Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2025 May 28 - June 3 TOP3 [JCP]

Akahata wins FCCJ 2025 Freedom of Press Awards

The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan has chosen Akahata for the 2025 Freedom of the Press Awards in recognition of Akahata’s role which “had shaken up the Japanese political system” with a series of reports on the LDP factions’ slush-fund allegations.

Akahata Chief Editor Kogiso Yoji delivered a speech of acceptance at the FCCJ award ceremony on May 30.

Kogiso in his speech expressed his gratitude for the award, and explained that Akahata, not the major media outlets, has had a series of exclusives on political corruption because it stands upon the position that it cuts into “political distortions” without any taboos.

He stated that the efforts made by Akahata reporters who share this common position and the fact that Akahata is the newspaper of the Japanese Communist Party are the driving force behind the string of political scoops.

The FCCJ said that Akahata played an extremely important role in uncovering the LDP’s role in obtaining illicit political funds, particularly the creation of kickback money in LDP factions, and that the biggest scoop was the revelation that the LDP had distributed 20 million yen during the election campaign to each of its candidates who had been involved in the illegal-fund scandal. The FCCJ called the Akahata reportage a testament to the important role of independent watchdog journalism in a democracy.

Past related article:
> Tamura criticizes LDP for using tax money to covertly support ‘slush fund’ lawmakers’ general election campaign [October 23 & 24, 2024]