print | close Current Events: A Research Exercise

Many Japanese newspapers publish an English-language version of their paper. While these papers usually contain one or two articles translated directly from the Japanese language version, most of the articles are written for the English language version which is targeted to foreigners living in Japan.

The following English-language Japanese newspapers are online and updated daily:

Asahi Shinbun (www.asahi.com/english/english.html)

The Japan Times (www.japantimes.co.jp/)

Mainichi Shinbun (mdn.mainichi.co.jp/)

The Daily Yomiuri (www.yomiuri.co.jp/index-e.htm)

Nikkei Net (Nihon Keizai Shinbun) (www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/)

Many exercises are possible using these newspapers.

• Students choose a topic of their own, find an article and write a report.
• Find a topic that is covered in more than one of the newspapers, print an article on that topic from two or more papers and have students compare the coverage, asking themselves whether or not each of the papers have the same opinion about a particular topic
• Choose an issue and find an article on that issue in more than one newspaper. Divide the class into groups and have the members read about the issue from one of the newspapers. Have the groups debate the issue using the differing points of view presented in the articles from the different newspapers
• If a particular topic is also being covered by your local newspaper, compare the coverage by the local reporters and that of the Japanese papers.