Social media and civil society in Japan

This book offers an overview of social media usage in Japan and describes its role in society during mid-level disruptions by natural disasters. Conceived during and after the Great East Japan Earthquake that devastated large portions of the north-eastern area of Japan, this volume addresses the links between Japanese civil society and the social media scene, using both traditional hypothesis testing, social surveys and large-scale big data analysis to provide insight into the development of an online community for connecting citizens. Considering the connection of civil society organizations, citizens and local governments through online communication, notably social media, and how to promote higher levels of citizen engagement in Japan, it offers solutions for a more prepared, resilient communication network among citizens in case of another large scale disaster. Read more... Abstract: This book offers an overview of social media usage in Japan and describes its role in society during mid-level disruptions by natural disasters. Conceived during and after the Great East Japan Earthquake that devastated large portions of the north-eastern area of Japan, this volume addresses the links between Japanese civil society and the social media scene, using both traditional hypothesis testing, social surveys and large-scale big data analysis to provide insight into the development of an online community for connecting citizens. Considering the connection of civil society organizations, citizens and local governments through online communication, notably social media, and how to promote higher levels of citizen engagement in Japan, it offers solutions for a more prepared, resilient communication network among citizens in case of another large scale disaster Front Matter ....Pages i-xxi The JapaneseInternet Environment (Muneo Kaigo)....Pages 1-35 Social Media in Japan and the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Muneo Kaigo)....Pages 37-71 Japanese Local Government Facebook Profiles (Sae Okura, Muneo Kaigo)....Pages 73-96 Civil Society, Social Media and Facebook Usage by Local Governments: Birth of the Tsukuba Study and the Tsukuba Civic Activities Cyber-Square (Muneo Kaigo, Leslie Tkach-Kawasaki)....Pages 97-119 Promotion and Care of Online Communities: Necessary Elements for a Self-Sustainable Online Facebook Community (Muneo Kaigo, Sae Okura)....Pages 121-151 Who Leads Advocacy Through Social Media in Japan? (Sae Okura, Muneo Kaigo)....Pages 153-173 Conclusion (Muneo Kaigo, Sae Okura)....Pages 175-189 Back Matter ....Pages 191-210