Japan gives short shrift to a UN rapporteur looking into press freedom

IF YOU had to pick someone to ruffle feathers, it would hardly be David Kaye, the UN special rapporteur for freedom of expression. A soft-spoken American law professor, Mr Kaye has prodded Japan to address concerns about the independence of its media. His report, which he presents to the UN’s Human Rights Council this month, triggered a peppery riposte from the hurriedly created Academics’ Alliance for Correcting Groundless Criticisms of Japan, a group of uptight university professors. Mr Kaye’s alarm should be directed toward his own country, they fumed.

The official reaction was scarcely more measured. Sanae Takaichi, the communications minister and no liberal, declined to meet the rapporteur. Koichi Hagiuda, the deputy chief cabinet secretary, said Mr Kaye’s findings were based on “hearsay”. Just before Mr Kaye arrived in Tokyo to brief the government, a draft of his report was leaked to the Sankei Shimbun, an ultra-conservative newspaper. It took offence...