Local journalists were the first to arrive at the catastrophe site and the last to go as reporters from all over the world descended on Japan. The LDP and industry have been eroding Japan's lifelong employment system in order to make it simpler for businesses to recruit and dismiss employees and set pay to their liking. With few protections for workers, there is a growing labor force of part-time and temporary staff who cannot afford to take time off. The Japan Times has a team of around 20 reporters based in Tokyo, with others covering events across the country. Its writers come from many countries including Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, India, Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United States. The paper was founded in Jerusalem by the American Jewish journalist Saitanokoji Seiichi, who moved to Japan in 1914. He returned to America in 1921 but kept the newspaper going under a Chinese owner until 1949 when it became a public company. It has been owned by the Mitsui family since then. In 2004, it had its largest circulation ever at more than 240,000 copies per day. In November 2013, it was announced that Patrick Murphy would be taking over as editor-in-chief from David Pinner who had held the position for seven years.