The next meeting of the Japan History Group (JHG) at the Institute of Social Science (ISS), University of Tokyo, will be held on Friday, July 18, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Center Meeting Room of ISS (room no.549, Center Kaigi-shitsu), 5th floor of the Akamon Research Building, Hongo Campus.

From the late Meiji era, the development of a China-based press network functional to the national interest became an integral part of Japan's imperial agenda. After the defeat of Russia in the 1904-05 war, the Northeast, compared to other regions, offered the Japanese initiative more favorable conditions to achieve a dominant position in the media landscape. One of the most successful enterprises was the government-sponsored Shengjing Shibao, which became the largest newspaper in Fengtian (Shenyang). As a tool of foreign policy, however, press management suffered from the lack of unified decision-making among different agencies. This policy area is therefore representative of the polycentric character of strategic planning in imperial Japan.