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| Reminder in case of emergency, Tokyo Station |
It's my habit to read the news since I was in high school.
I love holding and reading the newspaper. Here in Japan, I have to resort to online news since I can't read Japanese.
For more than 3 years of reading Japanese news, I can already predict what the news would be.
Here are the top 5 common news in Japanese online newspapers:
1. Japan's role in World War II
Seventy years after World War II ended, Japanese newspapers still find a way to create news about the war. Week after week, "experts" have something to say about WWII, mostly against Japan. Opinions on Japan's role in WWII do not seem to end.
2. Japan versus China versus Korea
China and Korea also have something to say to Japan. There's the undying issue of WWII, territorial disputes, political correctness and whatever China and Korea wish to say to Japan. Japanese newspapers are not complete without mentioning their neighbors.
3. A crime committed by a weird guy
From robbing panties to outright murder, the suspect always has to be a weird guy. Usually, he has some social or mental issues and the crime is the manifestation of his problems.
4. New Restaurants and Food
Japan doesn't seem to run out of new ideas for restaurants. There's the classic Cats Cafe to the newly-established Goats Cafe. (Yes, goats!) Also, there's always a news report of a common food with a different twist.
5. Japanese festival
Festivals also make it to the headlines all year round. There's always a part of Japan that's celebrating something.
I learned in my journalism courses that news reflect the values and the relevance of a people. From these 5 common 5 news, you can see that Japan is associated with World War II, with neighboring Korea and China, with weird guys, with food and festivals.
