The following is from a series of columns by Rui Abiru that appeared in the Sankei Shimbun on Dec. 24.
Rui Abiru is one of the best reporters working today.
Two news stories about Mr. Abe
In my last column of the year, I didn't want to mention anything from the Asahi Shimbun, but the morning edition of the 23rd was so unique in its "all-consuming style" that I thought I'd introduce it here.
The Asahi (Tokyo edition) devoted its front page and side articles, its second and third pages, editorials, its opinion page feature article, and its social page spread to the same issue.
It's the same old thing.
As if a natural disaster had occurred, the subject of all the fuss was an article on the case of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He was voluntarily interviewed by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office over his supporters' association's failure to report on the income and expenditure of its political funds.
It wrote the article in the usual way of imprinting in the minds of readers that this is a big problem.
However, the article concludes that the district prosecutor's office has decided not to prosecute Mr. Abe because he was not involved in any specific way.
Moreover, the report also introduces the following comments from within the district prosecutors' office.
Some said, 'How can the prime minister interfere with the expenses of his office? In such a situation, the prosecutors were more conscious of the public's view.
One of the officials said, "Even if, as a jurist, I thought there was no need to hear from Mr. Abe, the Public Prosecutors Examination Commission, which represents the people, would not allow it, and it could say that the investigation was insufficient.
There's nothing to it.
Asahi itself revealed the inside story that the district prosecutor's office was afraid of the public's scrutiny, so it conducted an interview that did not need to be undertaken.
Is he bragging that the flood of reports by Asahi and its sympathetic media formed the public's voice?
Asahi writes as if being interviewed itself is a bad thing in its editorial, but this also leads to misunderstanding and prejudice.
It may provoke criminal charges aimed at creating the wrong impression of a particular person.
Are you saying that you win if you don't cooperate in a voluntary hearing and get away with it?
The Meaning of the U.S. Medal of Honor
Anyway, there was another news story about Mr. Abe that day, but I couldn't find it in Asahi's paper (Sankei also had a small mini-news tale).
It was a great accomplishment that Mr. Abe became the first Japanese prime minister to be awarded the Legion of Merit by President Trump of the United States, the highest decoration given to those who have made exceptional achievements in challenging missions as commander in chief.
The reason was "leadership and vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
It shows the importance the U.S. attaches to QUAD, a framework proposed by Mr. Abe and introduced by the U.S., India, and Australia to address China's threat.
The medal was presented to U.S. Ambassador to the U.S. Shinsuke Sugiyama at the White House by Mr. O'Brien, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (according to a source, Mr. O'Brien made the following statement at the time).
The idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific is something that former Prime Minister Abe has been talking about for more than a decade, and it has taken on a much bigger shape now. President Trump joined former Prime Minister Abe, and then by India and Australia. It all started with Shinzo. Shinzo's leadership is quite candid.
Mr. O'Brien also told Mr. Sugiyama, "When he gets well, I hope you will tell former Prime Minister Abe that I hope he will continue to do his best for Japan-U.S. and international relations.
As I read the series of articles in the Asahi Shimbun, in which a gloomy passion for destroying Mr. Abe somehow drifted through the air, I was struck by the disparity between the U.S. and Japan in their perceptions of international affairs and their perspectives on politics.
(Editorial Writer and Political Editor)
Rui Abiru is one of the best reporters working today.
Two news stories about Mr. Abe
In my last column of the year, I didn't want to mention anything from the Asahi Shimbun, but the morning edition of the 23rd was so unique in its "all-consuming style" that I thought I'd introduce it here.
The Asahi (Tokyo edition) devoted its front page and side articles, its second and third pages, editorials, its opinion page feature article, and its social page spread to the same issue.
It's the same old thing.
As if a natural disaster had occurred, the subject of all the fuss was an article on the case of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He was voluntarily interviewed by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutor's Office over his supporters' association's failure to report on the income and expenditure of its political funds.
It wrote the article in the usual way of imprinting in the minds of readers that this is a big problem.
However, the article concludes that the district prosecutor's office has decided not to prosecute Mr. Abe because he was not involved in any specific way.
Moreover, the report also introduces the following comments from within the district prosecutors' office.
Some said, 'How can the prime minister interfere with the expenses of his office? In such a situation, the prosecutors were more conscious of the public's view.
One of the officials said, "Even if, as a jurist, I thought there was no need to hear from Mr. Abe, the Public Prosecutors Examination Commission, which represents the people, would not allow it, and it could say that the investigation was insufficient.
There's nothing to it.
Asahi itself revealed the inside story that the district prosecutor's office was afraid of the public's scrutiny, so it conducted an interview that did not need to be undertaken.
Is he bragging that the flood of reports by Asahi and its sympathetic media formed the public's voice?
Asahi writes as if being interviewed itself is a bad thing in its editorial, but this also leads to misunderstanding and prejudice.
It may provoke criminal charges aimed at creating the wrong impression of a particular person.
Are you saying that you win if you don't cooperate in a voluntary hearing and get away with it?
The Meaning of the U.S. Medal of Honor
Anyway, there was another news story about Mr. Abe that day, but I couldn't find it in Asahi's paper (Sankei also had a small mini-news tale).
It was a great accomplishment that Mr. Abe became the first Japanese prime minister to be awarded the Legion of Merit by President Trump of the United States, the highest decoration given to those who have made exceptional achievements in challenging missions as commander in chief.
The reason was "leadership and vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
It shows the importance the U.S. attaches to QUAD, a framework proposed by Mr. Abe and introduced by the U.S., India, and Australia to address China's threat.
The medal was presented to U.S. Ambassador to the U.S. Shinsuke Sugiyama at the White House by Mr. O'Brien, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (according to a source, Mr. O'Brien made the following statement at the time).
The idea of a free and open Indo-Pacific is something that former Prime Minister Abe has been talking about for more than a decade, and it has taken on a much bigger shape now. President Trump joined former Prime Minister Abe, and then by India and Australia. It all started with Shinzo. Shinzo's leadership is quite candid.
Mr. O'Brien also told Mr. Sugiyama, "When he gets well, I hope you will tell former Prime Minister Abe that I hope he will continue to do his best for Japan-U.S. and international relations.
As I read the series of articles in the Asahi Shimbun, in which a gloomy passion for destroying Mr. Abe somehow drifted through the air, I was struck by the disparity between the U.S. and Japan in their perceptions of international affairs and their perspectives on politics.
(Editorial Writer and Political Editor)
