From the Editor
Justin McCurry
The July upper house elections have dominated the news agenda in recent weeks, with much of the focus on the future of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and the rise of the right-wing populist Sanseito party. The August issue of the Number 1 Shimbun examines the fallout from the election in articles by Eric Johnston and Dylan O’Brien. But our cover story, by Rotem Kowner, addresses a hardy perennial in Japan’s public life – its use of the death penalty, pegged to the June execution, by hanging, of Takahiro Shiraishi, widely known as the “Twitter killer”. Elsewhere, David McNeill recounts an eventful trip to North Korea in the second of our Ripping Yarns series – and doubles up with an interview with the Japan Times editor-in-chief, Takashi Yokota. Mark Schreiber sifts through crime novels set in ancient China, Eiichiro Tokumoto tells the incredible story of the life and premature death of a postwar judge, and Stephen Mansfield traverses bridges on the Sumida River. In their regular columns, Philip Brasor traces the rise of corruption in apartment renovation, and Eric Johnston looks back at doomed Russian and American wartime plans to invade Hokkaido. In Club news, Dan Sloan summarises a series of events held to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Suvendrini Kakuchi profiles another associate member, and Peter McGill reviews Geoff Tudor’s memoir Tokyo Diary. And please don’t miss the first part of Robert Whiting’s colourful history of the FCCJ.
Cover artwork by Julio Shiiki
The Number 1 Shimbun
August 2025
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 Khaldon Azhari
2nd Vice President Randy Schmidt
Treasurer Anthony Rowley
Secretary David M. Umeda
Directors-at-Large
Shuri Fukunaga, Suvendrini Kakuchi, Dave McCombs, Taeko Nagayama
Kanji Martin Fackler, Knopf Doubleday Publishing & Simon Farrell, Custom Media K.K.
FCCJ Committee & Ad-hoc Committee Chairs
Publications Justin McCurry
Associate Members’ Liaison Simon Farrell & David Umeda
Entertainment Jake Adelstein & Simon Farrell
Exhibitions Peter Lyon
Film Karen Severns
Finance Anthony Rowley
Food & Beverage Shuri Fukunaga & Michiyo Nakamoto
Freedom of Press David McNeill
House & Property Khaldon Azhari
Human Resources Randy Schmidt
Information Technology Hinza Asif & Yusuke Wada
Library, Archives & Workroom Suvendrini Kakuchi & Robert Whiting
Membership Randy Schmidt
Professional Activities Tetsuo Jimbo & Martin Koelling
DeRoy Memorial Scholarship Martin Fackler
Compliance Kunio Hamada & Yoshisuke Iinuma
Election Yoshisuke Iinuma
Deep Dive Anthony Rowley
Membership Marketing Gary Bremermann
Sports Akihiko Tanabe
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan
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Marunouchi 3-2-3 Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-0005
Tel: (03) 3211-3161・fccj.or.jp
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.