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Global South·Founded 1897

Japan Times

CenterNews2u Holdings

The Japan Times is Japan's oldest and largest English-language newspaper. It was acquired by News2u Holdings in 2017. The acquisition by a PR company raised concerns about editorial independence, particularly after the paper revised its descriptions of Japan's wartime conduct.

Ownership Chain

Japan TimesNews2u HoldingsNews2u Holdings (Minoru Ono)

Funding Sources

subscriptionsadvertisingcorporate communication services

Known Conflicts of Interest

  • News2u Holdings is a digital PR and communications firm, creating potential conflicts between news reporting and corporate communications interests.
  • Japan Times has faced criticism for editorial changes after the News2u acquisition, including revisions to how it describes wartime 'comfort women' and forced labor.

Notable Connections

  • News2u Holdings provides corporate PR services to Japanese companies
  • Editorial changes after acquisition aligned more closely with Japanese government positions on historical issues
  • Japan Times partners with the New York Times for content distribution