Overview of Web Afghan (from an external perspective)

• Web Afghan in Japan (abbreviated as Web Afghan) is a web magazine that continues to disseminate information under the motto “For Afghanistan and the world for the peace, human rights, and progress.”
• The magazine was first launched in April 2021 with its initial site (https://afghan.caravan.net/) and is now in its second phase at https://webafghan.jp/. It is produced and managed by Juichi Noguchi (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief), Akira Kaneko (Managing Editor), and Fateh Sami (Managing Editor of the Afghan Site).
• Each issue features a wide range of sections—Highlights, Perspectives, Voices from Afghanistan, Voices from the World, Topics, Japanese Language School, NO JAIL, Readers’ Voices—through which the magazine analyzes and conveys the political, social, and cultural conditions of Afghanistan, Japan, and the world at large.
• Particularly noteworthy is its combination of meticulous political analysis based on OSINT (open-source intelligence) and a multi-layered, mash-up editorial method. By incorporating official reports and perspectives of international institutions alongside poetry, personal testimonies, and cultural reflections, the magazine sheds light not only on “facts and figures” but also on the human stories behind them.
• Editor-in-Chief Noguchi draws on decades of field reporting, photography, and translation; Managing Editor Kaneko brings his professional background in television documentary and media production; and Afghan Site Managing Editor Sami, a Kabul-born scholar and journalist, contributes his expertise in demography, statistics, agricultural economics, and his professional experience with the Afghan government, universities, media, and international organizations such as UNHCR and IOM. These complementary perspectives enrich the magazine with a depth and authenticity far beyond that of a conventional news outlet.
• By weaving together real voices from the ground with cultural and political analysis, Web Afghan has become a unique and invaluable source for understanding Afghanistan’s challenges and for reflecting on the future of the world.

Distinctive Features of Web Afghan

Mission:
“To serve Afghanistan and the peace, human rights, and progress of the world.” Based in Japan but engaging with contributors worldwide, Web Afghan addresses international issues with clarity and depth.

Phase I (April 2021 – June 2023): https://afghan.caravan.net/
Phase II (July 2023 – present): https://webafghan.jp/

• As of 2025, the magazine is published at https://webafghan.jp/. Noguchi has pursued Afghan society and politics since the 1980s as a specialist in photography, translation, and historical documentation. Kaneko has produced numerous public-interest TV programs as a director. Sami, originally from Kabul, has a background in demography, statistics, and agricultural economics, has taught at Kabul University, served as Director of Planning and Coordination at the Afghan Central Statistics Organization, worked as an editor at The Kabul Times, and later as a senior statistician/demographer at UNHCR and IOM. Their combined expertise gives the magazine exceptional credibility and depth.
• Each issue explores themes in depth across diverse sections. For example, recent topics have included:
  • Taliban decrees on poetry and the suppression of creativity,
  • Changing American views on Israel,
  • Evidence of human rights violations in Afghanistan (“The Silent Crisis in Kabul”),
  • Reconsidering the possibility of “a world without nuclear weapons and without war” (Perspective: 143).

Strengths of Web Afghan: OSINT and Mash-up Approaches

1. Use of OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence):
   The magazine makes full use of publicly available sources—UN reports, international media, and local accounts—to provide highly reliable analyses. Issues such as the ban on girls’ education and censorship of poetry and the arts are examined with reference to international institutions and expert findings.
2. Mash-up and Multi-perspective Development:
   By combining formats such as Perspectives, Voices from Afghanistan, Voices from the World, Readers’ Voices, Topics, reports, and essays, the magazine promotes layered understanding.
   • Poetry and personal voices are placed alongside mass media and official reports, adding a human warmth to the information.
   • Sections such as NO JAIL explore cultural dialogue and artistic expression, addressing the emotional and cultural dimensions of politics and society.
3. Editorial Expertise and Diversity of Viewpoints:
   Noguchi provides grounded field insights through reporting, photography, and translation. Kaneko contributes documentary-style reporting, including reports on Japanese-language schools for Afghan women and children. Sami brings unmatched analytical depth as an Afghan expert with professional and governmental experience. Together, their editorial work delivers not only textual analysis but also visual, cultural, and contextual layers of meaning, offering readers a multi-dimensional view of Afghanistan and the world.

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