Journalism in Japan: Something to write home about | Timothy Hornyak | RONJIRU JAPAN | Episode 005

Timothy Hornyak is a freelance writer, journalist and author based in Tokyo, who has worked in many levels of journalism in Japan for more than 20 years. He writes about a vast range of topics related to Japan, with his work appearing in publications and various media all around the world. As a writer and journalist in Japan, Timothy brings a sharp eye, careful analysis and fairmindedness to his writing. He has written extensively about travel, food, technology, science, culture, politics and business in Japan. He is also the author of Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots, and has contributed to several Lonely Planet travel guidebooks.

In this interview, Timothy discusses journalism in Japan. He explains the country’s exclusive “kisha club” system that determines who has access to information. He discusses the history and roles of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan (FCCJ). He describes substantive differences between how news is written and received in Japan and other countries. And he talks about the benefits and challenges of being a freelance writer in the competitive world of journalism in Japan.

Timothy also discusses his book, and outlines how Japan’s global excellence in robotics and robot development has not lived up to its potential. Japan’s penchant for “cute” human-like robots could be both the key to easy introduction of helpful service robots for an aging population, but also possibly an impediment to the development of just the kind of technology needed to realize them.

Media and journalism in Japan is undergoing enormous change. Timothy covers some of these changes, and provides his thoughts on how Japan’s (Tokyo’s) unique juxtaposing of traditional and ultra-modern ensures that a curious mind never runs out of fascinating things to put to pen.

Loving the Machine: The Art and Science of Japanese Robots
https://www.amazon.com/Loving-Machine-Science-Japanese-Robots/dp/B001SARCOI

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