Editing Yomiuri Shimbun (section)

==History==
The ''Yomiuri'' was launched in 1874 by the Nisshusha newspaper company as a small daily newspaper. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s the paper came to be known as a literary arts publication with its regular inclusion of work by writers such as [[Ozaki Kōyō]].

In 1924, [[Matsutarō Shōriki]] took over management of the company. His innovations included improved news coverage, a full-page radio program guide, and the establishment of Japan's first professional baseball team, now known as the [[Yomiuri Giants]]. The emphasis of the paper shifted to broad news coverage aimed at readers in the Tokyo area. By 1941 it had the largest circulation of any daily newspaper in the Tokyo area. In 1942, under wartime conditions, it merged with the ''Hochi Shimbun'' and became known as the ''Yomiuri-Hochi''.

The ''Yomiuri'' was the center of a labor scandal in 1945 and 1946. In October 1945, a post-war "democratization group" called for Shōriki's removal, as he supported Imperial Japan's policies during World War II. When Shōriki responded by firing five of the leading members of this group, the writers and editors launched the first "production control" strike on 27 October 1945. This method of striking became an important union tactic in the coal, railroad, and other industries during the postwar period. Matsutarō Shōriki was arrested in December 1945 as a [[Class-A war criminal]] and sent to [[Sugamo Prison]]. The ''Yomiuri'''s employees continued to produce the paper without heeding executive orders until a police raid on June 21, 1946.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cohen |first=Theodore |date=1987 |title=Remaking Japan: The American Occupation as New Deal |url=https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_p7m9 |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=The Free Press |pages=[https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_p7m9/page/240 240–259] |chapter=Chapter 13: Travail of a Newspaper: The Yomiuri Repels the Reds}}</ref> The charges against Shōriki were dropped and he was released in 1948. According to research by Professor [[Tetsuo Arima]] of [[Waseda University]] on declassified documents stored at [[National Archives and Records Administration|NARA]], he agreed to work with the CIA as an informant.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Nippon Television and CIA" Related Chronology |url=http://www.f.waseda.jp/tarima/NTV%20and%20CIA.htm |accessdate=9 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=有馬哲夫 |title=『日本テレビとCIA-発掘された「正力ファイル」』 |date=2006-02-16 |magazine=週刊新潮}}</ref>

Under the leadership of [[Tsuneo Watanabe]], who served as editor-in-chief from 1991 until his death in 2024, ''Yomiuri'' would gain considerable international prominence.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02246/watanabe-tsuneo-dies-major-media-figure-helmed-yomiuri-for-three-decades.html|title=Watanabe Tsuneo Dies: Major Media Figure Helmed Yomiuri for Three Decades|publisher=Nippon|date=19 December 2024|accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref><ref name=watanabe>{{cite news|url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/12/71e5f954bbda-urgent-japanese-media-baron-tsuneo-watanabe-dies-at-98.html|title=Japanese media baron Tsuneo Watanabe dies at 98|publisher=Kyodo News|date=19 December 2024|accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref><ref name=recordcirculation>{{cite news|url=https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02246/watanabe-tsuneo-dies-major-media-figure-helmed-yomiuri-for-three-decades.html|title=Watanabe Tsuneo Dies: Major Media Figure Helmed Yomiuri for Three Decades|publisher=Nippon|date=19 December 2024|accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref> By 1994, it would have a daily circulation which topped 10 million.<ref name=watanabe /><ref name=recordcirculation /> In addition, it would also hold considerable influence over Japanese politics, with Watanabe even boasting that was Japan's "last dictator."<ref name=watanabe /> In 2010, it would be recognized by Guinness World Records for having the highest daily newspaper circulation in the world, and also as the only newspaper with a morning circulation in excess of 10 million copies.<ref name=watanabeobituary>{{cite news|url=https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/obituaries/20241219-228805/|title=Yomiuri Editor-In-Chief Watanabe A Lifelong Journalist; Used Newspaper’s Influence To Help Shape Policy|author=The Yomiuri Shimbun|publisher=The Japan Times|date=19 December 2024|accessdate=19 December 2024}}</ref>

In February 2009, the ''Yomiuri'' entered into a tie-up with ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' for editing, printing and distribution. Since March 2009 the major news headlines of the ''Journal'''s Asian edition have been summarized in Japanese in the evening edition of the ''Yomiuri''.

The ''Yomiuri'' features an advice column, [[Jinsei Annai]].

The ''Yomiuri'' has a history of promoting [[nuclear power]] in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|date=22 May 2011|title=Nuclear policy was once sold by Japan's media|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/05/22/national/media-national/nuclear-policy-was-once-sold-by-japans-media/|access-date=31 December 2012|work=The Japan Times}}</ref> In May 2011, when [[Naoto Kan]], then Prime Minister of Japan, asked the [[Chubu Electric Power Company]] to shut down several of its [[Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant]]s due to safety concerns, the ''Yomiuri'' called the request "abrupt" and a difficult situation for Chubu Electric's shareholders. It wrote that Kan "should seriously reflect on the way he made his request."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T110510004049.htm |title=Kan's Hamaoka request abrupt, poorly explained|work=The Daily Yomiuri|date=11 May 2011|access-date=31 December 2012}}</ref> It then followed up with an article wondering how dangerous Hamaoka really was and called Kan's request "a political judgment that went beyond technological worthiness."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T110520004807.htm |title=From Square One / How dangerous is Hamaoka?|work=The Daily Yomiuri|date=21 May 2011|access-date=31 December 2012}}</ref> The next day damage to the pipes inside the condenser was discovered at one of the plants following a leak of seawater into the reactor.<ref>{{cite web |date=21 May 2011 |title=Pipes inside condenser found damaged at Hamaoka nuclear plant |url=http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/pipes-inside-condenser-found-damaged-at-hamaoka-nuclear-plant |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110521164158/http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/pipes-inside-condenser-found-damaged-at-hamaoka-nuclear-plant |archive-date=21 May 2011}}</ref>

In 2012, the paper reported that [[Nobutaka Tsutsui]], the Minister for Agriculture, had divulged secret information to a Chinese enterprise. Tsutsui sued the ''Yomiuri Shimbun'' for [[libel]] and was awarded 3.3 million yen in damages in 2015, on the basis that the truth of the allegations could not be confirmed.<ref>{{cite news|title=読売新聞に損害賠償命令 元副大臣機密漏洩報道で|url=http://www.nikkei.com/paper/article/?n_cid=kobetsu&ng=DGKKZO88107330W5A610C1CR8000|access-date=16 June 2015|work=Nihon Keizai Shimbun|date=16 June 2015}}</ref>

In November 2014, the newspaper apologized after using the phrase "sex slave" to refer to [[comfort women]], following its criticism of the ''Asahi Shimbun''{{'}}s coverage of Japan's World War II comfort women system.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30241569|title=Japan paper Yomiuri Shimbun retracts 'sex slaves' references|work=BBC News|date=28 November 2014|access-date=8 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/29/world/asia/japan-yomiuri-shimbun-apology-sex-slaves.html |title=Japanese Newspaper Prints Apology for Using the Term 'Sex Slaves'|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=28 November 2014|access-date=8 February 2015|last1=Soble|first1=Jonathan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/yomiuri-japans-biggest-newspaper-apologizes-for-using-term-sex-slaves/2014/11/28/a37fd07d-b983-4990-b2a6-318f6b67d047_story.html |title=Yomiuri, Japan's biggest newspaper, apologizes for using term 'sex slaves'|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=8 February 2015}}</ref>{{clarify|date=July 2015}}

The ''Yomiuri'' newspaper said in an editorial in 2011 "No written material supporting the claim that government and military authorities were involved in the forcible and systematic recruitment of comfort women has been discovered", and that it regarded the [[Asian Women's Fund]], set up to compensate for wartime abuses, as a failure based on a misunderstanding of history.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 18, 2011 |title=Failure of Asian Women's Fund |url=http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T111017004046.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=August 17, 2012 |website=The Japan News |archive-date=January 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120172600/http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T111017004046.htm }}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported on similar statements previously, writing that "The nation's (Japan's) largest newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, applauded the revisions" regarding removing the word "forcibly" from referring to laborers brought to Japan in the pre-war period and revising the [[comfort women]] controversy.<ref>[[Norimitsu Onishi]]. "[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/06/world/asia/06iht-letter.html Japan's reach for future runs up against the past]". ''[[The New York Times]]''. 7 April 2005.</ref> ''Yomiuri'' editorials have also opposed the [[Democratic Party of Japan|DPJ]] government and denounced denuclearization as "not a viable option".<ref>''The Yomiuri Shimbun''. "[http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T120820002753.htm Denuclearization is not a viable option]". 21 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012</ref>