The document details the global communication activities of the Prime Minister's Office of Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011, outlining the chain of events and immediate impacts such as nuclear meltdowns and international radiation concerns. It highlights the extensive media outreach, including interviews and daily briefings, as well as the establishment of social media accounts to convey information globally. Future directions aim to strengthen communication strategies, address global issues, promote Japan as a cultural and tourism hub, and enhance international collaboration.

1. Global Communication Activities of PMO since 3/11
July 10, 2012 Noriyuki Shikata (twitter @norishikata)
Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs
Office of Global Communications
Prime Minister's Office

2. The Great East Japan Earthquake:
Chain of events
Structure of the chain of
compound damage Damage
2:46 pm, Mar 11
Earthquake
(1) • Magnitude 9.0 earthquake at Sanriku coast
Primary
damage 3:51 pm, Mar 11
Tsunami • 9.3m tsunami strikes Soma city, Fukushima
prefecture
3:36 pm, Mar 12
Nuclear power plant • Fukushima Dai-ichi Reactor 1 structure collapses
(2) • Atomic fuel meltdown occurs
Immediate
impact Mar 14 ~
Power shortage • Rolling blackouts in Kanto prefectures in March
Mar 14 ~
Concerns regarding • At least 50 countries/regions, starting with H.K. &
(3) radiation China, impose import restrictions apart from
Long-term products restricted by the Japanese government.
impact Mar ~
Decline in tourist • Visitors decrease 50% compared to 2010
numbers
Source: literature research, The Boston Consulting Group
Office of Global Communications Prime Minister's Office 1

3. Global Communications Activities by PMO of Japan
Major Media Coverage
3/11 The Great East Japan Earthquake
Deputy Cabinet Secretary for Public Affairs Shikata
3/13 starts interviews with foreign media
• Over 60 TV & Radio Interviews in March, including BBC and
CNN
3/16 Simultaneous interpreting introduced for Chief Cabinet
Secretary announcements (in addition to PM)
3/20 Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano starts foreign media
interviews, holding interviews with 11 media agencies
3/21 Start of Daily Foreign Press Briefings by gov‟t officials
• PMO, Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency, Nuclear Safety
Commission, MEXT, MHLW, MAFF, MOFA
• Daily until April 25
Appreciation Advertisement by PM Naoto Kan
4/11 • FT, IHT, WSJ, People‟s daily, Chosun Ilbo, Kommersant, Le
Figaro
4/17 Op-Ed contributed by PM on "Japan's Road to
Recovery and Rebirth“ to Washington Post & IHT
• Picked up by 128 outlets in 62 countries through May
5/21 Face to face interview between
PM & Financial Times
Office of Global Communications Prime Minister's Office 2

4. Website and Social Media
Website Facebook Twitter
• Upgraded the English website • Created Facebook account • Launch English twitter
"Prime Minister of Japan and His （Prime Minister‟s Office of (@JPN_PMO)
Cabinet" in Jan 2012 Japan）(March 23, 2011) • over 70,000 followers
• Special website about the Great • Over 10,000 “Like”
East Japan Earthquake
• Japan-related info also
Sina Weibo tweeted at @norishikata
• Over 14,000 followers
• Japan-related info in Chinese
• Added Chinese page in Feb • Over 5,000 followers
2012
– http://www.kantei.go.jp/cn/ind
ex.html
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5. Future direction: Stronger communications function
• Strengthen communications through enhanced collaboration among
government ministries and agencies
• Share and utilize the knowledge and content of each ministry/agency
• Create a framework to align the activities/strategies of communications
personnel
• Foster global communications mindset and skills
• Diversify channels of communication
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6. Priority themes & agenda for global communications
Address global issues and drive economic growth
• Tackling environmental issues
（e.g. „Future City‟）
• Responding to the aging society
Japan’s （e.g. international medical exchange, Life (Health) Innovations）
Strengths • Promotion of the deployment of integrated infrastructure systems overseas
（e.g. Nuclear generation, High-Speed Rail, water）
• Inward Investment Promotion Program
（e.g. Japan as a „bridge nation to Asia‟）
Cool Japan, latent demand in tourism and healthcare provision should be realized
• Cool Japan
（e.g. food, fashion, music, animation film, traditional culture）
Japan’s • Tourism
Attractions （e.g. 30 Million Annual Visitors to Japan Program, holding of international conferences at
tourist sites）
• Healthcare
（e.g. international medical exchange）
Underlying philosophy for Japan‟s strengths and attractiveness will be globally communicated
• New Growth Models
Japanese （e.g. Gross National Happiness）
‘Values’ • Human Security
（e.g. Public-Private Collaboration in Human Security Fund）
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