1. How Do Local Governments Use Social
Media in Japan and the USA?
Adam Acar

2. In our social media seminar, each student is
assigned a research project. Haruka, a senior
stduent majoring in English, looked at the
differences between the posts of American and
Japanese local governments. Sampling: Collect the
last 10 posts of the 10 most populous local
governments in Japan and the USA in the month of
January, 2013.
HOW?

3. SNS Presence (by January 25, 2013)
74%
58% 58%
28%
55%
17%
Facebook Twitter Both (Facebook +
Twitter
the U.S. (Out of 50 states)
Japan (out of 47
Prefectures)

4. Content
Sample: The last 10 tweets of the 10 most populous Japanese prefectures and he
last 10 tweets of the 10 most populous American states. Japanese prefectures:
Tokyo, Kanagawa, Aichi, Saitama, Hyogo, Hokkaido, Ibaraki, Hiroshima, Kyoto
and Niigata. American states: Texas, New York, Michigan, Georgia, North
Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Maryland, Alabama and Kentucky.

5. Content

6. Content

7. Content

8. Conclusions
• American local governments mostly tweet about local
news while Japanese prefectures tend to focus on
informing people about local events and activities.
• American local governments ask many questions but
Japanese prefectures don’t.
• American local governments tend to thank followers
and show appreciation (verbally) while Japanese
prefectures don’t.
• Reference to blogs is almost nonexistent in the US.
• Tips & useful information is almost nonexistent in
Japan.