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The story
A Mainichi Shimbun interview with 92-year-old journalist Soichiro Tahara has become a hot topic on 5channel’s News Speed+ board. Tahara, who has led Japanese TV journalism for decades, reportedly said he “still has things to say about Japan” even after apparently having a health scare not long ago. The thread lit up with nostalgic comments about the late-night debate show “Asa made Nama TV” (“Live TV Till Morning”) and disbelief over his age, while critics who called broadcast journalism “a farce where everyone leaves the real work to someone else” clashed with defenders who argued that “the truth can only be found through debate”—turning the thread into a wider argument about what it means to be a journalist.
Life is a series of once-in-a-lifetime encounters, and reporting is no different.
Soichiro Tahara, who has led Japanese TV journalism for years, is now 92. Not long ago, he reportedly came close to death.
But he still has plenty to say about Japan today. Intending to receive his “last testament,” I went to see the great veteran again after a long while.
Source: mainichi.jp / Original article here
What people said
Watching the old Asa Nama episodes, you start seeing how a lot of it connects to things happening now, so lately I've been rewatching it as a kind of review.
Back then even the viewers had the stamina for it. There were still people around who'd done military service, so the whole atmosphere was different.
Also, my water heater's making noise.
You don't need to keep sticking your neck out anymore.
Give it a rest, old man.
This is what an elder ought to look like.
There probably aren't many people like him left these days.
92, huh… Gotta be honest, he probably never did any real physical labor.
I don't drink, gamble, or whore around, and my health's about average, but my job's been brutal, so there's no way I'm making it to 92.
His mind's still sharp, so he'll be fine.
Well, he was on the launch staff of Tokyo Channel 12 (now TV Tokyo).
And he got there by switching careers, no less.
Human limits tend to top out around this age.
My grandfather died at about 92 too.
Living any longer than that
is only possible for the lucky few with the right genes.
My mom's 90 and still hitting the gym, fit as a fiddle.
Pointing right at the other guy: "That's wroooong!!"
Still don't get it?
Stop worrying about other people, organizations, or the country, and think about yourself and the people close to you instead.
Who cares about Japan.
If you're genuinely worried about it, don't just leave it to others to argue on TV and call it a debate—go put your own views out there and take responsibility for them yourself.
Calling it "journalism" while running an irresponsible business like that is basically the same as doing nothing.
Or is it too late for him to actually do anything himself at this point?
There are plenty of people out there who claim to be "worried about Japan." But he's a journalist—he understands it's not a farce; nobody actually knows the "right answer," and the answer can only be found through debate.
Background and key points of this discussion
Soichiro Tahara joined Tokyo Channel 12 (now TV Tokyo), which launched in 1964, after switching careers from a regular corporate job, and in later years became widely known as the host of “Asa made Nama TV” (“Live TV Till Morning”). This Mainichi Shimbun interview was conducted with the idea of leaving his words behind as a “last testament” after he reportedly had a health scare; the specifics of what he actually said are left to the original article, and the 5ch thread itself doesn’t dwell much on the details of his remarks. Where reactions split was over how to judge his stance as a journalist: critics argued he “just talks without backing it up with action,” while defenders countered that “there’s value in continuing the debate itself instead of rushing to a conclusion.” On the subject of him still being active at 92, there was a mix of surprise and admiration, alongside skeptical comments citing healthy life expectancy—making individual variation that can’t be captured by age alone a talking point.
*This article is compiled as an excerpt/summary from the 5ch (News Speed+) thread ““Forget about me—worry about Japan instead”: 92-year-old journalist Soichiro Tahara’s “last testament”.”
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