Japan Press Weekly

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2012 March 28 - April 3 [POLITICS]

Gov’t uses \140 million for TPP promotion ad in major papers

The government spent 140 million yen in tax revenues for five major Japanese newspapers on March 31 to run a government ad promoting Japan’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement.

The revelation came out in the response from the government public relations office to an Akahata inquiry.

The government’s advertisement apparently aims to gain public support for Japan’s participation in the TPP.

In the meantime, the Nikkei Shimbun editorialized that Japan is taking too much time to join the TPP (February 24) while the Yomiuri Shimbun in its editorial called for Japan’s comeback by taking advantage of the TPP (March 16). The 5 major newspapers have tried to turn public opinion to favor Japan’s participation in the tariff-free pact.

The government signed a contract with the leading advertising agency Dentsu for the advertisement to appear in the Yomiuri, Asahi, Nikkei, Mainichi, and Sankei shimbuns which have a circulation of 25 million in total.

Another 49 local papers such as Tokyo and Hokkaido shimbuns ran the government ad promoting the TPP from March 8 to 31. The government used about 100 million yen to run this ad in local papers using the service of Dentsu.