ABSTRACT
It is widely believed that public relations was introduced to Japan after WWII. However, it is now known that there have been cases of government practicing publicity, railroad companies practicing a modern-style public relations, and companies publishing in-house magazines. After WWII, modern public relations was introduced from the US through various routes: industry organizations for labor management, advertisement agencies for supporting marketing functions, and local governments for delivering policy information to the people under orders from the General Headquarters of the Supreme Commander of Allied Powers. Since then, public relations in Japan has transitioned in response to many stages of its history, including the post-war reconstruction and economic development, environmental pollution, the growing momentum for consumer protection, contact with foreign cultures by Japanese companies during overseas expansion, the growing importance of internal communication through the development and transition of companies, and changes in socio-economic structure through the collapse of the bubble economy and the Great East Japan Earthquake.
