# Japan: government requires clearance to publish war news under the Newspaper Law, 1937

Published 2026-09-26. Last reviewed 2026-09-26. 2 sources.

Status: historical, as of 2026-09-26.

After Japan's war with China escalated into full scale conflict in July 1937, the government invoked Article 27 of the Newspaper Law to require government clearance before publishing war related news, while a Home Ministry directive to local officials banned the printing of what it called "fallacies" that could "confuse the hearts of people and induce social unrest." By August 1937 the Army Ministry found that about eighty percent of submitted articles were approved, a result that reflected editors submitting only material they expected would pass.[1][2]

- Country: [Japan](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/jp)
- Where: JP
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Prior restraint
- Stage: Silence (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/prior_restraint#stage-silence)
- Head of government at the time: [Fumimaro Konoe](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/fumimaro-konoe)
- Issue of the day: Japan's full scale war with China, which began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, produced the war coverage that the government sought to control.
- Outcome: Sustained. By the government's own assessment, most newspapers were already shaping their coverage to what officials wanted before formal rejection was needed.
- Era: The 1930s

## What happened

Japan's war with China escalated into full scale conflict after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident of July 7, 1937, fought between Japanese and Chinese troops near Beijing. Prince Fumimaro Konoe, who had formed Japan's Cabinet on June 4, 1937, led the government as the war expanded. To control coverage of the fighting, the government invoked Article 27 of the Newspaper Law, requiring publishers to obtain government clearance before printing war related news. A Home Ministry directive to local officials went further, banning the printing of what it called "fallacies" that could "confuse the hearts of people and induce social unrest." Officials also relied on informal consultations with publishers rather than formal orders alone, leading newspapers to adopt internal guidelines and self policing. By August 1937 the Army Ministry assessed that about eighty percent of submitted articles were approved, a figure that alarmed the Home Ministry until officials concluded it reflected editors submitting only material they believed would pass, rather than a lack of material to suppress.[1][2][3][4][5]

## What reason was given

A Home Ministry directive banned the printing of what it called "fallacies" that could "confuse the hearts of people and induce social unrest," the government's stated reason for controlling coverage of the war.[3]

## What changed for reporting

By August 1937 the Army Ministry found that about eighty percent of submitted articles were approved, a figure that reflected editors submitting only material they believed would pass rather than official leniency.[4][5]

## Timeline

- 1937-07: Japan: government requires clearance to publish war news under the Newspaper Law, 1937

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Army Ministry of Japan](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/army-ministry-japan) | announced | Ministry responsible for the Imperial Japanese Army |
| [Home Ministry of Japan](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/home-ministry-japan) | enforced | Ministry responsible for domestic administration and press control, Empire of Japan |

## Sources

1. War & Media in Modern Japan. https://fanningtheflames.hoover.org/shorthand-story/9 (War & Media in Modern Japan, 2021).
2. Chronological Table, Modern Japan in Archives (National Diet Library). https://www.ndl.go.jp/modern/e/utility/chronology.html (Chronological Table, Modern Japan in Archives (National Diet Library)).

## Claims cited

[1] Japan's full scale war with China began with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937. Quote: "July 7 Marco Polo Bridge Incident (starting 2nd Sino-Japanese War)" Source: Chronological Table, Modern Japan in Archives (National Diet Library). Chronological Table, Modern Japan in Archives (National Diet Library). https://www.ndl.go.jp/modern/e/utility/chronology.html Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/906, checked 2026-09-26.

[2] The government required publishers to obtain government clearance before printing war related news under Article 27 of the Newspaper Law. Quote: "Article 27 of the Newspaper Law was put into effect, requiring government clearance to publish war related news." Source: War & Media in Modern Japan, 2021. War & Media in Modern Japan. https://fanningtheflames.hoover.org/shorthand-story/9 Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/907, checked 2026-09-26.

[3] A Home Ministry directive to local officials banned the printing of what it called fallacies that could confuse the hearts of people and induce social unrest. Quote: "one Home Ministry directive to local officials specifically banned the printing of “fallacies” that could “confuse the hearts of people and induce social unrest." Source: War & Media in Modern Japan, 2021. War & Media in Modern Japan. https://fanningtheflames.hoover.org/shorthand-story/9 Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/908, checked 2026-09-26.

[4] The Army Ministry's August 1937 assessment found that about eighty percent of submitted articles were approved. Quote: "the Army Ministry’s August 1937 assessment that eighty percent of articles were approved" Source: War & Media in Modern Japan, 2021. War & Media in Modern Japan. https://fanningtheflames.hoover.org/shorthand-story/9 Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/909, checked 2026-09-26.

[5] Officials concluded the high approval figure reflected editors submitting only material they believed would pass, rather than official leniency. Quote: "An alarming statistic for the Home Ministry that was quickly explained as resulting from newspaper editors only submitting articles they believed would pass" Source: War & Media in Modern Japan, 2021. War & Media in Modern Japan. https://fanningtheflames.hoover.org/shorthand-story/9 Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/910, checked 2026-09-26.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/1937-japan-newspaper-law-war-censorship. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.