Takashi Uesugi (上杉 隆 Uesugi Takashi, born May 3, 1968), is a Japanese freelance journalist and former researcher for NHK (Japan's public broadcaster) and the New York Times, born in Fukuoka Prefecture and raised in Tokyo. He is also former aide to Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker Kunio Hatoyama, and author of numerous books, most recently "The Collapse of Journalism" (ジャーナリズム崩壊).[1] He also wrote a book about the Abe administration, Kantei Hokai (官邸崩壊), published in August 2007.[2] Uesugi is a vociferous critic of Japan's Kisha club system[3], and has been one of the loudest critics in Japan of Tokyo Electric Power Company's handling of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.[4]
Uesugi graduated from the Department of English Literature at Tsuru University. After graduation, he worked at Japan's national broadcasting company NHK, as a research apprentice. From age 26, he worked for 5 years as chief public secretary before quitting this job to become a contract employee for the Tokyo branch office of the New York Times.