本まとめサイトの読者から、WaiWai閉鎖直後、毎日デイリーニューズのフォーラムに投稿された、WaiWai閉鎖を惜しむ外国人読者の書き込みについてのメールを頂いた。以下は頂いたメールの全文。
「WaiWai閉鎖について、外国人読者の反応」
毎日の記事を英語圏の読者は、どれだけ本当の話と受け止めていたのだろうか？
英語圏ではあれを半分冗談ぐらいに思ってるのか？
でもそれがみんな事実だと思ってるとしたら相当にヤバイ。
毎日は本腰を入れて、訂正記事を繰り返し掲載する義務がでるだろう。
毎日の謝罪が、まことにいい加減な保身めあてのものだったので、英語読者は記事は事実だったと 今でも信じている。
その明々白々の証拠が当の毎日デイリーニュースにあるので挙げておく。
Closure of WaiWai
I understand the news service's response to criticism that challenged the news service's integrity.
Nevertheless, I would like to commend the journalistic spirit of reporting the sordid Japanese weeklies. This act was pure translation of a culture that exists in Japan. While perhaps basing selection of stories based on the level of sordiness and shock value, it opened a window to a culture that non-readers of such weeklies would not encounter. This is the true spirit of translation: being able to communicate a side of life that the other culture cannot see.
The unfortunate consequence of this was that the newspaper, through mirroring the language used by the weeklies, was seen as a voice of such language and condemmed for its vulgarity.
Geoff Trousselot
02:22 June 28, 2008
日本の下品な週刊誌を報道してきたジャーナリスト魂を賞賛したいと思います。
その報道は日本に存在する文化の、嘘の無い紹介でした。Trousselot
Discontinuation of WaiWai
After reading your explanation for the discontinuation of WaiWai I was reminded of what I was told the first year I resided in Japan, a residence that coontinued for 14 years. What was that? That Japan does not want "outsiders" (gaijin) to know the full story about Japan and are overly sensitive about the realities of Japanese society. As a reader of English Mainichi on the web I felt that I ws receiving the kind of coverage I would have read when I lived there and read the vernacular press and tabloids. While I understand the decision it also shows how mistakenly sensitive to outsiders opinions many Japanese seem to be. This does a lot to confirm stereotypes about Japan - hide the realities so outsiders will always be outside. I'm sorry that you felt the discontinuation ws necessary. I thought that the press was more mature. RL
R Lunak, Minnesota, USA
09:12 June 25, 2008
（こうして）外人はいつまでも外人あつかいされて現実に目隠しされる。Lunak
WaiWai Notice and Apology
I am the editor of an English publication focusing on Japanese food and culture based in Singapore and I am writing to express my disappointment for the discontinuation of the Waiwai column.
As much as I respect the corporate directive to cease Waiwai column in Mainichi, I want your editorial team to know that these articles have given the outside world an intimate look into Japanese culture and lifestyle. Seldom has the outside world had any access into these areas and I think these writings helped foster a better and deeper understanding of the Japanese lifestyle and culture.
I'd like to believe there are more readers like myself who read with an open mind. Needless to say, tn this digital age, we have unprecedented access to information and I think vast majority of readers appreciates what you have done to bring us a better understanding of Japanese lifestyle and culture.
Reading and learning about a foreign culture enriches all our life and what other way can we achieve that without good writers who can write and inform the rest of us things that are happening within each of our little world.
Writing and reading alike can be a extremely fulfiling and enriching experience and I like to commend the writers of these articles I have seen and read on Waiwai and I know together with many of my colleagues and friends, we have been intellectually challenged, motivated and moved by what we have read in Waiwai.
I regret your management's decision and I'd like to take the opportunity to once again applaud the good editorial work you have done thus far.
Sinma DaShow
23:01 June 24, 2008
これらの記事は日本の外の世界に、日本の文化と生活様式の本質的なありさまを教えてくれていました。
そのような部分は外の世界にはほとんど閉ざされていたもので、
私はワイワイの記事が日本の生活様式と文化のより良いかつより深い理解をもたらす手だてとなっていたと思います。
読者の大部分が貴紙は日本の生活様式、文化のより良い理解をもたらしてくれたと感謝していると思います。DaShow
WAI WAI requiem
I do not understand why some critics (maybe from the government and from the most conservative sectors of Japanese society) have the right and the power to force you to close one of the most interesting columns about life (aspects of Japanese life), aspects that are better to understand from a magazine than to try to guess and sometimes misunderstand them due to a not complete knowledge of Japan.
I don't think Wai Wai was vulgar. I don't think Wai Wai was innapropiate. I think that not to publish Wai Wai is a complete pervertion against the freedom of speech and right to get the information we want. It gives the opposite sensation.. that the Japanese culture is so sordid that is better to keep its secrets only for kanji readers.. not for foreigners that can not read Japanese... (racism or exclusion?)
TOM
21:39 June 24, 2008
日本の生活諸相に関して、最も興味あるコラムのひとつ。TOM
WaiWai Notice and Apology
As a regular reader of Mainichi Daily News, I find it disappointing to find out the the WaiWai corner has been taken down due to the concern that readers might be "misinformed" about Japan. I read all sections of MDN, from the news to the..yes, the at-times low-brow articles on WaiWai. And though I don't always enjoy or agree with the articles in the section, I've always felt that it gives readers a glimpse at another aspect of Japan, an aspect behind the facade of normalcy and straight-laced professionalism that the Japanese are so careful to project.
I suppose all societies prefer to whitewash their "deficiencies" and not air their dirty laundry in the open. But I find it ironic that detractors of the WaiWai section object to it because of its accessibility to the very large English-speaking community outside Japan, yet do not object to the fact that what was compiled in WaiWai is readily avaiable in Japanese tabloids... in Japanese of course.
Misunderstanding? I think most readers of MDN and of WaiWai are more than well aware that the risque happenings reported in WaiWai do not necessarily represent the norms of Japanese society. It's much easier to misunderstand the intentions of the so-called concerned citizens - are they really concerned about readers being misinformed, or are they simply embarrassed about one aspect of their own society?
Whisky
18:27 June 24, 2008
ワイワイは、日本人があくまでも注意深く取り繕おうとしている、正常さや厳格なプロ根性といった表看板の、
その裏に隠されたもう一つの日本の顔を読者に垣間見せてくれたと、私は感じてきました。Whisky
Discontinue WaiWai
I would sorely miss the WaiWai columns. While low-brow content, it did give insight into the Weekly magazines from Japan. Some may say it was inappropriate, but I felt it reflected the culture of Japan. For good or bad. WaWai will be sorely missed
stephen leigh
17:44 June 24, 2008
ワイワイは、よきにつけ悪しきにつけ、日本の文化を映し出していたと思います。leigh
waiwai is gone ...
It's a shame the WaiWai is gone. I always looked at it as a journal of whats going on that isn't headlines. Sometimes edgy, it gave the paper depth that otherwise didn't exist. Plus a broader view of Japan, good or bad, on a more personal level than just headlines could. It showed the differenc es in culture and I learned quite a lot so I could understand the differences and the viewpoints that go with them. It may have been vulgar to some but it showed your paper and your country to be more human with many of the same issues as the rest of us. It also helped us by covering subjects that aren't covered locally, that's those culture and viewpoint differences again. If knowledge leads to understanding than WaiWai did a pretty good job of helping the rest of us see a more personal view of Japan and better understand the views of it's(her) people.
Nebraska, USA
paul
15:40 June 24, 2008
知識が理解をもたらすとするなら、ワイワイは外人の我々が日本についてずっと人間的な見方と、
日本人一般にたいしてより良い理解を得る為にとても良い仕事をしました。paul
英文で廃刊の報知と謝罪があったのが２４日、ここに紹介したものはそれから２８日の日付までのもの。
文面が例外なく表明しているのは、英語の読者はすべてワイワイの記事を（時には品がないにせよ）
事実であると受け止めた上で投稿していることだ。そこには一点の疑問も差しはさむ余地は無い。
英文謝罪掲載の後にこれらの投稿があったということは、毎日の謝罪がごまかしであった何よりの証拠、鉄証である。
長年にわたって植えつけてきたこの誤解を毎日はどうやって払拭するつもりか。
そもそも払拭するつもりがあるのか無いのか。
エロ報道を英語読者全員に事実と受け取らせ、そのままに放置している現状を自覚しているのか。
世界中に日本を猥褻大国と思わせるのが、お前らの底意なのか。
長期にわたり、このように外国にヨタ記事を事実としてばらまいた罪は万死にあたいする。
最終更新：2008年07月03日 07:35
