unclassified - 28 04 2001 - 11:55 - katatonik
- An article is an article about politics if, and only if, it deals with the Ruling Party. In times of political decay, when it is no longer clear who the Ruling Party is, and for how long, an article about politics must contain at least one name of a government member. Names of government members must always be used deferentially.
- Amendment to preceding: applies also to foreign countries.
- An article is an article about culture if it deals with traditional arts, crafts and customs of Japan and their position in contemporary society as threatened by modernization. Modernization comes from the West. Such an article is to further reveal how brave Japanese individuals show a way out of the dark tunnel of national decay by returning honourable traditions to their proper place.
- Amendment to preceding: Articles that deal with inherently un-Japanese cultural products, like US-American films or British pop, are articles about culture only if they search either for the morally uplifting or the purely entertaining in cultural experience. Preferably the latter. Moral lessons are to be learnt, after all, rather from Japanese tradition.
- Amendment to preceding: Articles about contemporary Japanese art are articles about culture only when they contain some reference to “tradition”.
- Articles about social problems are articles about culture. An article is an article about social problems if it shows how traditional Japanese society is threatened by modernization and further reveals how brave Japanese individuals show a way out of the dark tunnel of national decay by being nice and decent.
- Amendment to preceding: Non-Japanese nationals are allowed to participate in being nice and decent.
- An article is an article about society if it deals with the wheather forecast for holidays, the fate of big Japanese companies in a society threatened by modernization, or court cases that are morally uplifting.
- An article is an article in the Daily Yomiuri when it is read by well-behaved, nice and decent non-Japanese nationals resident in Japan who search for The Morally Uplifting or, alternatively, by nice and decent Japanese people who want to learn how to become a walking English language textbook.
