Mainichi announces third-party investigation into inappropriate articles in WaiWai column
With Japanese bloggers and 2-channelers continuining to rage over Mainichi’s “hentai” column that translated (and sometimes embellished) racy stories from Japan’s tabloid weeklies, the newspaper has added yet another announcement to its homepage:
Mainichi to announce results of investigation into inappropriate articles in WaiWai column
The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. is conducting an in-house investigation into the publication of inappropriate articles in the WaiWai column of the Mainichi Daily News.
We will announce the results of the investigation, such as why inappropriate stories were run on the site, in the middle of this month.
We will ask the “Open Newspaper” Committee, a third-party organization comprising of outside experts, for opinions on the investigation results and report it.
Mainichi had previously announced that it had punished several employees it deemed responsible for the WaiWai scandal, but that did little to reduce the anger on 2-channel and the blogosphere. Because many of those internet users did not trust Mainichi’s internal investigation, the newspaper now seems to have consulted a third-party organization.
Meanwhile, English language Japan blog Stippy.com has been reposting old WaiWai articles with the following explanation:
…[WaiWai] was a much loved form of entertainment amongst foreigners in and outside of Japan. To any reader it was obviously not serious news, but it was a set of articles that portrayed quite well how the Japanese tabloids actually write about their own country. In 2008, a small number of Japanese people bought it to the attention of rival news groups that Mainichi was running an anti-Japan column on its website. With the bad publicity, Mainichi was forced to shut the page down, and take punitive measures against the journalists that were working on it, claiming that it was receiving opinions that were critical of the column, such as “its contents are too vulgar” and “the stories could cause Japanese people to be misunderstood abroad”. A perfect example of how Japanese consider what they write in their own script to be an acceptable secret code, that the rest of the world cant understand. When that same tabloid rubbish gets inconveniently translated to English to make light of some aspects of the Japanese people, it gets canned. Stippy.com finds this unacceptable, and will reproduce as much of the Waiwai content as possible in order to bring it once again to our computer screens for a good laugh.
Quite a few of the articles have already been posted, including some of those that most angered Japanese internet users (“Fast food sends schoolgirls into sexual feeding frenzy,” “More mums going down, to ensure grades go up!”, etc.), but it still hasn’t posted the article about Japanese tourists shooting children for sport in Ecuador(update: they’ve got it).
[thanks to Julián Ortega Martínez for keeping us up to date on the latest developments in this story]
Full RSS Feed
Thanks for the update. I will now be able to add stippy.com to my list of “websites not worth visiting”.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
The article you mentioned is not on stippy, now seems to be there:
http://www.stippy.com/japan-waiwai-archives/sex-rape-slaves-inserted-in-sick-holiday-menu/
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’d wager that wai wai is receiving far more attention now than it it ever did before people decided to crusade against non-Japanese readers enjoying the local tabloids.
No such thing as bad publicity they say.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
2channnelerと日本を非難することでしか自尊心を保てない悲しい在日欧米人って似たもの同士だよね｡
Rate this comment:
0 
0
That youtube video ends on a dumb note.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Yes, let’s investigate them! And then flog them publicly! And then break their arms and their legs andandandand *breath in* and then burn them at the stake! And then, and then, let’s urinate on the remains and then shoot them! Yeah, that’ll show’em!
For Spagetti Monster’s sake, what a ridiculous overreaction…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
hahahaha, that video actually compared Mainichi to the New York Times. hahahahahahahaha.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I don’t see the point of the video. Why do they write in English?
Isn’t is a domestic issue?
Stippy com is provocative and is doing no good.
1)theoretically speaking , it is probably violating the copy right.
2)It will give the pretext for 2 channeler to bash Mainich and Ryan more.
3)It will just give an impression that gaijins in Japan are doing this to hurt Japan and Japanese
(Contrary to stippy’s claim, there were foreigners who believed that the stories were more than tabloid articles-)
Overall 2 channelers are overreacting and this stippy guys are overreacting and they are making things worse.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Ponta, the reason this is in English is because the people on 2chan are hoping to gain the support (or maybe understanding) of English speakers. On Youtube especially, you will find comments from users that particularly controversial videos should be translated into English so English speakers know what is going on. Skim through some of the Japanese-only whaling videos and you’ll see the same thing.
The problem with this is that a lot of viewers will probably be more interested in these Waiwai articles than actually being supportive of the 2chans that are against them.
As, for Stippy, they are purposely being provocative. I think most readers of Waiwai understood that it was a tabloid, and even though it was garbage and probably shouldn’t have been on Mainichi’s website in the first place, the fact that it was forcibly taken down was seen as an affront on foreigners living in Japan by some people. So now you’ve got two camps – the 2chans/right wingers who think the column and columnists are anti-Japanese and racist, and you have the people who could care less about Waiwai but are posting the articles again because they believe the 2chans/right wingers are being anti-foreigner and racist and they want to spite them.
I suspect this issue wouldn’t have been so blown out of proportion if it was ended after the punishments by Mainichi, but now both sides are being stupid and taking everything personally *because* it continues.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
That is exactly what I thought.
I can understand the claim that the video for pro-whaling should be translated into English but I don’t understand why they want people around the world to pay attention to the articles they say are disgusting. Do they want people around to bash Mainichi?—people will just have fun reading the trashy article and watching the angry 2 channellers.
And it is a clumsy tactics. One of their claims was that Mainich was spreading the prejudice all over the world through WaiWai. They are spreading the prejudice indirectly by reproducing the articles albeit in the form of the protest.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’ve linked this before, but this effect is known as the Streisand Effect.
The term Streisand effect originally referred to a 2003 incident in which Barbra Streisand sued photographer Kenneth Adelman and Pictopia.com for US$50 million in an attempt to have the aerial photo of her house removed from the publicly available collection of 12,000 California coastline photographs, citing privacy concerns. Adelman claims he was photographing beachfront property to document coastal erosion as part of the California Coastal Records Project. Paul Rogers of the San Jose Mercury News later noted that the picture of Streisand’s house was popular on the Internet.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I don’t endorse some of the way right wingers and 2 channelers protest, but I think people who are angry at the people who are angry at WaiWai look stupid.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/also_in_the_news/7493256.stm
They look like people who are angry about the people who are angry
about the broadcast.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
The ESL teachers who enthusiastically support Ryan Connell’s trashy articles are not the only readers of the Mainichi Daily News. I think the poster of the above YouTube video clip is hoping to make a few foreigners who read MDN’s serious articles turn away from the Mainichi, no matter how minority they are. In any case, it won’t hurt 2 channelers, since their goal is to put the Mainichi Shimbun out of business.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’m thinking that a lot of the hardcore 2channelers who post such videos were already anti-Mainichi Shinbun for other reasons, and are just using this to bash on them more.
There are several valid criticisms of WaiWai, like how they embellished and rewrote articles’ translations, had stories from both the more reliable tabloids and the totally unreliable crap tabloids that make stuff up (and didn’t bother to differentiate between the two), etc. It’s the loud, hardcore types on both sides that I dislike, because they are using this as an excuse to act like doinks.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I wonder what would happen if a feature exactly the same thing as WaiWai were run by the Sankei Shimbun. Would it be bashed by 2-channelers?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Then, do you say you defend the Mainichi Shimbun so earnestly because you are a left-wing activist? I don’t think so. Our society is not that simple.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I don’t ‘defend so earnestly’ anything here. I just perceive some kind of bias. And I consider myself a “centre-leftist”, not activist (I wouldn’t ever register to a political party).
Rate this comment:
0 
0
This is getting ridiculous. It has been established that those WaiWai columns were simply translated from weekly rags into English, so why doesn’t this individual/s (who is supposedly affiliated with monbusho.org) just read the tabloids? I’m not sure what the point of this petty protest is.
Seriously though, who gets this worked up over apparently (I’ve never bothered with WaiWai) terribly written pulp?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I wonder how the stupid 2chers would feel if the infamous “Gaijin Hanzai File” mook was translated into English and put on the net?
Happy to see a bunch of lies about gaijin as crimnals?
Unhappy in that something so racist was published in Japan?
Crazed that Jpaanese racism is publicized in English, whereas they had no problem when it was in Japanese?
I think their tiny brains will explode.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Your brain seems to be tiny too.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
As a punishment, Managing Director and Digital Media Division Executive Supervisor, Yutaka Asahina, was ordered to return 10 percent of his directors compensation for one month. However, at the same time, he was promoted President of the Mainichi Shimbun Corporation. That’s what made many Japanese angry.
Previous announcement from Mainichi already mentioned that it will consult a third-party organization. Scroll down the Mainichi’s WaiWai page to find the previous announcement. It also has e-mail address and fax number of the third party organization, Open Newspaper Committee. The e-mail address and the fax number of the committee has been revealed to be Mainichi’s one. Also, that committee is not a newly-organized one but it has been serving for Mainichi since several years ago. Previous activity of the committee showed that the members of the committee are essentially supporters of Mainichi. This also made many Japanese angry.
People on 2ch are collecting texts of WaiWai articles to reveal how original Japanese articles were changed and modified when they were rewritten for WaiWai. The texts in Stippy will help them.
Personally, I liked an WaiWai article that described the history of panty peeping culture of Japanese males. I liked that article so much that I once linked it on occidentalism when Matt posted there an article about japanese pervert. If someone on Stippy has the text, I hope it to be uploaded on Stippy, so I can read it again.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I like that the same user that posted the anti-Waiwai video also has this (http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=B3SNk0oK0M8) video in his uploads. Hypocritical, perhaps.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Mainichi=hentai
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Following hur’s “logic”:
Mainichi = “anti-Japan Korean propaganda”
Asahi = “communist”
Sankei = “right-wing warmonger, Imperial Army nostalgic”
(please contribute to the newspaper bashing based in prejudice!)
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Yomiuri＝CIA propaganda, and with that, we have complete list of the conspiracy theories of Japanese media.(^_-)
I don’t think hur is talking on logic, he/she is expressing anger.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
And the Nikkei? Chunichi? TV networks?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Julian, your argument is amazingly shallow and irrelevant. Why don’t you READ these papers for 6 months before making another comment?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Sweetwater, don’t you perceive the sarcasm? I’m making fun of those prejudices on Japanese media. I’m not even trying to give any “argument” here. I just think some aspects of the discussion are becoming ridiculous…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
who freaking cares! worry about something that matters you goons.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Important point.
Whether it is true or not?
Ryann Connell,He talked for a fact.
the magazine of Japan is talking as a joke.
Japanese talks about a Japanese joke to the Japanese.
No problem. A lot of Japanese like joke.
African American calls African American. “Hey! Niger!”
No problem. A lot of African American like joke.
Some Caucasians call African American. “Hey! Niger!”
No problem??
It repeats. No problem??
African people, Hispanic people, Asian people, And, a lot of people who love justice.
Please help the Japanese.
A lot of Japanese are fighting with the racist.
United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
1. All propaganda and organizations based on ideas or theories of the superiority of one race or group of persons of one colour or ethnic origin with a view to justifying or promoting racial discrimination in any form shall be severely condemned.
2. All incitement to or acts of violence, whether by individuals or organizations against any race or group of persons of another colour or ethnic origin shall be considered an offence against society and punishable under law.
3. In order to put into effect the purposes and principles of the present Declaration, all States shall take immediate and
positive measures, including legislative and other measures, to prosecute and/or outlaw organizations which promote or incite
to racial discrimination, or incite to or use violence for purposes of discrimination based on race, colour or ethnic origin.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Sikisima,
Just a quick question:
A lot of Japanese like joke.
How do you define “a lot”? What percentage of the population would “a lot” be and how would they break down, demographically? And, do you have links to some peer-reviewed research showing us that “a lot of Japanese like joke (sic)”? I think we need to see some proof of that claim.
Do you like jokes? How do you define “joke”?
I think there’s some background information we need before accepting the first premise.
It looks like you like jokes, I was just wondering.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
How about stopping those magazines from publishing their filth in Japanese in the first place?
(Or not, I love them tabloids.)
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Some people love pornography and tabloid. I used to enjoy pornographic magazines when younger.
The point is not tabloid and porn should not be published in Japan—I am opposed to banning them— the point is they should be placed in proper place, and they should be represented as reflecting pervert Japanese magazines rather than reflecting reality of Japanese society and Japanese people in general. Mainich failed to do that;in addition, the translator rewrote the original texts to his favor. I think people are angry about that.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
You guys should watch this,
http://propaganda-buster.blogspot.com/2008/07/waiwai-tabloid-truth-about-sex-in-japan.html
Rate this comment:
0 
0
About Mainichi’s PR:
http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/3726561/
Rate this comment:
0 
0
This looks like a Wai Wai spin-off:
http://www.tokyoreporter.com/category/japanese-smut-portal/
This appears at the bottom of each story
“Brief extracts from Japanese vernacular media in the public domain that appear here were translated and summarized under the principle of “fair use.” Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the translations. However, we are not responsible for the veracity of their contents. The activities of individuals described herein should not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people nor reflect the intention to portray the country in a negative manner. Our sole aim is to provide examples of various types of reading matter enjoyed by Japanese.”
Rate this comment:
0 
0
That may not be construed as “typical” behavior of Japanese people but the blog , coupled with the anger over the ending of the waiwai column by some gaijin , may be construed as “typical” behavior of gaijin people, or reflecting the intention why they are here in Japan, which in turn may keep some J women from staying away from gaijin.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Is it your impression that typical gaijin translate the Japanese weeklies? I thought the usual stereotype of a typical gaijin was someone with poor Japanese skills which doesn’t tally with your depiction.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I am aware there are various kinds of gaijin in Japan. But you know, prejudice is formed not logically.
And it is true that there is a stereotype about gaijin who are especially fond of Asian women, in some cases, in a wacky way.
The blog will reinforce the belief/prejudice, especially when “gajin’s right activist” who is supposed to be promoting a positive image of NJ recommend worst Hentai articles in Japanese to understand Japan and Japanese.
Don’t you think so?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I don’t watch something like “Jackass” to “understand” America: it’s entertainment. Likewise, I’m not expecting to “understand” Japan through these silly stories.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
You are right.
I am not talking about the prejudice/stereotype about Japanese but about gaijin that will be formed among the Japanese through these activities by some gaijin who are so attached to WaiWai type of hentai Japanese articles that they are angered by the end of Hentai articles of WaiWai at Mainichi, not content with reading it alone in Japanese , they bother to translate it and share it in English and a social activist for gaijin in Japan, who works hard to get the right for gaijin to enter the place to flirt with Asian girls, the right to get discount rate for gaijin to play with Geishya, even recommends these Hentai Japanese articles to understand Japan.
You know, the books you read and favor tell something about you.
What I am saying is that you can not blame the Japanese entirely if the prejudice about NJ in Japan is formed/reinforced/strengthen out of this situation.
Borrowing the words of the social activist, they might say that
the translations of this specific type of Japanese Hentai articles and the attachment to them are an essential guide to NJ’s attitudes and editorial directives.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Dude, you are going all around the bend on this one.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
James, the results have been announced:
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/20080720/
Rate this comment:
0 
0