Tsuneo Watanabe

He was the Representative Director and Managing Editor of Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, which publishes the largest Japanese daily newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun and substantially controls the largest Japanese commercial television network Nippon Television Network.

During World War II, he served the Imperial Japanese Army, but later noted that he was subjected to harsh treatment which included daily beatings.

[3] After World War II, Watanabe joined the Japanese Communist Party and opposed the Japan's imperial system.

[3] He left the Japanese Communist Party due to its policy of prioritizing discipline over individual initiative.

[3] He continued to hold lifelong opposition towards Japan's role in World War 2, and oppose things such as visits by Japanese prime ministers to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

Starting 1952, he served as a reporter in the newpaper's Political News Department, covering prime ministers from Shigeru Yoshida.

Political parties are in my hands and reductions in income and corporate taxes were carried out as the Yomiuri reported.

In August 2004, Watanabe resigned as Yomiuri Giants (owned by the Yomiuri Shimbun) president after it was revealed that the Giants baseball club had violated scouting rules by paying ¥2 million to pitching prospect Yasuhiro Ichiba.

"[10] Watanabe had close ties with a number of powerful Japanese political figures, including former Prime Ministers Yasuhiro Nakasone and Shinzo Abe.

[3] Despite his advancing age, Watanabe regularly showed up to his Yomiuri Shimbun office until late November 2024.