Photo/Illutration Tsuneo Watanabe on March 25, 2019, in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward (Pool)

The Asahi Shimbun has lost someone who was arguably its “most faithful” reader and toughest critic.

Tsuneo Watanabe, who headed The Yomiuri Shimbun for decades, died on Dec. 19. He was 98.

“I have lived more than half of my life as a newspaper reporter in rivalry with the Asahi,” he was once quoted as saying. “There are certain matters on which I can never compromise with the Asahi,” he also said.

Indeed, Watanabe locked horns with the Asahi on practically every contentious issue.

He championed constitutional revision, argued in favor of nuclear deterrence, supported nuclear power generation, and so on and so forth.

And yet, Watanabe stated unequivocally that he never wanted the Asahi to disappear.

His ideal was for the Yomiuri and the Asahi to argue to the bitter end and let their respective readers decide.

He elaborated, “During the war, the Asahi, the Yomiuri and the Mainichi all extolled militarism and the Imperial Japanese Army, day after day. That was not good.”

One thing that always bothered me about Watanabe was his total lack of qualms about consorting, so to speak, with the powers that be.

In fact, he actively sought to be a backstage “player” in politics. He once asked a sitting prime minister to make a budgetary consideration on behalf of his friend.

That is a line no journalist should ever even consider crossing, but Watanabe actually bragged about it in public.

I write this as a stern self-reminder, but relations between news reporters and politicians are complex at best.

Keeping one’s distance means being out of the loop, while getting chummy renders it difficult to live up to the role of keeping power holders in check.

Was Watanabe completely oblivious to journalists who struggle daily to maintain self-discipline in pursuit of their calling?

For his unique personality and awe-inspiring presence, Watanabe was nicknamed “Media-kai  no Don” (the “Media’s Big Boss”).

“To put it bluntly, I hate The Asahi Shimbun, but that’s the first thing I have to read every day,” he said.

I suppose I could say the same of Watanabe.

The Asahi Shimbun, Dec. 20

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.