Tsuneo Watanabe, Influential Japanese Media Leader, Dies at 98

The longtime editor-in-chief of the Yomiuri Shimbun shaped Japan's conservative politics and public opinion over decades.

Tsuneo Watanabe, former editor-in-chief and chairman of Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, passed away at 98 from pneumonia in Tokyo.
He led the Yomiuri Shimbun for over 30 years, playing a pivotal role in shaping Japan's conservative political discourse and public opinion.
Watanabe was known for controversial moves, including advocating constitutional revisions in 1994 to formalize Japan's Self Defense Force.
A critic of Japan's wartime military practices, he opposed the inclusion of war criminals at Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine and criticized conservative lawmakers who visited it.
In addition to his media influence, Watanabe owned the Yomiuri Giants baseball team and served on a sumo wrestling advisory panel.