Links between politics and organized crime. Media turns a blind eye. Is that man bites dog or is it dog bites man?

If you're interested in political corruption you might find World Audit's international political corruption ranking chart interesting:

http://www.worldaudit.org/corruption.htm

Japan is at number 18 out of 125 nations surveyed, while the US is close by at 15. The least politically corrupt nation in the survey is Finland (number 1), and the most corrupt is Bangladesh (number 125).

My suspicion, though, is that you're not particularly interested in corruption for its own sake -- you're interested in collating negative data about Japan wherever you can find it, to try and build it into a 'big picture' of Japan as a nation in terminal decline.

My point is not to collect "negative data" about Japan as much as to show a link between collusion/corruption in the "serious media" and a certain kind of reporting in the fashion/music magazines that affects how popular culture in Japan is consumed.

I don't post links to articles about the rash of adolescent violence or suicide pacts.

My suspicion, though, is that you're not particularly interested in corruption for its own sake

Well, I'm not the one that posted about corruption. I posted about the media coverup of corruption.

You know, Momus, I am open to your arguments. I don't need to be scolded and patronized and debased in order to take a look at your point of view.

Also, if you look at the Press Freedom part of the worldaudit.org site, Japan is #25!

America - 9
Canada - 12
Germany - 13
Spain - 15
France - 15
UK - 15
Italy - 22

Essentially, Japan is the 2nd largest economy and has third-world level press freedom.