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Freedom of the press in Japan

This article describes the status of press freedom in Japan.

Except for the period of censorship by the occupying forces after World War II, press freedom in Japan is currently in its most severe postwar condition. In Japan today, the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, and all media coverage is free. However, Japanese newspapers and TV stations tend to avoid specific sensitive topics. In particular, since the second Abe administration came to power in 2012, the Japanese press has refrained from reporting critical stories about the government and the ruling party due to increased pressure from the government on journalism. Japan's ranking on the press freedom scale continues to decline, falling below South Korea and Taiwan, which have shorter histories of democracy than Japan and approaching that of China, an authoritarian state.