NHK Documentaries
The Fall of Freedom - How a newspaper led Japan to war
2019 • E11 Oct 12, 2019 50m
In the mid-1920's, during the so-called "Taisho Democracy," people in Japan were embracing political liberalism and Western ideas, and enjoying unprecedented freedom. But just 10 years later, nationalism and militarism were on the rise and the country was rushing toward war - urged on by a nationalist newspaper called The Nihon Shimbun. Why did this one media outlet have such a profound influence on political life in Japan?