A week or so ago, Yukari and I were accosted by a fellow gaijin in Roppongi. We stopped, thinking she might need directions or something.
As it turns out, she was a reporter for The Japan Times, the big English daily here in Japan, doing vox pops1 for the following week’s edition. You could choose from two questions: one about whether or not foreigners should be allowed to hold governmental office, the other about NHK’s2 recent credibility problems.
Yukari begged off, “I’m a reporter for Reuters, so I probably shouldn’t answer,” while encouraging me to say something.
There was one small problem, though. I didn’t know anything about either question. Fortunately, that’s never stopped me from opining before, so I didn’t let it get in my way.
After giving my highly informed opinion on NHK, Yukari and I continued on our way home. Once we’d gotten out of earshot, I asked her what news item had triggered the NHK question. She hemmed and hawed and finally admitted that she had no clue either, so I didn’t feel so bad for not being informed. As it turns out, it had something to do with NHK rewriting World War II history. Specifically, the Japanese army’s use of Korean comfort women.
Anyway, here’s the story — scroll down for my quote and dopey-looking picture.
1 A vox pop is reporter-speak for a man-on-the-street interview. Voice of the people, baby!
2 NHK is Japan’s national TV broadcaster.
Posted by pmk at February 9, 2005 1:10 AM | TrackBack