Hall of Shame: The Reason Japan's Media and Bloggers Failed Japan

In the last two weeks it has come to light from the Peruvian Consular General, Mr. Julio Cardenas, that a 13 year old Peruvian girl attending a junior high in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka was raped on two occasions by 5 Japanese female classmates. The five also photographed and filmed the rapes on mobile phones. A 12 year old Peruvian boy was savagely beaten by two Japanese male classmates in Kanazawa.

What these cases have in common, aside from the obvious fact both victims were Peruvian, is that neither was reported by the Japanese media nor by the foreign language media in Japan. This is dangerous to both the Japanese and non-Japanese communities.

The media has a responsibility to report violent acts so as to help in the protection of society. Consider the fact that when these rapists and attackers run out of foreign classmates to rape and beat then who do they get to hurt then? Ah yes, Japanese classmates.

As much as the Japanese government and school boards across Japan are looking to solve the bullying problem, these cases also show that non-Japanese are now being targeted. If not for the Peruvian Consul General then nobody in Japan may have ever heard of these cases. A single lady in Shizuoka who happened upon our site sent an email to us detailing what she knew. We called the Peruvian Consul for verification.

For our part at the Japan Times Herald, we took to our blogs and social media sites Facebook and Twitter to inform the larger world community. Combined we have contacts not only in Japan, but in the USA, Canada, Vietnam, China, South Korea, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, all most every European nation, Russia, most of Africa, you understand, being insular today is impossible so why even try? I wish to thank Bill Bryant, Ron Condon, Doug Cook, Kiminori Ito, Kinichi Maruyama, Hieu Tran, and Ryan Nesbit for helping. I thank all my Twitter friends for retweeting and Facebook friends for reposting. In the last two weeks we have had over 2000 page views on each story dealing with violence against the Peruvian children.

This speaks of what the Japan Times Herald wishes to do. We have proven that blogs are more than “just blogs”. Today, bloggers have become the real journalists, the actual fifth column that seeks to break down the traditional cozy relationaship that the media has formed with government and robber capitalists. Bloggers who are serious are the real media today. Combined with social media the world is ready to receive and share news from bloggers that the mainstream media tries to hide.

Again, what is being missed by the media in Japan is that a huge disservice was done to every person in Japan. Every parent in the schools in Shizuoka and in Kanazawa had a right to know there were rapists and violent sociopaths attending the same schools as their children. The residents in Shizuoka and Kanazawa had a right to know what was happening at schools they pay taxes to support. Japanese citizens and non-Japanese paying Japanese taxes have a right to know what is happening in the communities they live in and pay taxes to support. So now do we all understand how deliberately hiding news from the citizenry is a betrayal of trust by the media?

The media in Japan, both vernacular and foreign, have proven they are cowards and will only report fluffy bunnies and cherry blossoms. Shame as well on the once respected blogs that Mark, Tobias, Curtis, Shoji, and Kenji run – you know who you are, no last names needed, you are sake swilling, cherry blossom loving cowards, and your “blogs” have become jokes. Your blogs used to inform and used to show your heart and passion, but now they are empty tombs that have been robbed by adverts. You have all shown you have absolutely no real loyalty or integrity.

Like the Japanese media, most bloggers in Japan want a free ride on the coat tails of politicians and business people. They act cool and hip but they hide the fact they have spines made of jello and the courage of field mice. They found a little crumb and like the rats they are scamper away to the nearest corner to hoard it from anyone else.

I hope the media and the lame slogs, oh sorry, lame blogs move over for some competition because a bishop, a former UN diplomat, an Asian news editor, and an economist have come along and we have proven knowing the power of information and technology is what real power is.

Also, those of you who enjoying hurting other people understand that you can't hide in the shadows and hurt people any more. You can't violate human rights and hide the fact any more. Unless you want your crimes broadcast all over the world then you had better play nice. Technology is karma, your sins will come back.

For you folks out there, if you wish to help then contact Peruvian Consul Genreral Julio Cardenas at: escrituras@consuladoperutokio.org

Let them know that you stand behind the fight for justice for the girl in Shizuoka and the boy in Kanazawa. That alone proves that we who live in Japan and pay taxes are unwilling to allow human rights to be violated and then the violation be ignored.

By Rev. Daniel Rea, Editor

Rev. Daniel Rea is bishop of the Christian Church of Japan and holds a Doctorate of Divinity from Bethel Puritan Seminary and a PhD in Philosophy.