──Jiji Press, Nobutoshi Kobayashi: What does it mean to you to pick up a pen?

This series began as an editor's whim, inspired by Web Dentsu Inc.'s 10th anniversary in 2023. We wanted to offer wonderful content under the theme of "10 people, 10 colors." While it's a "10"-themed project, if we're going big, it becomes a series centered on the theme of "diversity."

When we want to immerse ourselves in thought or try to squeeze out ideas, we each need our own indispensable "companion" (an essential item). For the great detective Sherlock Holmes, that would be his beloved "pipe" and "violin."

This series invites various individuals to share their own "personal companions for thought." We hope you'll enjoy discovering their unexpected sides while pondering "thoughts about thinking."

(Web Dentsu Inc. Editorial Department)

Nobutoshi Kobayashi: Jiji Press Editorial Writer / Japan National Press Club Planning Committee Member Born in 1962 in Tokyo. Graduated from Waseda University in 1986 and joined Jiji Press. Served at the Shizuoka Bureau, Yokohama Bureau, Domestic Affairs Department at headquarters, as Sydney correspondent, Domestic Affairs Department Manager, and Nagano Bureau Chief. From 2014, served as Editorial Board Member and Head of Overseas Breaking News Department; in 2017, became Editorial Writer and Head of Government Affairs Department; assumed current position in 2019.

What exactly does a news agency do?

──We asked you for this interview despite the inconvenience because of our connection from publishing your Dentsu Inc. serial "The Future of Corporate Museums as PR Assets " as a book. Thank you for your time.

Kobayashi: Thank you for having me.

──This might be a very basic question, but what exactly does a news agency do? Even though they're called "reporters," they're different from newspaper or TV station reporters, right? I feel like I see things like "Kyodo News via Reuters" every day...

Kobayashi: To put it very simply, a news agency is a company that has its own website but doesn't publish in print. Its core business is providing news to newspapers and other media outlets.

──I see. So it's not about putting information on paper and selling that, or putting information on the airwaves to earn advertising revenue. It's about capturing valuable information itself. I'm not sure if this analogy is appropriate, but it's closer to primary industry. Like fishing for the fish itself, or growing and harvesting the rice itself.

Kobayashi: That image isn't wrong, I think.

──Precisely because of that, you must be very strict about the information you gather. It's about the raw material itself, a head-on battle! You can't embellish it to turn it into entertainment.

Kobayashi: That's right. I believe the essence of our work is to reach our own conclusion about whether something is truly accurate. That's why we never write based on our own assumptions; we interview various people as the foundation for writing with confidence.

──"Reaching a conclusion," you say.

Kobayashi: In that sense, I absolutely love "cross-style sparring" (talking or drinking with people I've just met) and "dojo-breaking" (going to the opponent's place).

──It's like saying, "Bring it on!" Like Miyamoto Musashi.

Kobayashi: To put it dramatically, I believe editorial writers shape public opinion. Not any one specific person, but the many editorial writers across national papers, local papers (no matter how small), TV, and so on. I think the world of commentary operates on the principle that "good money drives out bad." When someone writes a commentary that catches attention, it inspires other commentators to write from different angles. That's how various viewpoints emerge, and thinking around a theme becomes sharpened.

──Kobayashi, that guy, he says some pretty sharp things. Well then, I suppose I should too. That's the kind of "chain reaction of intellect" that happens, right?

Kobayashi: Field reporters are constantly scrambling in a relentless information battle, but the real appeal and thrill of being a commentator—someone expected to step back and offer a bird's-eye view—lies precisely in that.

Kobayashi: Most reporters can write articles at the "came, saw, wrote" level within four or five years. The real appeal of journalism comes later, when you can start communicating your own concerns to the world. Also, as a planning committee member for the Japan National Press Club, I find joy in challenging society with issues in ways beyond just "writing" – by setting themes, inviting experts, and holding press conferences.

I'd like to delve into what fuels Mr. Kobayashi's "companion to thought."

──I'm gradually understanding the role of a commentary editor at a news agency.

Kobayashi: Commentary can't be written based on mere assumptions, so I want to confirm that my thoughts and feelings aren't off the mark. This is different from what's commonly called fact-checking.

──So that's why you said it takes about four or five years to write articles at the level of "arrived, saw, wrote."

Kobayashi: You visit people who are knowledgeable and trustworthy in that field and listen to their stories. By learning new perspectives you hadn't noticed before and being inspired, you gain hints and a sense of the market.

──"Market sense," huh. Another new keyword has emerged.

Kobayashi: It's crucial to discern the direction of "Where is society heading now?" and "How should it be?" along with the range of possible swings. To put it extremely, whether someone is a "criminal" or an "incredibly important figure," they're all important interview subjects for me. "Listening sincerely to people's stories" is our justice.

──Wow. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. When you're working, you inevitably get nervous, thinking, "If I say this, won't I get in trouble?" It's that whole "reading the room" thing.

Kobayashi: I think that's the responsibility, or rather the pride, of someone who wields a pen. The trust that mass media like newspapers and TV receive from society. We must never betray that trust. We don't engage in speculation. We ask uncomfortable questions as a matter of course. This is especially true when dealing with people of high social standing. For someone like me working at a news agency, I believe this is the most fundamental principle and, moreover, our "last lifeline."

What is Nobutoshi Kobayashi's "companion for thought"?

──So, what exactly is this "companion for thought" for Mr. Kobayashi?

Kobayashi: Plain and simple, it's "walking." Sometimes, it might be "talking without being asked."

──"Talking without being asked"? That's intriguing. Does it mean "talking to oneself"? Or is it like "starting to talk even when not asked"? I often start talking "even when not asked" in my close friends' LINE group chats and get annoyed at.

Kobayashi: The latter. Like the exchange after saying "Nice to meet you" before getting to the main topic, or when leaving after an interview. While waiting for the elevator after seeing someone off, for instance. If they start talking then, that's where the clues lie. I don't take notes. I never record anything. You can't draw out genuine human words that way. Of course, right after seeing someone off, I frantically try to recall important keywords and jot them down.

──What about "walking"?

Kobayashi: Whether I was at a branch office (Shizuoka, Yokohama, Nagano) or during my Sydney days, whenever I had to write a substantial piece, I'd walk around town letting my thoughts wander. It wasn't an established methodology; the truth is, I simply couldn't sit still in front of a computer. Even now, while regularly writing explanatory articles, I walk around the Ginza area when setting themes, planning structure, or during the writing stage. It's not a leisurely stroll. It might look that way on the surface, but especially a few days before a deadline, I'm internally writhing in agony.

──Ginza, you say. That's nice. It might sound presumptuous coming from a youngster like me, but I feel that street is filled with an indescribable "energy." I grew up in a so-called new town, so my memories of the land are shallow at best. Sure, it's convenient and clean, but wow, the wind rustling the willows in the alleyways near Taimei Elementary School in Ginza... that's something. You can almost catch a faint scent of the sea in that wind. It feels so human.

Kobayashi: I understand completely. I love the "bustle" of a city, but I think what I truly love is a kind of "safe chaos" or "reassuring chaos." The history, the tradition, the breath of the people walking the streets, the scent of the buildings. It's all been layered over time, a mix of diverse elements.

──A stylish, high-class, dignified adult city. Yet diverse. That's Ginza, isn't it? Is the key point that it's "through the ages"?

Kobayashi: A friend's son was struggling with his future path and asked me, "Kobayashi, is there any good book you'd recommend for my son to read?" I told him, "Have him read the classics." I recommended Les Misérables. Worrying about your path means worrying about the future, right? But the thing is, many of the answers to those worries were already provided long ago, by people from countries far across the sea.

──So it's not just simple nostalgia for the past, is it?

Kobayashi: Isn't that also why so many foreigners come to Japan as tourists? After the pandemic, the value of safety and security has risen globally, and Japan is fundamentally safe and secure. On top of that, you can experience fresh, surprising things and cuisine while immersing yourself in history.

──The fact that food culture is rooted in towns and lifestyles shaped by time is one of Japan's truly world-class assets, isn't it?

Kobayashi: There's this long-running TV show where celebrities visit ordinary people's homes, sit down to their home-cooked meals, and learn about family histories and local customs. The fact that such a program can exist is something you just don't see in many other countries.

──Thank you for all the delightful stories. I never imagined we'd end up talking about "foodies" right at the very end.

Kobayashi: That's perhaps the charm of "unprompted storytelling."