Journalistische Wahrnehmung von Deutschland und den Deutschen in uberregionalen Japanischen Zeitungen Journalistische Wahrnehmung von Deutschland und den Deutschen in uberregionalen Japanischen Zeitungen

Our perception of Germany is governed to a large extent by stereotypes. The images which come most readily to mind are usually those of beer, sausages, cars, nazis, classical music, and so on. Too littler, however, is known about the process by which these streotypical perceptions arise. This paper analyses articles about Germany which appeared in four different national Japanese newspapers. The aim is to explore the reasons why specific topics are chosen and how this selection reflects patterns of thinking typical of Japanese society. The analysis will show that the choice of topics is determined to a great degree by the concerns which are currently of most interest to the Japanese themselves. The image of Germany created by the mass-media is the product of an inevitable process of manipulation, and represents only a part of the reality which is modern Germany. To achieve a better mutual understanding we should be aware of how our perceptions are sometimes distored by specifically Japanese concerns. It is more important to be aware of this process of manipulation than it is merely to attend to the detail of the descriptions which the media presents. The method employed and the conclusions drawn here will be relevant not only to the image of Germany, but also to the Japanese perception of other countries.