Do you know Japan is 111th in the gender equality ranking in the world? The ranking of the freedom of the press is 67th. Japan is one of the developed nations in the world, we have believed, but it is not. The war expenditure is fifth or sixth in the world and expanding year by year. What a nation! I feel ashamed and scared.
About the issue of the freedom of the press, the things are getting worse these years. There are journalists working hard to inform the truth, of course, but not many. The government and the Power try to crush journalists and press companies that try to invest and inform the truth they don’t like if not kill. Yesterday I knew that DAYS JAPAN , a great photo journal will end. The reason is, the editor says, the difficulty of the management: money problem, and his health problem. I’m so shocked and regretful for it. I have read almost all the issues for about thirteen years, and I learned a lot from it about the world and the journalism. But the journalism that is independent from the Power and criticizes keenly is difficult to keep on .
I joined a meeting about the next Diet election in this prefecture yesterday. It is absolutely necessary for citizens and the opposition parties to work together to defeat Abe’s party and make a better country for the younger generation.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I don’t believe in God nor pray, but I hope a peaceful and better year to come. Oh, in this season we say each other,” I wish you’ll have a good year!” instead of “ good bye.” .