The Local Newspaper in Japan:
Civic Participation, Local Issues, and Critical Journalism
Anthony RauschThis paper will revisit previous research that pointed to the importance of the local newspapers ofoutlying areas across Japan, both in the lives of local residents and as a social science research tool.
The present research, based on questionnaire survey results, together with analysis of the rensai
columns of 40+ local newspapers and analysis of the commentary/opinion page of one local
newspaper, both confirms and builds on this previous research while also revealing contemporary
trends and tensions in local print media that reflect new complexities of contemporary media
environments.

1.  Introduction
While newspaper readership appears to be declining around the world, research into the social role andimplications of newspapers and newspaper reading does continue. The 2016 Association for Education
on Journalism and Mass Communication conference included over 40 presentations in the Newspaper
and Online News category. Interestingly, while Japan claims one of the highest newspaper readershiprates in the world and recent research has pointed to the high proclivity for newspaper reading inJapan, research and opinions on Japanese journalism and Japanese newspapers have been somewhat
negative, pointing, for example, to controversial responses to nuclear power generation post-3.11 andthe demise of an investigatory role for news in Japan. While admitting to the controversies
accompanying national print journalism in Japan, this paper focuses on the local newspapers, taking
the view that local newspapers—the 100+ regional and local newspapers published in prefectures andlocal areas throughout Japan—are important in both disseminating news—international, national andlocal—while also creating local residents who are informed about the issues, and characteristics, thatdefine the place they live. While based on extensive previous research based on extensive and varied
use of local newspapers, the questions that justify the present research are:1.   What underlies the high readership of local newspapers and what are the social implicationsof this readership?
2.   What are the particularly local aspects of a local newspaper and what are the implicationsof such characteristics?
3.   Are local newspapers subject to similar criticisms levelled at Japanese journalism at large
regarding its role in providing criticism of government?

After providing an overview of previous research conducted by the author as background justifying the
local newspaper as research topic and tool, the research of this paper will open with results of a survey
questionnaire regarding reading patterns and attitudes held by local residents regarding their local
newspapers, followed by analysis of the newspaper rensai columns of newspapers throughout Japanand the commentary/opinion page of a single local newspaper.

2.  Background to the Present Research
I have long used my local newspaper, my chihōshi, as a window on Japan and, through use of rensai,
the long-running thematic newspaper columns of my local newspaper, as a research tool. As a residentof Aomori Prefecture, the newspaper that I most often used has been the Tōōnippō, the prefecture-wide
newspaper read by approximately half of prefectural residents. The research I have conducted using
the Tōōnippō has ranged from voluntarism and local identify representation to, more recently, local(re)vitalization. In the period after the Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which saw the emergence ofJapan’s volunteer movement, I pointed to the role newspaper articles and columns in the Tōōnippō
played in legitimizing different forms of volunteer activity and generating a local citizen consciousnessof such volunteer activity (Rausch, 2002a) and in supporting and disseminating within its hostcommunity a volunteer organization agenda (Rausch, 2002b, 2008). Following on this research, I next
looked at the manner in which newspaper columns in the Tōōnippō contributed to a local collective
identity (Rausch, 2004). The work was based on Bauer and Gaskell’s (1999) components of social
representation—a process of establishing socially-meaningful anchors in the naming, classifying andobjectifying local phenomenon—such that local cultural images and cultural commodities become
operational in creating a local collective ‘place identity’ through journalistic representation. Further
examination in subsequent research, particularly of the rensai, led me to coin the term ‘revitalization
journalism,’ wherein the rensai of local newspapers portray local economic and cultural news in amanner that contribute to the area’s ‘vitalization’ (Rausch, 2011, 2012). This research identified
combinative frames—information as revitalization, education as revitalization, identity affirmation asrevitalization, and local business as revitalization—in rensai columns that ran in the newspaper forperiods of months or years which added up to thematic columns numbering in some cases in thehundreds. Most recently, in the period after the Great East Japan Disaster (3.11), I outlined both theinitial and early portrayal of the event through its newspaper representation (Rausch, 2013) andfollowed this with work detailing the longer-term memory creation function of newspaper columns(2014a, 2014b). While the representation in the immediate aftermath was what one could expect (andsimilar to what others had found in such ‘disaster’ journalism), the longer trend, apparent in thedisaster rensai, revealed a transition in the journalistic representation that focused on multiple themes.
These included recovery from the disaster, acceptance of the disaster reality and adjustment to thisreality, therapeutic processing directed toward survivors, and establishment of the contours of thecollective memory of the event. While outlining my own research, I must also point out that others
have also viewed, and used, the local newspaper in the same manner, for example Takada, Shimizu
and Handa’s 2010, 2012 and 2016 works Nihon no Genba: Chihōshi de Yomu and Umemoto’s (2016)
Chihōshi ha Chiiki wo Tsukuru.

3.  A Tōhoku Newspaper Readership Survey
Both readership and trust of Japanese newspapers have always been comparatively high. Indeed, Chen
(2014) pointed to the success of the Japanese newspaper industry, noting the dominance of Japanesenewspapers in terms of circulation among the world’s top papers. In order to quantify and qualify this,survey research was conducted that revealed high ‘newspaper reading habits’ and high ‘newspaper
loyalty patterns’ on the one hand, countered by a declining rate for both as one looks to younger
generations on the other. Chen pointed to previous data showing that over 80 percent of Japanesehouseholds subscribe to newspapers and over 55 percent read a newspaper every day. Furthermore,trust of the newspaper was found to be the highest among all media, with nearly 80 percent having
confidence in the reporting of the newspaper. As for the social implications of newspaper reading,
Nakano et al (2014) asserted that Japanese newspapers contribute to community engagement, finding
that, unlike television media, newspaper reading is positively correlated to community engagement.
They attribute this to the fact that the national level newspapers, while focusing on nation-wide news
and topics, also support everyday life activities in local communities.
The first part of the present research thus takes up the question of what underlies the high readership oflocal newspapers and what are the social implications of this readership? The research is based on a
six-section survey conducted late 2016 and early 2017 (N=125; response rate 42%). The survey
targeted households located throughout the Tohoku area identified through university students. Firstand foremost, the survey indicated that while 30 percent of these Tohoku respondents subscribe to anational paper, over 70 percent subscribe to their regional/local newspaper. Twenty percent subscribe
to both a national paper and a local paper and 54 percent subscribe to a local paper only, but not anational paper. Fifteen percent indicated no newspaper subscription. Regarding newspaper reading
habits and general thoughts regarding the newspaper, over three quarters of respondents indicated‘reading a newspaper daily’ (77%; 3.2 on a four-point Likert scale) and just under three quarters
indicated that they ‘enjoyed reading the newspaper’ (73%; 3.1). (This follows with Chen’s 2014
survey of 220 respondents, where three-quarters had the habit of reading the newspaper.) However,whereas just under 60 percent felt that reading a newspaper was a ‘universal obligation’ (「新聞を読む
ことは、とても大事なことで、皆がするべきだと思う。 」58%; 2.8), just one third saw this as a‘personal obligation’ (「新聞を読むことは義務で、私は新聞を毎日読まなければならない。」34%;
2.1) (see Table 1).
Table 1. Habits and General Attitude
PromptLikertResponse(4-3-2-1)

I read the newspaper everyday
3.2
I enjoy reading the newspaper
3.1
Reading the newspaper is obligatory for me
2.1
Reading the newspaper is something
2.8
everyone should do
Source: Original「新聞」や「地方紙」読者調査 2016.

(4)very muchagree (%)

(3)
agree
(%)

(2)
disagree(%)(1)
very muchdisagree(%)

46
46
13
27

31
27
21
31

19
21
35
31

4
6
31
10

Considering the general role of the local newspaper, a ‘news’ function and an ‘education’ function
were regarded as slightly above the average for all the responses provided: (news function avg. 3.7
versus 3.3 overall; education function avg. 3.5) (see Table 2). Specifically, respondents saw this‘news’ role in terms of both ‘national political, economic and sports news’ (78%; 3.1) and news thatwould be ‘related to one’s job’ (66%; 2.9), but as well and more significantly, as ‘local political,
economic and sports news’ (98%; 3.9) and ‘news’ that centers on the locale’ (98%; 3.7). Regarding an‘education’ function, respondents highlighted the newspaper’s role in informing readers of things they‘don’t know’ (98%; 3.7), ‘deepening understanding of events’ (94%; 3.3), and informing readersregarding ‘cultural and lifestyle matters’ (87%; 3.4). In terms of a ‘local attachment’ function, theresponse was neither higher nor lower than responses overall (local attachment function avg. 3.3
versus 3.3 overall avg.), with the focus on ‘readers becoming focused on the region through the news’(93%; 3.6), ‘readers coming to understand their local economy and culture through the news’ (96%;3.4), and ‘the newspaper contributing to reader satisfaction with the locale’ (66%; 2.9). Two morethemes reflected responses lower than average compared to those overall: civic participation (3.1 avg.
versus 3.3 overall) and newspaper responsibility (3.2 avg.). The participation questions included a
newspaper function in ‘promoting participation in local events and activities’ (73%; 3.1), ‘increasing
intention to participate in local society’ (67%; 2.9), and the newspaper providing ‘community news
and information’ (85%; 3.2). As for newspaper responsibility, the prompts included ‘providing
information about local events’ (88%; 3.4), ‘providing information useful for local living’ (84%; 3.0),
and ‘the newspaper supporting local events’ (71%; 3.0).
Turning to the ‘sociability’ of newspaper reading, respondents indicated that while they did discuss
newspaper content with their families (58%; 2.8), they were less inclined to do so with co-workers(40%; 2.0) and friends (39%; 2.3) (see Table 3). Furthermore, the nature of the interaction regarding
the news appeared quite dynamic, if not contentious, as ‘agreement about the news’ for each groupwas cited in less than—if not well under—half of respondents (family: 48%; 2.4; co-worker: 33%; 2.1;
friend: 33%; 2.1).
Table 2. Newspaper Function
PromptLikertResponse(4-3-2-1)

Newspaper Function:
National political, economic, sports
3.1
news
Local political, economic, sports news
3.9
Focus on local news
3.7
Report on local events for sake of local
3.4
residents
Create local interest among residents
3.6
through reporting
Encourage residents to participate in
3.1
local activities
Develop in residents a sense of
2.9
satisfaction with the area
Support local events as a local company
3.0
Provide news in electronic formats
2.9
Local Newspapers . . .
Educate about issues
3.7
Deepen understanding
3.3
Educate about culture/life
3.4
Educate about local society and history
3.7
Deepen understanding of local economy
3.4
and culture
Increase willingness to participate in
2.9
local activities
Reason for reading a local paper:
To gain information for a job
2.9
To gain useful information for life
3.0
To gain information related to the local
3.2
community
Overall Likert response
3.3
Source: Original「新聞」や「地方紙」読者調査 2016.

(4)very muchagree (%)

(3)
agree
(%)

(2)
disagree(%)(1)
very muchdisagree (%)

38

40

19

6

83
67
48

15
31
40

2
4
13

2
0
2

60

33

8

0

40

33

21

8

31

35

23

13

33
27

38
48

27
15

4
10

69
38
54
67
46

29
56
33
33
50

4
4
13
2
4

0
4
2
0
2

27

40

29

6

31
38
33

35
46
52

21
10
15

13
8
2

(4)
very muchagree (%)

(3)
agree
(%)

(2)
disagree(%)(1)
very muchdisagree(%)

23
6
15
4
8
4

35
42
25
29
31
29

33
40
23
38
38
44

10
15
23
27
25
23

Table 3. Communicating about Newspaper Content
PromptLikertResponse(4-3-2-1)

I talk about content with family
2.8
We generally agree
2.4
I talk about content with co-workers
2.0
We generally agree
2.1
I talk about content with friends
2.3
We generally agree
2.1
Source: Original「新聞」や「地方紙」読者調査 2016.

Opinion regarding the reliability, social contribution, similarity to national framing, and similarity tolocal broadcast news for the local newspaper was elicited using a five-point visual-oriented scale.
Regarding reliability, 65 percent viewed the local newspaper as reliable (if not highly reliable), with 29
percent being ‘neutral’ (27%-38%-29%-4%-0%) (see Table 4). The local newspaper was deemed as
making a social contribution to some degree (45%), with a similar level being neutral(10%-35%-42%-10%-2%). Respondents were virtually neutral regarding the local newspaper sharing
the viewpoint as national news coverage with the same levels of agreement versus disagreement(6%-25%-35%-21%-10%), but felt clearly that the local newspaper held a viewpoint similar to the
local broadcast news, cited by 65 percent of respondents (15%-50%-27%-6%-2%).
Table 4. Reliability, Social Contribution and Viewpoint
Prompt A++ ++ ++Prompt B
Information is reliable
27 38 29
4 0 Information is unreliable
Make a social contribution
10 35 42 10 2 Make no social contribution
Agree with national news viewpoint
6 25 35 21 10 Differ from national news viewpoint
Agree with other local news viewpoint 15 50 27
6 2 Differ from other local news viewpoint
Source: Original「新聞」や「地方紙」読者調査 2016.

4.  The Rensai of Local Japanese Newspapers
The premise of the rensai research of this paper is that the local newspaper plays an important role in
the process of defining and confirming issues of importance in local society. The mass media provides
for messages to be produced and disseminated to large audiences on one side, with those messages
sought out and interpreted, sometimes recursively, by audiences who view the newspaper as credibleon the other. Gerbner contextualized the importance of mass media when he referred to “[t]his broad
public making significance of mass media of communications—the ability to create publics, defineissues, provide common terms of reference, and thus to allocate attention (1967:45). McQuail (1987)
offered several metaphors which capture the range of roles the mass media takes on: carriers thatconvey information, windows that enable us to see, signposts that provide directions, filters that screen
excess and focus attention, barriers that block us from the truth, interpreters that help us make sense,and mirrors that reflect ourselves onto ourselves. However, while mass media messages are seen as
originating in the principle social institutions of society, there is debate as to the degree that suchmessage generation is not partially or wholly a reflection, if not reification, of overall public sentiment.
Anastasio, Rose and Chapman (1999) applied these notions to a study of public opinion as dictated by
the media, concluding that the media subtly, but powerfully creates the very opinions among theiraudience they then report on in a manner so as to seen as reflecting their audience. In this sense, mass
media is seen as both bringing about changes in media consumers’ attitudes and opinions, but oftenwith regard to and in a manner that reinforces existing attitudes and opinions. It can be assumed that
rensai, the long-running thematic columns carried in local Japanese newspapers operate in such amanner so as to ‘define issues, provide common terms of reference, and thus to allocate attention’ tothem, resulting in the ‘creation of the very opinions that are reported on.’ Specific to the case forcontemporary Japan, Kitahara (2012), for instance, examined newspapers in areas that hosted nuclear
power plants, analysing editorials referring to the Fukushima nuclear accident for one year after theaccident, finding that while the number of newspapers that advocate for nuclear power are few, thesame newspapers do carry opinions promoting nuclear power. This paradoxical stance is further
reflected in content carried by the newspapers acknowledging both the anxiety of hosting nuclear
power plants alongside the economic and livelihood benefits that accompany the plants.
The present rensai research continues this focus on issues as presented in the newspaper, using amethodology similar to that used by Rausch (2012) and based on D’Angelo and Kuypers (2010) andKuypers (2010): News Framing Analysis. News framing analysis provides both for recognition ofcolumns as the ‘format frame’ and assessment of the content of the column within a ‘thematic frame.’
News framing analysis offers a means of objectively extracting, coding, and viewing, in this case,newspaper content, in a manner so as to identify, confirm and assess the frame of the content and thecontent that is included in the frame. The notion of news framing analysis implies that there isthematic connection both across frames and within a single frame, such that after repeated exposure to
the notion of the frame and the frame and the content that is included in any specific frame, audiences
accept the frame and the reasoning of the frame, together with the content that is connected through its
inclusion in the frame (Scheufele and Tewksbury, 2007; Nisbet, 2010). The specific methodology(Van Gorp, 2010) hinges on a frame matrix, reflecting not only what the text is about, but the mannerin which the context is established and the content is provided. Herein, this is the rensai, thenewspaper column. Describing and determining what constitutes a ‘newspaper column’ is somewhat
variable and depends largely on the research objective. Conventional wisdom would indicate that acolumn is a recurring and themed piece of writing carried in a newspaper or magazine. Columns are
written by columnists, either journalists or institutions that speak as representatives of the theme, andcan be objective and informative or as subjective, emotional and persuasive as the columnist wishes.
Columns can be as short as three successive entries (上、中、下) or longer and usually numbered. Thereis usually some appealing and pithy column title and the column is usually ‘set off’ from other content,
whether simply by use of some colorful heading or by a border. In the present research, the objective is
to identify the prevalence and thematic trends in Japanese local newspaper columns, the rensai ofJapan’s local newspapers.
The Present Rensai Research
The present research reviewed 44 local newspapers, one via daily print editions together with thepaper’s website, and the others via their respective websites (accessed through the 47NEWS site:www.47news.jp/). Each site was viewed for rensai information, which if available, usually appeared
as a ‘special news-columns’ section (特集・連載). When such ‘rensai’ information was available, theinformation was gathered, organized, and analyzed on the basis of theme, number of successive rensai
columns, starting year/month and any other features. Of course, not all local newspapers either had
rensai or carried information of their rensai on their websites in an identifiable or analyzable form.
Further, the information available was inconsistent across newspapers. Such limitations
notwithstanding, the categories for analysis are defined as shown in Table 5, where the rensai werecategorized in a grounded method on the basis of rensai title, rensai description, view of arepresentative rensai (where available) and if not, the rensai title alone.
Table 5. Rensai Category Thematic Definitions
Category
Local Culture - History
Town Life
Local Economy
Local Businesses
Local Vitalization
Contemporary Topics
Modern Life - Society
Local Issues
Medical care
Health related
Youth - Education
EssaysLocal People
Persons of Influence
Disaster Preparation
Local Event - Performance
Prefectural Residents in Tokyo
World Heritage Sites
Other
Source: Original research.

Concerning / Focusing on. . .
local cultural and historical themes
aspects of town life (city walking, local scenic views, etc.)
information regarding the local economy (growth, export, problems)
introduction/promotion of local businesses
local economic revitalization, using the terminology of 創生
topics that have emerged in the time of the rensai
aspects of modern life (relationships, aging, investments)
specific local issues to an area at the time of the rensai
specific medical care, often written by medical professionals
general health-related themes (stretching, long life, diet)youth activities and education-related themes
connected or thematic essays written under appealing headings
introductions of residents; various themes (workplace, neighborhood)biographies and profiles of local famous persons
disaster preparation consciousness / activity
local events, festivals and performances
prefectural residents who have moved away to Tokyo
information on World Heritage Sites in the area and in Japan
home life, constitutional reform, science, newspaper activity,

Rensai Columns Research Findings
First of all, the total number of local newspapers viewed were 44, of which 28 carried rensai, with theaverage number of rensai reported by any newspaper via the website being 6.4, with a range from asingle rensai to up to 17 (Table 6).
A typical rensai data set for a single newspaper is shown in Table 7, the case for the Yamanashi Nichi
Nichi Shimbun. As alluded to above, the information includes the Japanese title, the category/theme,
the number of rensai in the column (with an indication of the rensai continuing where this information
could be ascertained), the start date (again, where this information could be ascertained), and any otherrelevant or available information, such as the date of finish or the organization of the column.
Table 6. Rensai Basic Data
Total number of newspapers viewed:
Number with rensai:
Number with no rensai:
Total Number of rensai identified:Total Number of rensai categorized (not ‘other’):Average number of rensai per ‘rensai newspaper’
Range of rensai per ‘rensai newspaper’
Source: Original research.

44
28
16
179
154
6.4
1 ~ 17

Table 7. Rensai for 山梨日日新聞（連載・特集）
Japanese Title

#
72~
125

Start Date
2012. 92014. 8

39~
34~
30~
32
24
5

2015. 52015. 72015. 82016. 1
2016. 1
2016. 5

踏ん張る商店街
やまなし「農」の風景

Category / Theme
medical careyouth - education(hikikomori)home life
health related
essay
modern life - society
youth - education
modern life/society:self improvement
town life
local economy (agriculture)

12~
15~

2016. 72016. 7

サンセット（Sunset）
心と仕舞う
ドクター本田のにじいる子育て
山梨のものづくり企業リポート
女性それぞれの今

modern life - society
health related
youth – education
local economy
modern life - society

9~
2~
81~
129
155

2016. 92016. 10***

メディカル・テラス
扉の向こうへ山梨発ひきこもりを考える
すぐにおしい！いっぴん料理
Dr. あやこ精神科医のしあわせ論
えんぴつが歩く
独人社会
廃校再興	
  学びやは今
印象力アップ！私、変われます2016. 9; 9 部+
epilogue and 57

2016. 9; 5 部
2016. 82016. 9Prologue, 3 部 ,4-5 columns/部

2 columns/month
2 columns/month

1 column/week

Source: Original research.
	 The historical trends that can be ascertained from the available information reflect recent rensai
columns (see Table 8). That is to say, while in some cases, information on a discontinued rensai may
still be found, in more cases, once a rensai is discontinued the trace of its existence is usually removed
from the website. Therefore, while the early figures from 2005 to 2013 are low, research by Rausch(2012) showed the numbers of rensai in the Tōōnippō as averaging 15 over the period 2009 to 2010.
This drop-off in the number of rensai in the present research can be discerned in the 2014 to 2016 data
as well, as eight of the 16 rensai for 2014 are now discontinued, 13 of the 29 for 2015, and 27 of the
61 for 2016, meaning that these rensai were carried on the order of weeks or months, rather than years.
Regarding long-running rensai shown in Table 8, the 1999 rensai is a ‘Local People’ column carried
once a week in the Tokushima Shimbun, and continues even now. The 2007 rensai at 130 columns is
an ‘Essay’ rensai carried in the Shikoku Shimbun, the 2008 rensai at 300 columns is a ‘Local Culture –History’ column detailing temples and shrines carried in the Kobe Shimbun, the 2009 rensai at 176

columns is a ‘Medical Care’ rensai organized into 44 parts (部) of four columns each also carried in
the Kobe Shimbun, and the 2010 rensai at 200 is a ‘Prefectural Residents in Tokyo’ rensai carried in
the Kita Nihon Shimbun. The 2014 at 130 is a ‘Local Event – Performance’ rensai from the Tokushima
Shimbun, the 2015 rensai at 115 is a ‘Contemporary Topics’ rensai about consumer protection also
carried in the Tokushima Shimbun, and the 2016 rensai at 124 is a ‘Contemporary Topics’ rensai in
the Sanyō Shinbun.
Table 8. Rensai: Recent Historical Trends
Year

1999

Number ofnewspaper rensai(# discontinued)
1

Highest number ofindividual rensai(for year)
continuing, once/week

2005

4

continuing everyday /once/week—
54 / 130~
170~ / 300
115~ / 176
200~
92
55 / 92—
104 / 125 / 130~
36 / 115
60 / 77 / 124

2006
1
2007
2
2008
2
2009
2
2010
2
2011
3
2012
6
2013
6
2014
16 (8)
2015
29 (13)
2016
61 (27)N
135 (48)
Source: Original research.
~ : continuing column as of paper preparation

As shown in the thematic category data for all the rensai examined (2005-2016), rensai related to‘Local Culture – History’ are most common, followed by ‘Modern Life – Society,’ and ‘Local
Economy + Local Businesses’ (see Table 9). There then comes a grouping of ‘Town Life,’ ‘Medical
Care,’ ‘Essays’ and ‘Contemporary Topics.’
While recalling that past rensai categorization is limited in its representation due to the fact that once
rensai are discontinued, the information is usually removed from the website, the thematic category
data for the period 2015-2015 does however, show some shifts in the focus of rensai. As shown in
Table 10, ‘Modern Life – Society’ is now the top thematic category, followed by ‘Essays,’ ‘Local
Business’ and ‘Contemporary Topics.’ In the case of ‘Essays’ and ‘Contemporary Topics,’ these were
not major in the overall data, both at rank five. In addition, the ascension of ‘Disaster Preparation,’from eighth in rank overall to fourth in the 2015-2016 data, was notable. Of course, there were shifts
away from certain themes as well, as ‘Local Culture – History’ themed columns decreased, as did

columns focusing on ‘Local Economy.’
Table 9. Rensai: Thematic Category Data Overall
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
5
5
5
6
7
7
8
8
9
10
10
11
11

Category
Local Culture - History
Modern Life - Society
Local Economy
Local Businesses
Town Life
Medical care
EssaysContemporary Topics
Local People
Youth - Education
Health related
Persons of Influence
Disaster Preparation
Local Vitalization
Local Issues
Local Event - Performance
Prefectural Residents in Tokyo
World Heritage Sites
Other
N
Source: Original research.

columns totals
21
17
15
13
12
12
12
12
10
7
7
6
6
5
4
4
3
3
13
179

Table 10. Thematic Category Data 2015-2016
Rank
2015-2016
1
2
2
2
3
3
4
5
5
5
6
6
6
6
7
7
7
-

Category

Modern Life - Society
EssaysLocal Business
Contemporary Topics
Town Life
Medical care
Disaster Preparation
Local Culture - History
Health related
Youth - Education
Local Economy
Local Vitalization
Local Event - Performance
Local People
Local Issues
Persons of Influence
World Heritage Sites
Prefectural Residents in Tokyo
Other
N
Source: Original research.

Rank overall(2005-2014)
(2)
(5)
(4)
(5)
(5)
(5)
(8)
(1)
(7)
(7)
(3)
(9)
(10)
(6)
(10)
(8)
(11)
(11)

Number of columns
begun in 2015-16
9
8
8
8
7
7
5
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
0
8
90

Aside from these overall trends, there are several specific themes among the rensai carried by local

newspapers that are notable. In terms of social themes, the Minami Nihon Shimbun included two
rensai in 2016 over the course of a week in one case and a month in the second taking up handicappedand disability issues in contemporary society ((1) 闇と光の日々:	
 living with handicapped; (2) 精神科
密着 240 時間:	 living with mental disability) and the Yamanashi Nichi Nichi Shimbun carried along-running column (N=125; starting from 2014.8) on hikikomori (扉の向こうへ山梨発ひきこもりを考える: youth - education (hikikomori)). The Miyazaki Nichi Nichi Shimbun carried a 10 column

rensai in 2014 focusing on youth poverty (だれも知らない	  みやざき子どもの貧困:	
 No one knows:
Poverty Among Miyazaki Youth) while the Chunichi Shimbun carried a six-part column on ‘the story of
new poverty’ (新貧乏物語) in 2016. Other societal issues included investment information and fraud,as seen in the Fukushima Minyū Shimbun ((1)知りたい資産運用:	
 NISA investments; (2) ＳＴＯＰ！	
 なりすまし詐欺:	
 consumer protection (fraud)). Rensai on fraud were also carried in the Chunichi

Shimbun (シリーズ「あなたも騙される」～実録ニセ電話詐欺～) and the Yamagata Shimbun (県内、特殊詐欺の実態). Finally, there was clearly a presence on the ‘individual,’ in the form of the ‘Local

People’ columns carried by many newspapers, as well as ‘individual situation,’ as seen in a 5 column
rensai self-improvement column carried by the Yamanashi Nichi Nichi Shimbun (印象力アップ！私、変われます; improving your impression – changing yourself).

5.  The Commentary/Opinion Page
Much ink has been dedicated to the demise of journalism in Japan of late. Sekiguchi (2014) andPollman (2015) wrote early on regarding the implementation of the controversial state secrets law,which tightens penalties on leaking intelligence, thereby weakening the watchdog function of domestic
journalism. While the law specifically applies to ‘leakers,’ it also implies that those who receive anduse leaked information could face penalties. Fackler (2016) and McNeill (2016) extend the theme toinvestigative journalism, connecting the issue directly to Japanese journalism’s handling of the triple
meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011. Fackler (2016) outlines specificallythe creation of the Investigative Reporting Section at the Asahi Shimbun in October 2011, it’s‘indispensability’ according to the newspaper’s president at the time, and its emasculation at the handsof the revisionist right and the Abe Cabinet in 2014. Amidst suspicions of foul-play regarding therelease of sensitive information to be used against the Asahi, Fackler notes that the newspaper’s
decision to punish its own journalists for their investigative push will discourage other journalists, andcertainly other newspapers from taking the risks inherent in investigative journalism again, meaning
Japan’s newspaper media will lapse back into the old, access-driven Press Club patterns of mainstream
journalism. McNeill (2016) provides more background on pre-war and post-war approaches tojournalism in Japan, including the current Press Club system, as well as offering details on how theJapanese press has handled a number or recent and contemporary issues. This is the background that
contextualizes the third part of the present research, an analysis of a commentary/opinion page of a
local newspaper, aiming at determining the level of criticism presented in a local newspaper.
The ‘Commentary/Opinion’ page that constitutes the research material for this section comes from the
Tōōnippō newspaper of Aomori Prefecture. Taking up one full page (page 7), the‘Commentary/Opinion’ page is carried daily from Tuesday to Saturday, not appearing on Sunday or
Monday. Most days, four independent columns on different topics will be carried, but sometimes thepage will be given over to a single topic. The examination of the ‘Commentary/Opinion’ pageconsisted of three points: format, theme and orientation. The data for this analysis is provided in thetables below.
Table 11 shows the number of columns carried for each of the four time periods, one early in 2016 andthree in the first three months of 2017.
Table 11. ‘Commentary/Opinion’ Newspaper Days and Number of Columns
Number of Newspaper Days
2016, Feb-Mar
8
2017, January
10
2017, February
15
2017, March
17
Source: Original research.

Number of Columns Total
35
45
52
58

Tables 12, 13, and 14 show the page format, theme content and column orientation for the columns
carried on the ‘Commentary/Opinion’ page for the three periods. As shown in Table 12, from 40 toover 55 percent of columns carried on the ‘Commentary/Opinion’ page are offered with no source
indication. The other patterns found were columns written by ‘named experts,’ usually ex-government
officials or university-affiliated faculty, or Q&A formats (not sourced) or shared overseas wire
services (with the wire service provided). The themes were fairly evenly spread over domestic politics
and economics, followed by foreign affairs (the Trump presidency, the situation on the Korean
Peninsula—both North regarding weapons testing and South relating to domestic politics—Japanese
PKO activities in Southern Sudan), legislative issues (the labor overtime law, the amakudari law, theterror-conspiracy law) and the Imperial Abdication issue (Table 13). The social trend/events content
primarily concerned the increased accidents attributed to aged automobile drivers and the Moritomo
School Group-Abe Family Relationship issue. Finally, and of particular concern with regard to thefunction of Japanese press as fulfilling a watchdog role as a check on governmental action, there seems
to be a balance, if not tension, between content on the ‘Commentary/Opinion’ page that is primarilyinformative, versus that which includes some element of comment and that which is outright critical ofan actor’s action (see Table 14).
Table 12. ‘Commentary/Opinion’ Page Format
Columns
Total

Not Sourced
Column
(%)
2016,
35
14
Feb-Mar
(40%)
2017,
45
25
January
(56%)
2017,
52
23
February
(44%)
2017,
58
31
March
(53%)
Source: Original research.

Q&A
FormatExpert(with name)

Diet
Notes

Shared Source:
overseas wire
service
2

6

10

3

2

6

3

3

14

3

7
(Kyodo Tsushin: 3)
6

5

4

7

11

Table 13. ‘Commentary/Opinion’ Theme2016,
Feb-Mar2017,
January2017,
February
2017,
March

Columns
Total

Domestic
Political

EconomicDomestic/
International

Foreign
Affairs(Trump)

Imperial
Abdication

SocialTrend/
EventsLegislative(Overtime/
Amakudari)

Education

35

8

5

1

0

5

0

4

45

5

7

8

8

4

10

0

52

7

9

2

4

7

1

58

6

3

16
(9)
12
(5)

5

10

15

3

Source: Original research.

Table 14. ‘Commentary/Opinion’ Orientation
Columns
Total

Informative
(%)

2016,
35
Feb-Mar2017,
45
January2017,
52
February
2017,
58
March
Source: Original research.

18
(51%)
21
(47%)
18
(35%)
13
(22%)

Informative+
Comment
5
10
11
13

CriticalOpinion
(%)
6
(17%)
11
(24%)
19
(37%)
20
(35%)

Specific
EventRelated
3
2
2
13

6.  Discussion: Newspaper Readership, Meaningfulness and Critical View
This paper opened by detailing past research conducted using a local newspaper, research which, forthe most part, illuminated the important role the local newspaper plays in its host community. This wasshown in reference to local volunteerism, local ‘place identity’ creation, local revitalization—both

economic and cultural—and event memory creation, in the research in the case of Japan’s 3.11 triple
disaster. The present research, based on questionnaire survey results, together with analysis of therensai columns of 40+ local newspapers along with analysis of the commentary/opinion page of one
local newspaper, both extends and in some cases, counters this research, and in so doing reaffirms theimportance both of the local newspaper in its community as well as research directed specificallytoward local media formats in the local community.
The Tōhoku Newspaper Readership Survey confirmed high readership levels for local newspapers. In
addition, and in terms of readership and the social implications thereof, the survey identified several
meaningful ‘gaps’ in readership patterns. First of all, while a majority saw newspaper reading as a‘universal obligation,’ a minority saw it as a ‘personal obligation.’ Secondly, and countering previous
research, the function of the newspaper was seen by readers to be primarily in the areas of ‘news’ and‘education,’ but less so in terms of ‘local attachment’ and ‘civic participation.’ Opinions regarding the‘sociality’ of newspaper reading and the ‘reliability-contribution-agreement’ of the newspaper were
likewise divided. Most readers indicated that they discussed the ‘newspaper news’ with family; few
indicated doing so with co-workers and friends. Most viewed the local newspaper as reliable and inagreement with other local news sources, but fewer saw the newspaper as making a social contribution
to the local community.
The rensai column research herein speak to the particular local aspects of any local newspaper, andpoints to six out of 10 local newspapers carrying rensai columns to some degree, whether short term tolong term or in few rensai or rather in high numbers of rensai. Viewing the rensai, largely via thenewspaper websites, revealed 18 rensai categories, for which both long term as well as more recent,short-term patterns could be discerned. The long-term trends appear to point to a focus in the local
newspaper rensai on ‘place creation,’ ‘modern society,’ and ‘economy and business,’ as shown in thelong term ranking (1~4 in Table 15 below. However, in the 2015-2016 rensai, the shift appears to be
toward ‘modern life and society’ and ‘contemporary topics’ (2015-2016 rank 1 and 2, respectively),along with an ‘expressive component’ (essays: rank 2; up from 5) and ‘local boosterism’ in the form ofa focus on local businesses (rank 2; up from 4) and ‘place creation’ in the form of ‘town life’ (rank 3;
up from 5). ‘Medical care’ (rank 3; up from 5) together with ‘health related’ (rank 5; up from 7)
indicate an emerging focus on ‘social health,’ while ‘disaster preparation’ and ‘youth and education’also appear to have gained in social importance (from 8 to 4 and from 7 to 5, respectively).

Table 15. Rensai Frames 2015-2016
Frame
ModernSociety

Frame:
Category 1
ModernSociety andLife
Thematic
EssaysLocal
Businesses
Town Life

Individual
Expression
Economy andBusiness
Place
Creation
Medicalization Medicaland Health
Care
DisasterDisasterPreparation
Preparation
Source: Original research.

2015-2016rank
1

Long-term
rank
2

2

5

2

4

3

5

3

5

4

8

Frame:
Category 2
Contemporary
Topics

2015-2016rank
2

Long-term
rank
5

Local
EconomyLocal Culture- History
HealthRelatedYouth –
Education

(6)

3

(5)

1

5

7

5

7

The research on the ‘Commentary/Opinion’ page revealed a lack of sourcing for a majority of theopinion pieces, which is common practice in Japanese newspapers and magazines, but use of named
experts to some degree as well. The research also showed a range of topics taken up on the‘Commentary/Opinion’ page—domestic as well as international, specifically timely (abdication) as
well as political (the Moritomo school issue) and legislative (labor law), with a tense balance regarding
criticism, being noticeably low in one period but conversely notably high in another.
Taken together, the research reveals the idea, practice and influence of the local newspaper in Japan.
While the present research should be viewed both as a continuation of the previous research introducedin the beginning of this paper and precursory to additional and more detailed research, the results dopoint to several areas of interest. Regarding the readership patterns and implications thereof, it appears
that the reading of the local newspaper is viewed as obligatory at a social level, but which also comeswith perhaps less power to generate local attachment and civic participation—both in terms ofvolunteer participation as well as individual interaction—than once thought. That said, the local
newspaper is still highly read, highly trusted and viewed positively. Regarding the rensai, the research
points to a view of local newspaper rensai as providing readers with information necessary to copewith modern society and contemporary issues—in the form of the content-oriented rensai—while alsooffering an expressive experience, albeit passively—in the form of the ‘essay’ rensai—and a sense ofplace for readers—in the form of the ‘town life’ and ‘local culture and history’ rensai. In this sense,
the rensai seem to continue to set an agenda of economic, if not ‘urban cultural’ (re)vitalization, while
also recognizing the emerging and growing demands for health information and the ongoing
consciousness of, if not active preparation for disasters. Finally, the local newspaper seems, if only on
its ‘Commentary/Opinion’ page, to be embracing to some degree, elements of, if not ‘investigative

journalism,’ then at a minimum ‘critical journalism.’
If, as the premise of media research holds, the mass media focuses attention and defines social issues,
while also offering interpretations of the details and implications of those issues, then, given the news
dissemination functions, the categorical range of rensai, and the criticism of national issues offered by
local newspapers that are described herein, an important conclusion that can be drawn from the present
research is that the societal implications of the local newspaper are potentially quite significant, and if
nothing else, certainly worthy of more extensive and detailed research. While the local newspaper canbe viewed conservatively as influencing only the readership of its host region, given the level of local
newspaper readership in Japan, the research that follows on what has been offered in this paper thus
concerns the aggregate effect of the over 40 local newspapers that cover the whole of Japan.

References
Anastasio, P., K. Rose, and J. Chapman, 1999, “Can the Media Create Public Opinion? A
Social-Identity Approach,” Current Directions in Psychological Science 8(5): 152-155.
Bauer, M., and G. Gaskill, 1999, “Towards a Paradigm for Research on Social Representations,”
Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 29(2): 163-186.
Chen, C. C., 2014, “A Research on Newspaper Reading Habit in Japan: An Empirical Study (sic),” 3rdInternational Conference on Science and Science Research, 636-641.
D’Angelo, P. and J. A. Kuypers, 2010, “Introduction: Doing News Framing Analysis,” in P. D’Angelo
and J. A. Kuypers (eds.) Doing News Framing Analysis: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives, New
York: Routledge, 1-14.
Fackler, M., 2016, “Sinking a bold foray into watchdog journalism in Japan,” Columbia Journalism
Review, 25 October 2016; www.cjr.org/the_feature/asahi_shimbun_japan_journalism.php
Gerber, G., 1967, “Mass Media and Human Communication,” In Human Communication Theory, ed.
F.E.X. Dance. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Kitahara, T., 2012, “Genpatsu ritchiken no chihoshi no roncho-bunseki: 3.11go wo dou ronjitekitak(Analysis of editorials of regional newspapers in publishing areas of which locate nuclear power
plants: How have these papers reported post 3.11),” (sic), Shobi gakuen daigaku sogo seisaku ronshu,

14, 43-65.
Kuypers, J.A., 2010, “Framing Analysis from a Rhetorical Perspective,” in P. D’Angelo and J. A.
Kuypers (eds.) Doing News Framing Analysis: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives, New York:
Routledge, 286-311.
McNeill, D., 2016, “False Dawn: The Decline of Watchdog Journalism in Japan,” The Asia-Pacific
Journal: Japan Focus, 14, 20 (2); 1-17.
McQuail, D., 1987, Mass Communication Theory: An Introduction. London: Sage.
Nakano, K., J. Yu, R. Sakakibara, T. Kitahara, M. Ariga, K. Hayashi, and H. Tanaka, 2014, “HowJapanese Newspapers Contribute to Community Engagement,” Journal of Socio-Informatics, 7(1);13-24.
Nisbet, M. C., 2010, “Knowledge into Action: Framing the Debates over Climate Change andPoverty,” in P. D’Angelo and J. A. Kuypers (eds.) Doing News Framing Analysis: Empirical andTheoretical Perspectives, New York: Routledge, 43-83.
Possmann, M., 2015, “Japan’s Controversial State Secrets Law: One Year Later,” The Diplomat,
online,availableat:

http://thediplomat.com/2015/12/japans-controversial-state-secrets-law-one-year-later/?allpages=yes&p
rint=yes.
Rausch, A., 2002a, “The Role of the Local Newspaper Media in Generating a Citizen Volunteer
Consciousness,” International Journal of Japanese Sociology, 11: 102-117.
Rausch, A., 2002b, “Volunteer Organizational Agenda Setting in the Print Media: A Case Study in
Rural Japan,” The Nonprofit Review, 2(1): 35-45.
Rausch, A., 2004, “Collective Identity Creation and Local Revitalization in Rural Japan: The Complex
Role of the Local Newspaper,” electronic journal of contemporary Japanese studies. Online.
Available at: www.japanesestudies.org.uk/articles/Rausch.html.
Rausch, A., 2008, “Media Representation of Volunteerism and the Nonprofit Sector in Rural Japan:

The ‘Issue-Attention Cycle’ and the Potential for Agenda Setting,” The Nonprofit Review, 7(2): 75-82.
Rausch, A., 2011, “Revitalization Journalism in Rural Japanese Newspapers: A Case Study of the
Toonippo Newspaper and Aomori Prefecture,” International and Advanced Japanese Studies, 3: 1-14.
Rausch, A., 2012, Japan’s Local Newspapers: Chihoshi and Revitalization Journalism. London:
Routledge.
Rausch, A., 2013, “The Regional Newspaper in Post-Disaster Coverage: Trends and Frames of theGreat East Japan Disaster, 2011,” Keio Communication Review, 35; 35-50.
Rausch, A., 2014a, “The Great East Japan Disaster, 2011 and the Regional Newspaper: Transitions
from News to Newspaper Columns and the Creation of Public Memory,” International Journal ofMass Emergencies and Disasters, 32(2); 275-296.
Rausch, A., 2014b, “From News to Memory Creation: Regional Newspaper Coverage of the Great
East Japan Disaster, 2011” in Japanese Journalism and the Japanese Newspaper: A Supplemental
Reader, ed. Anthony Rausch; Teneo Press; pp. 243-265.
Scheufele, D. and D. Tewksbury, 2007, “Framing, Agenda-Setting and Priming: The Evolution ofThree Media Models,” Journal of Communication, 57(1): 9-22.
Sekiguchi, T., 2014, “Japan Real Time: Controversial Japan State Secrets Law Implemented,” The
Wall Street Journal, online. Available at: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2014/12/10/jsecret1210/
Umemoto, S., 2016, Chihoshi ha Chiiki wo Tsukuru – Jumin no tame no Journalism. Tokyo:
Nantsumori Shokan.
Van Gorp, B., 2010, “Strategies to Take Subjectivity out of Framing Analysis,” in P. D’Angelo and J.
A. Kuypers (eds.) Doing News Framing Analysis: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives, New York:
Routledge, 84-109.