Before the end of World War II (Meiji, Taishō, and Shōwa era), criticisms and discussions of the Emperor and the imperial system were severely punished by the old Penal Code, as they were considered to be lèse-majesté.
After the war, freedom of speech was widely recognized because of Article 21 of the Japanese Constitution, and the old Penal Code, which prohibited lèse-majesté, was also abolished by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.
[8] When the Japanese Diet began exploring reviving the prewar lèse-majesté law, other media companies similarly promised "self-regulation" from then on.
In October the same year, there was a criticism of a reporter of Mainichi Shimbun who wrote negatively about visits of the Emperor and the Empress to Saga Prefecture.
In February 2007, Kodansha decided not to publish the book Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne by Ben Hills in a Japanese translation.
"[citation needed] Kodansha explained its decision by stating that "the author's attitude is problematic and we can't take responsibility for what might happen due to the publication."