日 新 <0xE8> <0x81> <0x9E> ), ▁the ▁prede cess or ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁day ▁Main ichi ▁sh in b un , ▁which ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ; ▁the ▁Y omi uri ▁sh in b un , ▁which ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 ; ▁and ▁the ▁As ah i ▁sh in b un , ▁which ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s , ▁government ▁pressure ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁grad ual ▁we eding ▁out ▁of ▁ Ō sh in b un , ▁and ▁the ▁k osh in b un ▁started ▁becoming ▁more ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁modern , ▁" im partial " ▁newsp apers . ▁ ▁Through out ▁their ▁history , ▁Japanese ▁newsp apers ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁central ▁role ▁in ▁issues ▁of ▁free ▁speech ▁and ▁freedom ▁of ▁the ▁press . ▁In ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁" T a ish ō ▁Dem ocracy " ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s , ▁the ▁government ▁worked ▁to ▁suppress ▁newsp apers ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁As ah i ▁sh in b un ▁for ▁their ▁critical ▁st ance ▁against ▁government ▁b ureau c racy ▁that ▁fav ored ▁protect ing ▁citizens ' ▁rights ▁and ▁constitution al ▁dem ocracy . ▁In ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁growing ▁militar ism ▁to ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁total ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁newsp apers ▁faced ▁inten se ▁government ▁c ensor ship ▁and