Historic evolution of public relations in Japan

Abstract

This study follows the history of public relations in Japan. Meiji restoration in 1867 marked the beginning of modernization of Japan, but as democratization did not accompany modernization, the country was void of autonomous public. The birth of public relations department, though not in the mainland Japan, can be traced back to the 1920s at South Manchurian Railroad in Japan-controlled-Manchuria. After the World War II, the U.S. led Allied Occupation Army urged national and local government to adopt public relations. Shortly afterwards, ad agencies learned from the U.S. the use of public relations, but as marketing gained ground, public relations came to be used as marketing support tool. Criticism of environmental pollution in the 1970s, overseas expansion of businesses in the 1980s, collapse of bubble economy and business crises in the 1990s and onward, each drove public relations in Japan to increase its importance and expand its field.The Great East Japan Earthquake revealed that some of the problems with organizational communication in Japan have not changed over time. However, it also showed the emergent use of social network in Japan as well as the possible formulation of public in the country.