Book Announcement

Japan’s Local Newspapers

Chihoshi and Revitalization Journalism

Japan is one of the world’s most literate societies.
Its national newspapers are the most read newspapers in the world and the country also has a vibrant local newspaper sector as well. The first of its kind, this book focuses on Japan’s local newspapers, charting how they have developed, describing their current characteristics, and demonstrating the important role that local newspapers play in the development of their local communities. The author employs the term ‘revitalization journalism’ to explore in detail the use of columns that newspapers use to provide for the economic and identity revitalization of their host community. The book concludes by offering ‘revitalization journalism’ as a form of public journalism that may be the blueprint for how local newspapers are likely to develop in the future.

Table of Contents: Introduction 1. The Japanese
Newspaper Industry 2. A Brief History of the Japanese Newspaper 3. Assessing the Japanese Newspaper 4.
Chihōshi: Places and Papers 5. The Reality of the Local Japanese Newspaper 6. A Future for the Japanese Local Newspaper 7. Conclusion

Author: Anthony S. Rausch is Associate Professor in
the Faculty of Education at Hirosaki University, Japan.

Published by Routledge in the Routledge Contemporary Japan
Series: http://www.routledge.com/9780415693981/