image: Jiji Press
Unfair NHK Never Broadcasts Nininbaori Performed by Mr. Katsuto Momii
I have a hunch that this photo named *‘nininbaori,’ which seizes the perfect moment, will be handed down for generations.
Masatoshi
Takeshita
February
22, 2014
(Translator’s note) *nininbaori –Helping hands comedy performance; performance in which one person wears a haori on their shoulders, while another person behind them put their arms through the sleeves of the haori and feeds the person in front (JMdict)
English translation of an excerpt from a
Japanese article: “Unknown Truth” by Kazuhide Uekusa – February 22, 2014
–
Unfair
NHK Never Broadcasts Nininbaori performed by Mr. Katsuto Momii
On February 20, the NHK issue came up for intensive deliberation in a meeting of the Lower House Budget Committee.
Mr. Katsuto Momii, who has assumed the post of the president
of NHK, was called into the meeting as a witness
and harshly grilled over how NHK
broadcasting should be.
Even if asked questions in the Diet, he was
not able to answer them in words of his own.
An NHK staff member
behind him listened to a question, handed over a manuscript for answer to Mr. Momii and whispered the words written in the manuscript from behind
just like a *’sasayaki okami,’ while Mr. Momii answered
as told.
(Translator’s note) *sasayaki okami – When a false food
labeling by “Senba Kicchau”, a time-honored Japanese restaurant, came to the
surface, the executive managing director gave a press interview for apology. When he was at a loss for words, his mother,
chairman, told him how to answer questions from behind like a ventriloquist. She has been called “whispering okami.” Okami means a landlady of a restaurant.
Just the sight of him makes every recipient
think they don’t want such a man to take the leadership of NHK.
This is called a “scandal.”
The NHK issue is focused
on the suspicion that the broadcaster violates the principle of political neutrality, political
impartiality, fair and equitable broadcasting.
Ironically enough, the broadcasting
parliamentary proceedings by NHK itself violated the fair and equitable broadcasting.
The camerawork plays an
important role in TV broadcasting.
When a witness called to
testify is grilled and showered core questions on, the witness is usually
zoomed in by a camera and his/her closeup image is seen on the screen.
Camera technique of filming a speaker from
below is used to create a bad impression on viewers.
A scene where a material
was handed over to President Momii from behind and a scene where President
Momii looked back at an NHK employee accompanied by him and carefully listened
to him whispering were completely trimmed.
This is an act against the fair and
equitable broadcasting.
In ordinary summoning of a witness, a
camera is pointed at the witness.
NHK camerawork is done with through
attention that “Nininbaori” performed by Mr. Katsuto Momii cannot be filmed as
much as possible.
President Momii repeated
the word “fair and equitable broadcasting” and NHK broadcast the image, which
showed the not “fair and equitable” action.
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