From the Editor
Justin McCurry
Sanae Takaichi’s decision to call a snap lower house election has made the deep midwinter a little more interesting than usual for journalists in Tokyo. The Number 1 Shimbun will carry analysis of the result of the February 8 election next month. In this month’s cover story, Rotem Kowner traces the evolution of a dish many people associate with Japan more than any other: sushi. Elsewhere, Dylan O’Brien explains why Japan’s official position on the Middle East differs from that of the public, and Ilgin Yorulmaz reports the unorthodox, and effective, campaign in support of an imprisoned journalist in Turkey. Mark Schreiber leaves these shores to trace the historical (and culinary) significance of the Chinese city of Shenyang, and Peter McGill completes his reminiscences of a trip to North Korea in 1985 for our Ripping Yarns series. In club-related news, Dan Sloan uses two recent briefings to assess the state of Sino-Japanese relations, Don O’Keefe reports on a combative appearance by the celebrated architect Riken Yamamoto, and Suvendrini Kakuchi sits down for a chat with Toshi Tokunaga Cooper, who turned 100 this month, in the latest installment of our Ask an Associate series. In their regular columns, Philip Brasor reviews the media debate over the use of off-the-record comments by government officials, and Eric Johnston gives a cautious welcome to plans to preserve the legacy of aging former residents of the Northern Territories, eight decades after they were seized by Soviet forces.
Cover artwork by Julio Shiiki
The Number 1 Shimbun
February 2026
Publisher FCCJ
Editor Justin McCurry
Designer Julio Kohji Shiiki, www.sedo.co.jp
Website Paul Braganza
Editorial Assistant Naomichi Iwamura
Photo coordination Hiroko Moriwaki
Publications Committee
Justin McCurry (Chair), Suvendrini Kakuchi, David McNeill, Andy Sharp
FCCJ Board of Directors
President Dan Sloan
1st Vice President Randy Schmidt
2nd Vice President Aviraj Gokool
Treasurer Anthony Rowley
Secretary Kathleen Benoza
Directors-at-Large
Michael King, Taeko Nagayama, Michiyo Nakamoto, Masayuki Watanabe
Kanji Martin Fackler, Knopf Doubleday Publishing & Simon Farrell, Custom Media K.K.
Reserve Director
David Umeda
FCCJ Committee & Ad-hoc Committee Chairs
Publications (Number 1 Shimbun) Justin McCurry
Associate Members’ Liaison Simon Farrell & David Umeda
Entertainment Simon Farrell & Douglas Montgomery
Exhibition Peter Lyon
Film Karen Severns
Finance Anthony Rowley
Food & Beverage Shuri Fukunaga & Michiyo Nakamoto
Freedom of Press David McNeill & Ilgin Yorulmaz
House & Property Randy Schmidt
Human Resources Avi Gokool
Library, Archives & Workroom Suvendrini Kakuchi & Robert Whiting
Membership Randy Schmidt & Dan Sloan
Professional Activities Eric Johnston & Martin Fackler
DeRoy Memorial Scholarship Martin Fackler
Compliance Yoshisuke Iinuma & Masayuki Watanabe
Election (2025-2026) Yoshisuke Iinuma
Deep Dive Anthony Rowley
Information Technology (Web) TBD
Membership Marketing TBD
Sports Akihiko Tanabe
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Published by the FCCJ All opinions contained within the Number 1 Shimbun are those of the authors. As such, these opinions do not constitute an official position of Number 1 Shimbun, the editor or the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan.