New NHK chairman: All warring nations had 'comfort women'

[t_co]

New NHK chairman: All warring nations had 'comfort women' - AJW by The Asahi Shimbun

The new chairman of public broadcaster Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK) filled his first news conference with one-sided arguments and antagonistic opinions on history, sparking immediate calls for his resignation.

The news conference in Tokyo on Jan. 25 was intended to mark Katsuto Momii's appointment to the top post at NHK, but he instead raised eyebrows by defending the wartime "comfort women" system, criticizing South Korea, pushing Japan's territorial claims, and downplaying opposition against the state secrets protection law.

His words led to criticism at the highest levels of government.

"I am extremely angry because these gaffes are unthinkable for the head of a media company," said a member of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet. "He should immediately resign."

Momii said NHK programming would abide by the Broadcast Law, which stipulates that all broadcasting companies must exercise political fairness. However, he showed no neutrality in giving his own views on a number of issues, a highly unusual move for the head of the public broadcaster.

Momii was asked about past NHK programs on the comfort women who were forced to provide sex to Japanese military personnel before and during World War II.

"(Such women) could be found in any nation that was at war," Momii said.

He then named nations like France and Germany as having used such women when those nations were at war, and he asked why the Netherlands still has brothels.

"Under current morals, using comfort women is wrong," he said, adding that the system was a reality at the time of the war.

Momii went on to make comments that he said were outside his position as NHK chairman.

He took a critical view at the continuing demands from South Korea for Japan to pay compensation to former comfort women.

"Matters have become much more complicated because South Korea seems to say that only Japan forcibly transported such women," he said. "They also say hand over money or compensate the women, but why are they trying to bring up the subject again when all issues were resolved under the Japan-South Korea treaty. That is wrong."

When a reporter pointed out to Momii that the news conference was being held to mark his becoming NHK chairman, he said, "I retract everything I have said."

Before becoming NHK chairman, Momii was president of Nihon Unisys Ltd., which has capital ties with Mitsui & Co., where Momii served as vice chairman. He does not have broadcasting experience.

"This is a major development that could lead to his dismissal," a high-ranking executive of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party said after Momii's news conference. "This could affect Diet deliberations because NHK's budget will have to be discussed."

LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba said, "As the individual responsible for corporate management, he should have made the judgment of what would be in the national interests from the standpoint of a public broadcaster."

According to officials with the Abe administration, the prime minister is not acquainted with Momii. The NHK chairman also has only weak ties with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, they said.

Couple things here:

1. Big ROFL at the following exchange -

When a reporter pointed out to Momii that the news conference was being held to mark his becoming NHK chairman, he said, "I retract everything I have said."

Before becoming NHK chairman, Momii was president of Nihon Unisys Ltd., which has capital ties with Mitsui & Co., where Momii served as vice chairman. He does not have broadcasting experience.

He's supposed to be the head of a media company... yet has zero idea of how to respond to an interview, or even what the purpose of a particular news conference is. Also...

2. The following is incorrect.

According to officials with the Abe administration, the prime minister is not acquainted with Momii. The NHK chairman also has only weak ties with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, they said.

From the reliably pro-Japan rag The Diplomat:

Momii, a former businessman with no prior experience in broadcasting, was appointed by a board of governors – who were first appointed by right-wing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Momii, who will serve as NHK chairman for three years, has denied that the appointment was influenced by Abe directly, despite reports that the prime minister favored him for the role.

Momii has also donated heavily to Abe's electoral campaign.

This is a major blow to Abe's domestic political standing, as it shows that he's put in not just an unyielding nationalist, but an idiotic, unyielding nationalist, to head the state media company at a time when one of his key tactics against China is an unrelenting PR campaign.

Back in early 2013, Chinese analysts were asking whether Abe could keep his blatant nationalism in check long enough for his soft anti-China approach to work. Now, it seems we have the answer: he can't. Abe's poll numbers are slipping, and this is just another nail in his coffin. Goodbye, Schizo Abe.