Source: Foreign Press Center Japan
August 28, 2026
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Foreign Press Center Japan (FPCJ) will host an international journalists’ conference entitled “The Rapidly Changing World and Journalism—The Global South and Japan: Understanding and Reporting on the Rebuilding of the International Order”.
As the international order undergoes profound change, journalists from Japan and abroad will discuss how to understand and communicate about the transformations taking place around the world. We sincerely look forward to your participation.
The international order established in the aftermath of World War II has reached a major turning point amid deepening tensions between states, intensifying geopolitical competition, and the growing influence of countries in the Global South. At the same time, advances in digital technology and the accelerating flow of information have dramatically transformed the environment surrounding journalism, with the spread of disinformation and divisive narratives and declining public trust in the news media.
This conference will bring together leading journalists from Europe, the United States, and countries of the Global South, as well as from Japan. The participants will first diagnose the current state of the international order by examining why the international order built up over the 80 years since the end of World War II is now being shaken, and the background and factors behind this shift. They will then discuss possible “prescriptions,” including the roles that could be played by international institutions centered on the United Nations, multilateral frameworks such as the G7, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, middle powers including Japan, and the media itself.
The discussion will also draw on perspectives from diverse regions to examine how Japan’s policies and society are portrayed and understood abroad, and to explore the challenges and opportunities for Japan in communicating with the international community.
Date and Time
14:00-17:55 (JST), Thursday, October 1, 2026
Format
Hybrid (in person and online)
Venue
10th-floor hall of the Japan National Press Club and online Nippon Press Center Building, 2-2-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Organizer
Foreign Press Center Japan
Supported By
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, The Yomiuri Shimbun
Languages
English/Japanese (simultaneous interpretation)
Program
All times are shown in Japan Standard Time (JST).
13:30 Registration Opens
14:00-14:10 Opening Opening remarks by President Kazuo Kodama Greeting by Ministry of Foreign Affairs official
14:10-15:20 Session 1 Is the World Returning to an Age Where Might Makes Right?
15:20-15:35 Coffee Break
15:35-16:45 Session 2 What Should We Do? What Is the Role/Responsibility of the Media?
16:45-17:45 Session 3 Japan in the World: How Is Japan Being Reported On to the World Within the Changing International Order?
17:45-17:55 Closing
Speakers (9): Panelists and Moderator
Hiroyuki Akita, commentator for Nikkei.
Desi Anwar, Director, Senior Anchor and Journalist at CNN Indonesia.
Kallol Bhattacherjee, Senior Assistant Editor with The Hindu.
Javier C. Hernández, Tokyo Bureau Chief of The New York Times.
Aya Igarashi, Vice Chair of Editorial Board, The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Akira Ikegami, a freelance journalist while teaching contemporary history and economics at seven universities in Japan.
Kazuo Kodama, President of Foreign Press Center Japan.
Edward Luce, US national editor and a columnist at the Financial Times.
Lourival Sant’Anna, international affairs analyst for CNN Brasil and a columnist for Estadão.
Please note that the program, schedule, and speaker information are subject to change without prior notice.
How to Register
This conference will be held in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online participation available.
Whether you wish to participate in person or online, please apply using the registration link.
A confirmation email will be sent from no-reply@zoom.us immediately after applying. Please make sure you receive it.
If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check your spam and trash folders, and apply again.