of global corporate profits—
action on specific projects and is taking root in some Asian
which some estimates put at around $7 trillion a year.
developing countries. The size of the market is still small,Business corporations will not be happy about devoting a
however, at around $500 billion.
dozen years of profits to the cause of sustainability. Neither
There are also “green bonds” aimed at financing climatewill their shareholders. So, when we talk about investing in afriendly ventures such as solar and other forms of renewsustainable future, it will come at a high price that will needable energy development. The green bond market hasdeveloped rapidly in recent years—not least in China—and its popularity seems likely to continue rising.
UNTIL QUITE RECENTLY, ASSET MANAGERS
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH DOING
adopted by the UN are aimed at achieving sustainabilNO HARM THAN WITH DOING GOOD
ity across a spectrum of development ranging fromactions to offset climate change, provision of clean
energy and other infrastructure, to providing healthand education facilities, tackling poverty and promoting
to be borne by the corporate sector as well as by governments
economic growth. They are worthy goals but again come at aand taxpayers.
price. This could be between $5-$7 trillion annually between
Then there is the issue of how best to invest in saving the
now and the year 2030 according to UN estimates. That isplanet. We can do things like planting more trees perhaps,
anything between $50-$70 trillion dollars in total over thebut the “economic agents” (as economists like to call them)coming decade.
that matter most in terms of getting things done are governOnce more the question is “Who will pay?” The UN says thatments and private firms.
governments could come up with half and the rest covered byThousands of central and local governments and official
the private sector. Financial markets are going to have to findagencies will need to be involved in the transition to susbetween $30 to $45 trillion to meet those goals.
tainability. So too will myriad private firms, and the obvious
Apart from whether markets are willing and able to supply
question is how to go about coordinating the efforts of all
such, sums there is the issue of how to translate the SDGs into
these economic agents.
a form where investors can invest in one or more according
One way is to try to shift corporate behavior in the direction
to their priorities. There are a limited number of SDG investof greater sustainability. That is what Kofi Annan did in 2004
ment funds but arguably there needs to be a much wider
as General Secretary of the UN when he requested the CEO’s
selection that match the needs of investors both large andof the world’s 50 largest firms to participate in a joint initiativesmall who currently cannot direct their savings toward ESG
within the UN Global Compact. He urged them to adopt thegoals via mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or byconcept of ESG investing and embed it into corporate behavinvestment in individual companies.
ior. ESG stands for the environmental, social and governance
The market is hungry for such products and it will be a pity
factors that thousands of firms in Europe and North America
if that hunger goes unsatisfied through lack of a sufficientare now integrating into their business strategies.
menu of sustainable projects. Sustainable investment is still
ESG is catching on in Asia but there’s a long way to go. Onea “work in progress.” ❶study published in 2019 noted that the share of ESG investments in total Asian assets under management was just 0.7
percent, compared to 12.6 percent in Europe and 14.4 percent
Anthony Rowley is a former president of the FCCJ. He is a co-author
in the US. It was also under 1 per cent in Japan.
of Sustainable Investment—Impact in Asia, published jointly by Asia Asset
Until quite recently, asset managers were more concernedManagement and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),
with doing no harm than with doing good. They exercised
upon which this article is based.
FCCJ

APRIL 20209

Club exhibition

From
Hollywoodto thePacific War
This month’s exhibition
features photographs by
Stanley Troutman

By Torin BoydT

his year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of WorldWar II, and the loss of another war photographer who
worked in the Pacific theater. Stanley Troutman, who
also photographed the golden era of Hollywood from the late
1930s, passed away on Jan. 2, 2020 at age 102.
Troutman was born in Pasadena on Oct. 3, 1917 and grew up
in the Echo Park neighborhood of LA. He used funds from his
first job to buy a 4x5 Speed Graphic, hoping to enter into thephotography business. At 20 years old, he got his first breakwhen a neighborhood friend and former childhood movie starhelped him land a job at the LA bureau of Acme Newspictures
in 1937. As was common in those days, Troutman started out
as a darkroom assistant, something he referred to as being a“hypo bender.”Earning $16 a week at the start, the 20-year-old Troutman
worked his way up to a staff position. Within a year he was covering Hollywood—photographing stars like Bing Crosby, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, Charlie Chaplin and Frank Sinatra.
When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurred on Dec. 7, 1941,
Troutman was 24 years old. He was considered exempt fromservice due to his status as a journalist, something the war
department deemed vital to the home front. In 1944, however, he volunteered to be a war correspondent. Embeddedwith the Wartime Still Picture Pool which included LIFE Magazine, AP, International News Photos and Acme, he entered
the Pacific war armed only with a camera. He explained, “correspondents were not allowed to carry a gun. If we were captured, we could be shot as spies”.
His first assignment was the Battle of Saipan in June 1944
where he worked alongside LIFE Magazine photographer
10

W. Eugene Smith, who mentored him. After Saipan, Troutman
covered the battle of Tinian Island, followed by the invasionof Peleliu where Troutman made some of his most memorable
images of the war. Then on to Guam, Borneo and the Philippines, where he encountered more heavy fighting. He had aclose call during the invasion of Corregidor on Feb. 17, 1945,
the second day of the invasion. Although it was supposed to besafe, his landing craft came under fire. Said Troutman, “There
were fourteen of us on the boat and three Marines were killed.
When the ramp finally went down, I got onshore and as they
were unloading a truck, it hit a land mine and exploded.”
After a year of covering the war, an exhausted Troutman
returned home for some badly needed R&R. Acme thenassigned him to an around-the-world press junket on General
Jimmy Doolittle’s B-17 bomber. On a visit to Dresden, Germany, Troutman got a preview of the devastation he’d soon be
witnessing in Japan.
Troutman found himself back in the Philippines in midAugust after the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. His route to Japan took him through Shanghai,
where he photographed the liberation of the Chapei internment camp.
He arrived in Japan on Aug. 30 on the second US plane into
Atsugi Airfield, in advance of General Douglas MacArthur
who arrived later that day to full fanfare. While at Atsugi, he
was given a tour of the kilometers of tunnels underneath the
airport, proving just how prepared the Japanese were for an
attack on Honshu.
His next assignment was the Japanese surrender aboard the
USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2. Troutman had a camera
position reserved for the ceremony, but on the morning of thesurrender, he was informed he was cleared to fly to Nagasaki.
APRIL 2020

FCCJ

Moments in time
Opposite, Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrives in Japan, Aug. 30, 1945
(ST). Above, top, Hiroshima, Sept. 2, 1945, one month after thebomb was dropped (ST). Above, Stanley Troutman and Japanesechildren at an internment camp in Saipan (photographer unknown).
Top right, winners of the International Jitterbug Championship,
LA, 1938. Near right, with his Speed Graphic 4x5 camera—
thought to be a self portrait, 1944. Colorized by the author. Farright, the author with Troutman in 2019 (Torin Boyd).

Forced to choose between the surrender or Nagasaki, he chosethe latter. It was a time when General MacArthur was grounding correspondents trying to report on Nagasaki and Hiroshimaby limiting fuel, but Troutman and the press pool scrounged up
enough fuel to make the 900 kilometer flight to Nagasaki, making him one of the first journalists to enter the city.
A visit to Hiroshima followed on Sept. 6 when Troutman and
the AAF press pool were given access to the city’s apocalyptic
landscape. As they drove into the city, they noticed how thebomb had created a ripple effect in the landscape, like when apebble strikes a pond. Not briefed in the dangers of radiation,
Troutman was more concerned about it ruining his film. His
tour of the city resulted in an iconic image of the Hiroshima
Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, now commonly known
as the Genbaku Dome. Other stories that Troutman coveredin Japan included bombed out Tokyo and the ruins of aircraft
factories in Nagoya.
By the end of September 1945, Troutman was back home
FCCJ

APRIL 2020

with his family settling into postwar life. He became disillusioned with Acme, and took a job with the University of California Los Angeles’s publicity Department in 1946. Working
as a photographer for UCLA afforded Troutman a chance todo everything from filming football and basketball games
to publicity portraits. Some of the people he photographed
there included coaches Red Sanders and John Wooden, ayoung Arthur Ashe, and future Olympic gold medalist Rafer
Johnson. The school also sent him to cover the 1956 Summer
Olympics games in Australia. Troutman remained at UCLA
until his retirement in 1980. After retirement, he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Press
Photographer’s Association of Greater Los Angeles in 2004.
The PPAGLA also set up an endowment award in his name forexcellence in sports photography. ❶Photojournalist Torin Boyd has been based in Japan for over thirty years
and is affiliated with Polaris Images.
11Series: Profile

Gavin Blair
Freelance

By David McNeill

RICHARD ATRERO DE GUZMANW12APRIL 2020

FCCJ

views with brainbox American filmmakerhen Gavin Blair was 14 he disSteven Soderbergh (“he speaks in perfectcovered karate and was hooked.
AMONG HIS MORE
and a yakuza boss, who was
His first sensei was his nextMEMORABLE SCOOPS paragraphs”)
arrested right after the piece was published,door neighbor’s woodwork teacher in the
WAS BAGGING AN
recalls Blair. “But we stay in touch.” Unfortuthen rough-and-tumble neighborhood ofnately, he laments, journalists often do best
Streatham, South London. It was one of
INTERVIEW WITH
those serendipitous moments in life thatA YAKUZA BOSS, WHO when others are suffering, recalling his timein March and April 2011 covering the Tohoku
only becomes clear much later. “If he’d
WAS ARRESTED RIGHT disaster for The Christian Science Monitor
been a kung-fu teacher I might have ended
AFTER THE PIECE
and Global Post and lots of TV and radio.
up in Hong Kong,” says Blair, laughing.
An entrepreneurial streak—and the disAs it happens, Japan beckoned and
WAS PUBLISHED.
cipline he derives from decades of physikarate was the lure. Blair had just finished“BUT WE STAY
cal training—drives his work. He is writinga Masters degree in sports and exercise
IN TOUCH.”
a book about samurai and has previously
psychology at Exeter University (partly
published several others: Zen in Japanese
paid for with compensation from a violent
Culture and Japan in 100 Words: From Anime
doorstep mugging) and was working as ato Zen. Next up, he hopes, is his “dreamcycle courier in London when an old sparproject”—a monograph on martial arts
ring partner wrote to him from Yokohama.
from around the world.
He could earn a living teaching English
Inevitably, some of these assignments are
and train in the world’s best dojos, he told
more enjoyable than others, he says. “I canhim. What had he got to lose?
do a decent news feature and it pays $350—
Blair hopped on a plane in 1997 and has
and that’s pretty good these days. It takes atbeen here since.
least a day but doesn’t really cover my time.
His first job was at a private English-lanAn advertorial can pay ten times that.” Thisguage school in Sagamihara but much of
bothers him “on an intellectual and political
his spare time was spent wearing a gi. Likelevel” but “without a doubt that other work
many expats, the initial plan was to stay for
subsidizes journalism.”a year, but one by one his friends drifted
The secret to a successful freelancehome while Blair stayed and eventuallycareer is to be flexible, he says. “Don’t be
got married. “Time started passing and I
fussy about what you write but don’t work
thought maybe I’d be here for a while,” hefor free.” Once rates go below a certain
says. So he began freelancing, filing music
point, he says, he puts his foot down. “I canand film reviews for local magazines.
understand people starting out and trying to get their name
“The only talent I had at school was writing,” explains Blairout there but you can’t keep that up. It’s going be more andduring an interview at the FCCJ. He found he was deft at supmore difficult to make a living.”
plying copy on demand and could earn decent money, espeThe fact that many newspapers are gutting their foreign
cially on business stories. Advertorials paid the best, but henews departments obviously doesn’t help, Blair says. “Nobody
could turn his hand to most other yarns too. “It got to the stage
thinks it’s a healthy business model at the minute. Having
where I thought I could make a living if I concentrated.”said that I still feel absolutely blessed to do what I do—I get
Blair’s other line of work was helping to operate a small
to write about things I like in a place I like.”chain of English schools. He subsequently bought one of the
The karate hasn’t gone away. It’s 35 years since Blair firstfranchises and ran it for 14 years (he recently sold it). “I wasbegan practicing his kata but he reckons he still trains five or
running that school, managing the others, writing and had asix days a week between the karate, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, whichkid. It was ridiculous so I stopped managing the chain.”
he started a couple years ago, and conditioning work— “atGigs with The Christian Science Monitor, South China Mornleast 12 hours a week.” He’s has had the same sensei for two
ing Post, The LA Times, and The Hollywood Reporter. He subs
decades and coaches himself at Azabu University. And he’s
for The Times and The Guardian when their correspondents
still making a living writing in Tokyo. Not bad for a boy fromare off duty. Add in various trade and niche publications (vapStreatham. ❶ing!), market research, TV work, translating and advertorials
and it’s clear that Blair is one of the busiest English-language
freelancers in Tokyo.
David McNeill writes for the Irish Times and The Economist, and teaches
Among his more memorable scoops was bagging intermedia literacy at Hosei and Sophia universities.
FCCJ

APRIL 202013

Art seen“THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIS KIND
OF CENSORSHIP UNDER THE TABLE BUT
NEVER OFFICIALLY LIKE THIS”

Neo-nationalists and artists are again
preparing to fight it out over freedomof expression in Hiroshima
By David McNeill14

L

ast November, the sleepy, unimposing island of
Momoshima in the Seto Island Sea was the site of an
unlikely row. Yukinori Yanagi, one of Japan’s best-known
contemporary artists, hosted fellow artists Nobuyuki Ooura
and Meiro Koizumi to discuss their work ahead of the Hiroshima Triennale, a major international art event that opens in
September. A group of angry neo-nationalists got wind of themeeting and came to protest. The police were called.
APRIL 2020

FCCJ

SARA GARNICA/PEXELS

Censorship redux

Ooura has been a triggering figure for the right for decades
since creating a series of portraits that included found imagesof Hirohito, the Showa Emperor. Koizumi has also broached
the imperial taboo with pictures that ponder the ghostly presence of the emperor in the Japanese imagination. The mere
hint of their association with the triennale, a publicly funded
event, was enough to bring out the neo-nationalist mob.
In fact, neither artist had been invited to the triennale.
“There is absolutely no way that would happen,” says Ooura.
“I’m considered far too dangerous.”
Still, protestors lobbied local politicians in Hiroshima, who
noted in the prefectural assembly that similar art had caused amajor row in Nagoya last year. They were referencing the “After
Freedom of Expression” exhibition at the Aichi Triennale,
which was forced to close in August after the organizers werebombarded with over 10,000 calls, emails and faxes, somecontaining very specific threats of violence. In September, theCultural Affairs Agency pulled a ¥78 million grant to the Triennale, leaving Nagoya holding much of the bill for the event.
Apparently spooked by the possibility of a repeat, Hiroshima decided in February to set up a committee with the power
to review and reject “unsuitable” art. The artistic community
has reacted with alarm. A statement from the International
Association of Art Critics Japan (IAACJ) said that the sevenmember external committee had in effect been given the
power to censor anything it doesn’t like.
“Artists will be required to submit works for this exhibition
under the premise of this censorship, and all expressive possibilities will be stunted by being forced into the limitations of
the censorship criteria,” the statement read. Michio Hayashi,
the association’s president, called the city’s preemptive measure “unprecedented.”
Meiro Koizumi agrees. “There has always been this kind of
censorship under the table but never officially like this,” he says,“Curators know our work may cause problems but they somehow squeeze it in.” Now they will lose that ability, he warns.
The emperor is the deepest taboo, Koizumi notes, but officials spending public money are also wary of any art thattouches on colonial history, nuclear power or even eros—sexual content. “If we allow this sort of committee to exist
undoubtedly other art festivals will copy it.”
The battle lines are again hardening. Standing by any artist
considered controversial would invite further protests from theright, who have been emboldened by their success in Nagoya.
Yet, Michio Hayashi, president of the IIACJ, says allowing thecommittee to overrule curators means the exhibition will lose
all artistic credibility. “The committee will have to review all
artworks and they will have to make a unanimous decision before
they can agree on art—it is censorship by another name.”
If the cities of Mihara, Onomichi and Fukuyama, hosts of the2020 Hiroshima Triennale, stick to their guns, a boycott is likely,
says Ooura. “There is only six months to go until opening day sothey will struggle to organize alternative artists in time.”
As with Nagoya, the row seems more about well-hewn
political positions than artistic merit. Controversy over perceived slights to the emperor is hardly new. But the rhetoric
FCCJ

APRIL 2020of conservative politicians such as Nagoya Mayor Takashi
Kawamura, who condemned some exhibits in the Aichi Triennale last year, is fueled and distorted online, inciting the
cybermob who rally supporters to their cause.
“It feels that, as in the US and other countries, there is a
climate that is encouraging extremist positions and expressions,” laments Andrew Maerkle, a bilingual art critic andwriter. He cites years of political dog-whistling in Japan bypoliticians such as Shinzo Abe, the prime minister. “I think
this has emboldened people, and social media has been a conduit for organizing responses, for good and bad.”
The problem in Aichi and now Hiroshima, he continues,
is history, not art. “There is a lack of critical consciousness
about history. “If people are not held to standards of criticalthinking about history then it opens the floodgates to moreprejudicial statements.”
Aichi proved, at least, that the organizers would not be easily bamboozled. Artists around the world boycotted the event.
Hideaki Omura, the governor of Aichi Prefecture, perhaps
wary of the potential damage to Nagoya’s reputation, openly
criticized Kawamura and his fellow travelers. The curators
stubbornly fought in public and reopened the exhibition in
October last year, albeit under heavily restricted conditions,
including metal detectors at the door.
“With Aichi, we pushed back the boundary and showed tothe public and government that we can show these works if
we take care of the security problem,” says Koizumi. “Now
Hiroshima is pushing back the boundaries again.”
Aichi veterans have been quietly advising Hiroshima on
strategies to deal with harassment. The tactics by the rightfocused on intimidating and tying up city officials with protests, so the officials were rotated every two hours to avoid
over-exposure to toxic callers, and were allowed to hang up
after 10 minutes. Once the decision to host exhibitions ismade, the content has to be defended at all costs. “Never givepressure groups results,” says Yanagi.
Shihoko Iida, former chief curator of the Aichi Triennale
2019, speaking in a personal capacity, also praises the fightback in Aichi, which included protests from artists, academics, international art organizations, and the Aichi prefectural
government (led by Governor Omura), and the collection of
100,000 signatures demanding the reinstatement of the Cultural Agency grant (which was partially restored).
Iida says governments have “a mission and social responsibility” to protect diverse expressions through public money.
“Because it is public money, it is possible to protect various expressions that are not commercialized. These diverse
expressions,” she says, “exist for the past, present, and futureof mankind, which would not be influenced by political ideologies of authorities.”
For Ooura, it all feels like déjà vu. He fought a seven-year
legal battle against censorship of his work in the 1980s. Few
understood at the time, he says, that he didn’t create his
portraits to criticize the emperor. “The emperor came up
because it is part of who I am as a Japanese,” he told ViceMedia. “To deny the work as if it never existed would be todeny myself.” Yet, shying away from discussing the emperor
means so much else risks becoming taboo too.
“Nothing seems to have changed.” ❶David McNeill writes for the Irish Times and The Economist, and teaches
media literacy at Hosei and Sophia universities.
15

Club news

JOIN THE FILM COMMITTEE . . .

NEW IN THE LIBRARY

LINKS

Reciprocal Clubs

Souri
総理
Noriyuki Yamaguchi
Gentosha

The FCCJ has
reciprocal
agreementswith thefollowingclubs aroundthe world.

. . . on Friday, Apr. 10 at 7:00 pm for a sneak preview ofMrs. Noisy, our first screening of a female-directed, femalecentric film in more than a year. “It all started with a single
futon,” runs the tagline of this breezy dramedy, which tells
the story of a struggling writer, Maki (Yukiko Shinohara),
whose lovely new apartment turns into a battleground when
her neighbor, Miwako (Yoko Ootaka), refuses to stop beating
her futon on the balcony each dawn. Maki’s dangerous
obsession with her oddball neighbor takes a dangerous turnwhen a video of the women fighting goes viral. Soon, multiple
lives are spinning out of control, and as we learn more about
Miwako’s background, Mrs. Noisy transforms into a deeply
moving exploration of life’s gray zones. Filmmaker Chihiro
Amano and her two stars, Yukiko Shinohara and Yoko Ootaka,
will be on hand for the Q&A session. (Japan, 2019; 106
minutes; in Japanese with English subtitles)— Karen Severns

International Press Club of Chicago
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (Beijing)

Jiheisho no Kodomotachi to “Kyohu no Sekai”
自閉症の子どもたちと“恐怖の世界
Susumu Shiraishi
Kadensha
Gift from Susumu Shiraishi

US
China

Hanoi Press Club

VietnamInternational Association of Press Clubs

PolandJaisal Club

India

National Press Club (Washington, D.C.)

US

National Press Club of Canada (Ottawa)

CanadaOmaha Press Club

US

Overseas Press Club of America (New York)US

Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ ClubThe Colombo Swimming ClubThe Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand

Korea
Sri Lanka
Hong Kong
India
Bangkok

New additions
Club Suisse de la Geneva

FranceJerusalem Press Club

IsraelNational Press Club of New Zealand (Wellington)

New ZealandPress Club de France (Paris)

FranceCapital Club Dubai

Dubai

City University Club of London

UK

Club de la Presse Strasbourg

UK

Foreign Correspondents’ Club Angkor

Cambodia

The House Seventeen

Luxembourg

Manila Club

Philippines

National Club Ontario

CanadaPenang Club

Malaysia

Press Club Brussels Europe

Belgium

Foreign Correspondents’ Club Taiwan

TaiwanTerminal City Club

CanadaWanderers Club
16

Switzerland

Frontlines ClubSouth Africa

Donarudo Kiin no Tokyo
Shitamachi Nikki
ドナルド・キーンの東京
下町日記
Donald Keene; ed. by
Nobuyuki Suziki
Tokyo Shimbun
Gift from Nobuyuki
SuzukiDai 60kai 2019 nen Hodo Shashinten: Kinen
Shashinshu
第60回 2019年報道写真展 記念写真集
Tokyo Press Photographers Association
Gift from Tokyo Press Photographers
Association
Samsung Rising: How a South Korean Giant
Set Out to Beat Apple and Conquer Tech
Geoffrey Cain
Currency
Gift from Geoffrey Cain
BOOK BREAK
Geoffrey Cain, authorof “Samsung Rising :The Inside Story Of The
South Korean Giant That
Set Out To Beat AppleAnd Conquer Tech”
April 14, 18:15 - 20:30
The book is a sweeping
insider account of the Korean company’s
ongoing war against the likes of Google andApple, based on years of Geoffrey Cain’s
reporting for The Economist, The Wall Street
Journal, and Time from his base in South
Korea and his countless sources inside andoutside the company. The book shows how
a determined and fearless Asian competitor
has become a force to be reckoned with.
To Members: sign up at the Reception Desk
(03-3211-3161) or on the FCCJ website.
Please reserve in advance, preferably bynoon of the day of the event.
To non-members: Sign up by email (front@
fccj.or.jp). Please reserve and pay in advanceby Thursday, April 9.
FCCJAPRIL 2020

NEW MEMBERS
REGULAR MEMBER

Foster Klug is AP’s News Director for Japan, theKoreas, Australia and the South Pacific, based in Tokyo.
A second-generation AP journalist, Klug is from New
Orleans. He has a bachelor’s degree from Colby College
in Waterville, Maine. Klug joined the AP in 2000,
becoming AP’s first Asia correspondent in Washington
in 2005, where he covered Asia across all branches of
the U.S. government. He has traveled widely to cover
big stories, including the Rohingya refugee crisis andthe summits between the leaders of the United States and North Korea in
Singapore and Vietnam. He contributed to AP’s award-winning team coverageof the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011.
STATUS CHANGE (PROFESSIONAL/JOURNALISTASSOCIATE TO REGULAR)

Akiko Kashiwagi is a reporter for the Washington
Post Tokyo Bureau. She has returned to journalism andto the FCCJ after working in Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto asa trade and food marketing specialist for several years.
She was born and raised in Tokyo, and previously wasa Tokyo-based reporter for Newsweek International andthe Washington Post, reporting primarily on Japan’sbusiness, politics and social trends.

REINSTATEMENT (PROFESSIONAL/JOURNALIST ASSOCIATE)
Alex Hendy, The Japan Journal, Ltd.
ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Akinori Hatano, UNIes, Inc.
Tomoko Nishizawa, Working ForeverTakahito Otake, Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

NEW LOCAL MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

Save ¥100,000s!
For a limited period in 2020, the FCCJ will beoffering very attractive special discounts on
new individual Associate Members working
in our home, the Marunouchi Nijubashi
Building, as well as in the neighboring
Meiji Life Insurance, Marunouchi Park,and Shin-Tokyo buildings.
New individual applicants for Associate
Membership will receive a one-time discounton the existing ¥400,000 joining fee. With
the one-time discount, the joining fee would be¥200,000 for those over 40 and ¥100,000 for those between
the ages of 35 to 40. Monthly dues of ¥17,500 and the relocation
levy of ¥1,000 for Associates over 35 years of age willremain unchanged.
Existing members who introduce an accepted Associate applicant
who joins the FCCJ will receive a credit of up to ¥25,000.
17

Photographer members

Lens craft
FlightYoichi Yabe took a flight to
Helsinki on March 15. The
plane was, should we say,underbookedby Yoichi Yabe

18

Fight
A shop owner sprays disinfectant
in front of his business to combat
the coronavirus in Yokohama on
March 6.
by Tomohiro Ohsumi

FrightA Tokyo supermarket empty of toilet paper andtissues after consumers rushed to buy thesefollowing false social media rumors that thecoronavirus had caused a toilet paper shortage.
by Rodrigo Reyes Marin

APRIL 2020

FCCJ

FCCJ

APRIL 202019

Where news is made