We live in a world where we are surrounded by endless information. However, when information is so readily available, how do we tell fact from fiction? In this seminar, three journalists, who specialise in uncovering new facts by using National Archives, will discuss how public documents can be used to reveal government secrets, both past and present, and uncover the truth in Japan and the UK. Although the use of archives is a long-standing journalistic practice, in our information saturated societies, it may take on new importance in the dissemination of knowledge.
Ginko Kobayashi will explain how public documents have been stored in Britain at the National Archives, Kew, and how this compares to public document management in Japan, touching on the ongoing scandal of the doctoring of public records by the Japanese Finance Ministry. Noburu Okabe will reveal the untold story of Japanese military intelligence activities in Europe during the Second World War. Using previously classified documents as evidence, he will argue that the Japanese military attaché Makoto Onodera had obtained highly confidential intelligence that the Soviet Union was planning to attack Japan, which he sent, as the Yalta report, to Tokyo. Okabe will reveal what the Japanese leadership did with the Yalta report and why. Nicholas Jones will explain how the UK Government releases secret documents under the 20 year rule, and how these documents sometimes reveal how the public have been misled. He will also look to the future, suggesting what may be of interest to Japanese and UK journalists in the papers that will be released in twenty years: for example, how strong were Theresa May’s efforts in her recent attempts to re-assure Japanese industrialists about their investments in a post-Brexit UK?
This event is free but booking is essential. |
