Some impressionistic, bloggy footfootnotes to Ellis's comments. I would be more than happy to be refuted with impressions, facts, data, whatever.

It's been a couple of years since I followed the U.S.
media on Japan closely, and too many years since I worked with the foreign press on behalf of METI, but here are my impressions.

I've seen smaller newspapers do surprisingly good jobs.
I think that this is due to the fact that they rely on stringers, longtime residents of Japan who have very good command of the language and take orders from multiple news outlets to make ends meet, and/or depend on wire services.

The larger news outlets with Tokyo bureaus, by contrast, have two problems. First, they have to justify a high overhead. There must be huge pressure to come up with a steady stream of story ideas that will make it past an editor whose firsthand knowledge of all things Japan is more likely than not to be minimal. This should create conditions conducive to sensationalism and stereotyping. Second, many of their correspondents come in with very little local experience or language skills and fly out again in a few years to a different locale.
These less well-endowed correspondents have to rely on bilingual local staff, interpreters, Japan Times (and wire services), and gaijin handlers to find out what's going on. This situation does not seem to be conducive to proper contextualization and interpretation, and the temptation to use stereotyping as a means of shorthand must be strong.

The FT is a somewhat different animal. Their correspondents seem to stay longer--one of them, whom I know from my METI media flack days, is still here, though that's something of an anomaly--and, perhaps more importantly, don't have to cover the Calpis-Pocari Sweat/supercar/lonely 45 year old Hiroshima oyster (they are scrumptious) farmer beat. (I won't go into the Economist here.)

Going back to the wire services, they have more people to cover Japan--it's no surprise that AP was the only foreign media that serious sought to formally join the kisha clubs in the early 90s, when METI happened to be on the side of the good guys at the time, which made my life easier--so their writers can gain specific expertise. It may also help in terms of keeping out stereotypes that they are writing for a global readership. Of course not all wire services are created equal. I'm tempted to name names, but I'll leave it at that, except to mention that one wire service correspondent in particular produces a consistent stream of outstanding work. (Yes, of course I mean you... and you... and...)

Now, sidebar time: "In recessionary Japan, the reckless use of the combustion engine is a hobby for the old and rich "ojisan" often trying to recapture a youth in which he was too overworked and cash-strapped to drive a supercar."

I couldn't help but laugh at this. First, I remember the first supercar boom during the bubble years, when it was invariably (or so it seemed) a rich kid in the driver's bucket seat with or without a girl beside him in the Lamborghinis, Ferraris, or (in the case of the less fortunate) Porche. Couldn't some of these ojisans be people who are literally trying to relive their youths? Second, when I lived in a relatively wealthy New York suburb, I would see my share of expensive sports cars (mostly Porches and U.S. makes, I think), the drivers were invariably trim, white- or pepper-haired, white men. But yes, I agree with Ellis's assessment.

At this point, I'd like to touch on an unrelated matter. Some of you may have noticed that I have not responded to one of the comments directed at me in another thread. Usually, I believe that one gratuitous insult deserves another... and another... and another... but after great thought, I've decided to refrain form insisting that my response be posted, since I do not want to see this forum deteriorate into yet another BBS where cranky old men like me vent their spleen in an incessant game of one-upmanship. I thought that I also made some great points in my draft--you know, the fish that got away--so I will be happy to share a bowdlerized version with anyone who cares.

Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank SSJ and the moderator for their services and express my hope that I will be able to continue to enjoy the forum in the years to come.