This article is within the scope of WikiProject Japan, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Japan-related articles on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the project, participate in relevant discussions, and see lists of open tasks. Current time in Japan: 11:49, July 11, 2024 (JST, Reiwa 6) (Refresh)JapanWikipedia:WikiProject JapanTemplate:WikiProject JapanJapan-related articles
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Religion, a project to improve Wikipedia's articles on Religion-related subjects. Please participate by editing the article, and help us assess and improve articles to good and 1.0 standards, or visit the wikiproject page for more details.ReligionWikipedia:WikiProject ReligionTemplate:WikiProject ReligionReligion articles
Specific text to be added: In September 1991, members of Happy Science marched against Kodansha and protested by phone and fax in protest of articles critical of the organization that appeared in the weekly photo magazine "FRIDAY", etc. On September 6, the "Kodansha FRIDAY National Victims' Association" (President: Tamio Kageyama, Vice President: Tomoko Ogawa) was formed, and since then Happy Science, Ryuho Okawa, IRH Press, and its members have been at odds with Kodansha in a number of lawsuits, including one called the "mental pollution lawsuit" (the Kodansha FRIDAY Incident). The organization calls this series of activities the "Revolution of Hope," in reference to a lecture on September 15. This incident led to interviews and dialogues with television, newspapers, and magazines, including foreign news organizations, and on October 27, 1991, a public interview with Ryuho Okawa, was aired live in a TV Asahi program (Sunday Project). In a court case against Kodansha, the illegality of both the content of some articles in Kodansha magazines and the protest was recognized.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
One charge Happy Science has consistently made in their struggle against Kodansha is that the Japanese press lacks the ethical standards that should be guaranteed in a decent society. In November 1994 the Media Ethics Research Group (Masukomi Rinri Kenkyukai マスコミ倫理研究会) was set up to tackle the problem of loose ethics in the mass media. The catalyst for setting up the group was Happy Science’s disgust with the disregard of the law forbidding display of pubic hair in the media. During the autumn of 1994 Happy Science instigated a "han-hea nudo" (anti-“hair nudes”) campaign to stop publishers from violating the law. Demonstrations were held in Osaka and Tokyo, with a reported 70,000 participants.[7]
Reason for the change: I believe making this change will help us understand how this organization came to be involved in the controversy. The first part, the Kodansha FRIDAY case, is a well-known fact reported by numerous news organizations in Japan. The second part is an article by Nanzan University, a third party completely unrelated to the subject.
References supporting change:
^Tokyo District Court, December 20, 1996 judgment (HANREI JIHO No. 1619, p. 104)
^"Kodansha loses reversal of lawsuit over Friday Weekly's 'Happy Science' report". Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Morning Edition (Yomiuri Shimbun): p. 30. (November 17, 1998)
^"Happy Science defamation lawsuit: Kodansha ordered to pay 2 million yen in damages by Tokyo High Court". Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Morning Edition (Yomiuri Shimbun): p. 38. (October 26, 2000)
^"Kodansha loses lawsuit over defamatory article on "Happy Science" / Supreme Court". Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Morning Edition (Yomiuri Shimbun): p. 38. (June 13, 2001)
^"Tamio Kageyama and others win lawsuit against "Happy Science" - Tokyo High Court". Mainichi Shimbun Tokyo Morning Edition (Mainichi Newspapers): p. 30. (October 31, 1995)
^"Supreme Court Upholds Second Trial, Dismisses Appeal - 'Happy Science' Class Action Lawsuit Prevails". Mainichi Shimbun Tokyo Morning Edition (Mainichi Shimbun): p. 30. (March 26, 1999)