Despite its rapid economic development, Japan lacks a large public relations industry and its role is viewed very differently from its Western counterparts. PR functions are handled predominantly in-house and a degree in a PR field is not a hiring requirement for those agencies which do operate. Mainstream PR history focusses entirely on its organizational aspects, and there are no Japanese PR "gurus" defining the field.

Despite its rapid economic development, Japan lacks a large public relations industry and its role is viewed very differently from its Western counterparts. PR functions are handled predominantly in-house and a degree in a PR field is not a hiring requirement for those agencies which do operate. Mainstream PR history focusses entirely on its organizational aspects, and there are no Japanese PR "gurus" defining the field. Public Relations in Japan is the first in-depth scholarly discussion of what political, social and economic conditions affected the development of PR in Japan. Drawing on historical and empirical studies from multiple perspectives, it explores how and why public relations management and education in Japan is fundamentally informed by Japanese working practices. Central to this is the culture of lifetime employment which has created a fundamentally generalist approach to PR practice which discourages a high degree of professionalization.

Introduction: culture of lifetime employment and the history of Japanese PR / Tomoki Kunieda -- History in brief / Koichi Yamamura, Sekiya Ikari, & Takashi Kenmochi -- The democratization of Japan and the introduction of American PR / Koichi Yamamura -- Public relations by a local government : 150 years of Tokyo's PR / Tomoki Kunieda -- History of internal communications in Japanese companies / Masamichi Shimizu -- (under-) development of pr industry and profession : 1960s - 2010s / Yusuke Ibuki -- A tale of two professionalisms : human resource management (HRM) and PR function of Japanese companies : 1960 to 2016 / Junichiro Miyabe -- Impacts of crises on public relations 2007-2017 : the "Lehman shock" and the great east Japan earthquake / Naoya Ito -- Current situation of corporate public relations in Japan : an attempt to assess comprehensive public relations activities from eight aspects / Koichi Kitami -- Concluding remarks how general are we? / Tomoki Kunieda, Koichi Yamamura, and Junichiro Miyabe -- Appendix 1 Glossary of key terms -- Appendix 2 Chronology of pr in japan 1861-2017 -- Appendix 3 Note on Japanese employment practices -- Index

Achieving your goals quickly and efficiently is both more difficult and more important in today’s hyper-globalized world. A new environment is being created by disruptive technology, radical new business models, digital communications, and a highly integrated global supply chain. It is a world in which a reality TV host and businessman became President of the United States, in which terrorists use social media to recruit members and to broadcast executions, in which the very existence of the nation state is in question, where everyone can communicate globally 24 hours a day at no cost, and in which a leader is much more likely to be at the center of a crisis. Today, successful global leaders will be those that have a working knowledge of strategic public relations as described in this book. For current and future leaders of business and government it is essential to understand the forces creating this very challenging new environment and to acquire a new skill set. This book provides the needed understanding and teaches you the skill of public relations as multi-stakeholder relationship management. It shows how to achieve your goals and objectives when others fail by building win-win outcomes with current and future employees, investors, suppliers, distributors, customers, governments and all the other stakeholders. Written by a veteran public relations professional and a visiting professor of major graduate schools of management.

Expanding on the theoretical framework for studying and practicing public relations around the world, The Global Public Relations Handbook, Revised and Expanded Edition extends the discussion in the first volume on the history, development, and current status of the public relations industry from a global perspective. This revised edition offers twenty new chapters in addition to the original contents. It includes fourteen additional country- or regionally-focused chapters exploring public relations practice in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Contributors use a theoretical framework to present information on the public relations industry in their countries and regions. They also focus on such factors as the status of public relations education in their respective countries and professionalism and ethics. Each country-specific chapter includes a case study typifying public relations practice in that country. Additional new chapters discuss political economy, activism, international public relations, and United Nations public affairs.

This innovative text provides a structured and practical framework for understanding the complexities of contemporary public relations throughout the world and highlights the different approaches professionals must consider when communicating in different PR contexts.

Japan is one of the most media-saturated societies in the world. The circulations of its "big five" national newspapers dwarf those of any major American newspaper. Its public service broadcasting agency, NHK, is second only to the BBC in size. And it has a full range of commercial television stations, high-brow and low-brow magazines, and a large anti-mainstream media and mini-media. Japanese elites rate the mass media as the most influential group in Japanese society. But what role do they play in political life? Whose interests do the media serve? Are the media mainly servants of the state, or are they watchdogs on behalf of the public? And what effects do the media have on the political beliefs and behavior of ordinary Japanese people? These questions are the focus of this collection of essays by leading political scientists, sociologists, social psychologists, and journalists. Japan's unique kisha (press) club system, its powerful media business organizations, the uses of the media by Japan's wily bureaucrats, and the role of the media in everything from political scandals to shaping public opinion, are among the many subjects of this insightful and provocative book.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of Japan’s media policies. In light of the attention Japanese media content has attracted in recent years, not only in Japan but also overseas, the book examines the media industry that supports such content. Beginning with the traditional terrestrial broadcasting industry, it also covers cable TV, satellite broadcasting, and over-the-top media services (OTT), as well as media policies for film, animation, games and music. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), a key media industry regulator in Japan, has been developing broadcasting policies for more than 70 years, and while their traditional policies have not changed in principle, the scope of their business sphere has expanded. For instance, major broadcasting stations in Tokyo, known as key stations, have played an important role in filmmaking with the big four film companies, and have started joint ventures with major OTT, such as Hulu. This book allows readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the changes in the Japanese media industry in general and the related policies in Japan, while also offering insights into developments in the individual sectors.

Critical theory has a long history, but a relatively recent intersection with public relations. This ground-breaking collection engages with commonalities and differences in the traditions, whilst encouraging plural perspectives in the contemporary public relations field. Compiled by a high-profile and widely respected team of academics and bringing together other key scholars from this field and beyond, this unique international collection marks a major stage in the evolution of critical public relations. It will increasingly influence how critical theory informs public relations and communication. The collection takes stock of the emergence of critical public relations alongside diverse theoretical traditions, critiques and actions, methodologies and future implications. This makes it an essential reference for public relations researchers, educators and students around a world that is becoming more critical in the face of growing inequality and environmental challenges. The volume is also of interest to scholars in advertising, branding, communication, consumer studies, cultural studies, marketing, media studies, political communication and sociology.

Public Relations, Branding and Authenticity: Brand Communications in the Digital Age explores the role of PR and branding in society by considering the notion of authentic communications within the context of an emerging digital media environment. This qualitative analysis explores the challenge of developing authentic brand narratives in the digital age, whilst questioning the problematic nature of authenticity itself. Case studies of public relations activity of successful brands, and those in crisis, are supplemented by interviews with senior public relations and branding practitioners. The book lays out three specific arguments. Firstly, a repositioning of the relationship between public relations and brand practice is explored. It is argued that public relations practitioners are well placed to facilitate brands in the digital age, because of the inherent acceptance of the value of relationship building, adaptation and boundary spanning embedded in PR practice and best practice theory. Secondly, the book introduces a new concept of riparian brands. Such brands are based on solid core values, but have an ability to atune, adjust and naturalise to the prevailing social, cultural and economic environment. Thirdly, the book presents an ontology of the riparian brand in the form of an authentic brand wheel and 15 real-time interaction success factors. Aimed at both academics and practitioners interested in the theoretical development of PR and its emerging relationship with branding, it will also be of interest to scholars of corporate communications, corporate reputation and branding.