Japan has overtaken the U.S. in the 2026 Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, ranking 62nd in its released Thursday.
Tokyo moved up from 66th the previous year while the U.S. slid to 64th, down from 57th in 2025, said the group, which is also known by its French name, Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF).
In Japan, which was categorized as ¡°problematic,¡± principles of media freedom are typically respected?but traditional and business interests, political pressure and gender inequality?often prevent journalists from completely fulfilling their role as watchdogs, said RSF.
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