This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
We will hand down historical facts through the generations, and accurately convey the reality of rapidly changing times.
Newspaper Week has started. With 2015 marking the milestone 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, we want to once again keep in mind the gravity of the mission placed in the hands of newspapers.
During the war, newspapers and other media continually provided reports that exaggerated military achievements based on announcements issued by the Imperial Headquarters. Although there were strict regulations on freedom of speech at that time, newspapers cannot be absolved of their responsibility for contributing to efforts to promote the war. After the war, every media company made a fresh start with a pledge to pursue the truth.
As a core pillar of print media, which excels at providing a tangible record of what happened, newspapers play the role of conveying the horrors of the war to future generations. This summer, The Yomiuri Shimbun carried a series of articles describing the wartime experiences of prominent figures from a wide range of fields.
This series included interviews with author Hiroyuki Itsuki, who experienced a cruel repatriation from Pyongyang after the war, and former professional baseball player Isao Harimoto, whose older sister died due to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. We think these tales touched the hearts even of generations who do not remember the war.
As people who experienced the war become increasingly elderly, the chances to hear them tell their stories are declining. Passing down these records is a major issue.
Our reporting of such testimony has been supplemented by documents and written messages left by people who experienced these events, and work to dig up materials kept in libraries and other public facilities.
One example is the recent stories carried in The Yomiuri Shimbun after we acquired, from the State Archives of the Russian Federation, lists of Japanese nationals who died in repatriation camps outside of Siberia after being detained by the former Soviet Union. We will tenaciously continue to uncover facts that have been buried under history.
Our stance on key issues
This year, considerable attention was focused on the issue of Japan's perception of history, particularly regarding the statement issued by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to mark 70 years since World War II ended.
It was possible that, depending on the language it contained, this statement could have affected international trust in Japan. As well as calling on Abe to recognize that Japan's wartime actions constituted "aggression" (shinryaku) and to display feelings of apology, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported in detail the discussion process undertaken by the Advisory Panel on the History of the 20th Century and on Japan's Role and World Order in the 21st Century, which considered various aspects contained in the statement.
The security environment surrounding Japan has never been more severe. China is pushing ahead with its self-righteous maritime advances in the East China Sea against the backdrop of its rapid military buildup, and North Korea repeatedly makes military provocations.
Recent security-related laws have split public opinion. The Yomiuri Shimbun took a position supporting the legislation because we believe making the Japan-U.S. alliance more robust and strengthening its deterrent capability will ensure the security of Japan.
A newspaper should have well-informed opinions that analyze the existing state of affairs appropriately and offer insights into the direction Japan should take. We will keep providing material that enables our readers to fully and accurately make their own decisions.
In an opinion survey The Yomiuri Shimbun conducted before Newspaper Week, 88 percent of respondents said they believe newspapers will continue to be necessary in the future. Our devotion to providing fair and accurate coverage remains more important than anything else.