We ran a link to an article in Kotaku a couple of days ago that talked about the one-sided American news coverage of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake, which over-focused on the nuclear aspect – to the point of spreading hysteria both here and among foreign nationals living in Japan – and downplayed the humanitarian side of the crisis.
What this illustrates is that the skills of people versed in Japanese language and culture – a field long associated in the common mindset with going into translating – may be needed in more areas than you think.
According to Kotaku, the heart of the problem with the Western news coverage is that most of the reporters covering it had no knowledge whatsoever of Japanese lifestyle and customs, not to mention the language.
Most major news organizations, they noted, closed their Tokyo bureaus when the bubble burst, thinking the country was no longer worth their time. All those reporters were moved to China, the new Asian economic superpower. They had nobody who observed Tokyo day in and day out, who would see that people routinely wear face masks when hay fever season arrives and that streets empty out during working hours. They didn't know that Tokyo is entirely dependant on its vast subway network to get around, and when those subways are down, the populace is forced to telecommute.
Thus, they were misreading sights of the Japanese going about their daily lives - although coping with electricity rationing that reduced train service and caused a temporary shortage of some staples in food stores - and interpreting them as "Tokyo is a ghost town gripped by nuclear fear!"
The lack of understanding of the language also proved a major problem. Unable to understand Japanese-language news bulletins and press conferences, the Western reporters had to rely on translations – which were often hastily done and faulty. Yes, otaku, the same thing you have been griping about for years when it comes to dubs resulted in a worldwide nuclear panic.
Furthermore, reporters had problems when trying to communicate with Japanese people – a lot of them know some English, but very often, when they try to speak a language other than their own, what they end up saying is miles removed from what they intended to say. (Just ask anyone who's ever listened to J-rock). So someone might have been trying to say "I am concerned about the tsunami victims" and ended up saying "I am afraid" instead – which the news crews then seized upon and used as further proof that TOKYO IS LIVING IN FEAR!!!!
The thing is, just as the mainstream news community was losing interest in Japan, another class of people were becoming very interested in it indeed – the geek community. Cool Japan rose as Economic Superpower Japan fell, creating a whole new generation of people who did know the Japanese language, the Japanese mindset. These people could have gone a long way toward communicating the truth to the world – if the mainstream news organizations thought they were worth hiring.
Now that this has happened, however, the major news organizations will suddenly realize that Japan is, indeed, worth their time again – if only to cover the aftermath of the disaster. And so, if you're one of the fans who has steeped themselves in Japanese language and culture, you should definitely consider making the media your career. They need you now – in more ways than one.
So far, the results of the hysterical news coverage have been sad – young foreign nationals living in Japan having their cultural experience cut short by their governments ordering them home, a potentially devastated tourism industry, and a rather low amount of worldwide charitable donations. (This is not only because of the lack of coverage of the sufferings of the refugees, but because some people just may be thinking, "Why should we donate to help a bunch of people who are just going to die from radiation soon anyway?")
But the damage inflicted by half-truths can always be counteracted with full truths – and that's what those who really know Japan can provide.
- Bonnie Walling