From the Editor
Justin McCurry
The FCCJ community was shocked and saddened to hear of the death, aged just 66, of longtime member and former director Mary Corbett. In this issue, Mary’s friends and colleagues pay tribute to her contribution to the club and other organisations, and remember her warmth, generosity and infectious sense of humour. This year opened with a news double whammy for Japan – a deadly earthquake on the Noto peninsula and, the following day, a fiery collision between two aircraft at Haneda airport. David McNeill and I review those and other significant Japan stories in a year of political, legal and meteorological turmoil. Mark Schreiber profiles two eccentrics who secured Ichigaya's place in history, and Stephen Mansfield reports on how local people are spearheading the revival of their Mie Prefecture neighborhood through art and culture. Elsewhere, Peter McGill analyzes Donald Trump’s election victory and Ilgin Yorulmaz reviews Shiori Ito’s new documentary Black Box Diaries. In the first instalment in Ask an Associate, a new series about the FCCJ’s associate members, Suvendrini Kakuchi meets culinary pioneer Machiko Chiba. In their regular columns, Philip Brasor asks why Shimbun Akahata received next to no recognition for its role in the political scoop of 2024, while Eric Johnston reviews the year in news in Hokkaido.
Artwork by Julio Shiiki - Photos: Wikipedia
The Number 1 Shimbun
December 2024
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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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.