On October 16, the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association held the 66th Newspaper Convention at Kagoshima Civic Culture Hall as the central event of Newspaper Week (October 15-21). Approximately 500 representatives from newspapers, news agencies, and advertising companies nationwide attended.
At the conference ceremony, President Naofumi Sakasegawa of the Minami Nippon Shimbun and Chairman Kojiro Shiraishi of the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association (President of Yomiuri Shimbun Group Headquarters and President of Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Headquarters) delivered addresses. The Special Resolution stated: "Newspapers are essential to a democratic society, providing necessary information for people's social lives at low cost to all. Although the consumption tax rate has been raised to 8%, a reduced tax rate should be applied to newspapers, maintaining the current rate." The assembly resolution stated: "The fundamental role of newspapers—closely covering the field and pursuing the truth—will never change. We wish to remain an essential element of a democratic society by constantly returning to the fundamentals of journalism and continuously imparting knowledge to all generations. This mission can only be fulfilled with freedom of reporting and a stable management foundation." (Summary)
Other events included the Newspaper Association of Japan Awards ceremony, a commemorative lecture by Masato Iguchi, Director of the Volcanic Activity Research Center at Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute, and a panel discussion among newspaper company representatives on the theme "Newspaper Management Overcoming the 8% Consumption Tax: Cooperation and Competition."
