How to Plan a Successful Press Conference in Japan

Short answer: A press conference in Japan works when there is real news, a date that doesn't clash with bigger announcements, and invitations sent personally to the editors who cover your category. Prepare everything in Japanese: the invitation, the release, the press kit and an interpreter for the Q&A. Choose a venue that is easy for Tokyo media to reach, keep the program short with time for photos and questions, and follow up the same day with images and facts. For most consumer products, a press release with individual editor meetings achieves more than a conference.

Is a press conference the right format?

A press conference brings journalists to you at one time and place. That only works when the news is strong enough to justify a trip: a market entry, a well-known person on stage, or something visual that can't be shown in a release.

For a single new product, Japanese editors usually prefer a release in Japanese, a sample or demo, and a short individual meeting. If you aren't sure, start with a release and personal outreach; see how to get Japanese media to cover your product.

How Japanese media relate to press conferences

Many Japanese reporters belong to press clubs (記者クラブ, kisha clubs): groups of journalists who regularly cover a public institution or industry body. The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association describes them as voluntary organizations of journalists, and notes that holding press conferences is one of the things clubs do; it also says limiting attendance to club members is not appropriate (Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association, view on kisha clubs, revised 2006, in Japanese).

For an overseas consumer brand this has two practical consequences. Most product conferences are held by the company itself, not through a club, so you invite each outlet directly. And general news desks, trade media, lifestyle magazines and online gadget sites have different interests: decide which of them the conference is really for.

Plan the date and invitations

Check the calendar. A conference competes with everything else editors could attend that day. Avoid days with major industry events in your category and large competitor announcements, and ask a few target editors informally whether the date works before you fix it.

Invite personally, in Japanese. Send a short invitation three to four weeks ahead, a reminder about a week before and a final note the day before. Each invitation should say what will be announced (without giving the news away), who will speak, the time, the venue with directions, whether photography is allowed and how to register.

Keep a registration list. Ask for the outlet, name, number of attendees and whether a photographer or video crew is coming. It tells you how to set up the room and who to follow up with.

Choose the venue

Choose somewhere easy to reach from central Tokyo, with enough space for the expected number of attendees and a separate area for photographers and video. Check the lighting, the sound system, power for camera crews, Wi-Fi and a reception desk for registration.

A hotel conference room is the familiar choice for a corporate announcement. A showroom or event space suits a product that people need to touch. Whatever the venue, plan where the product will be shown so photographers get clean shots.

Prepare the press kit

Everything must be in Japanese and ready on the day, both printed and as a download link:

• The press release, released at a fixed time agreed with the venue program.
• A fact sheet: price in yen, release date in Japan, where to buy, and the specifications that matter.
• High-resolution images of the product and speakers, with permission to use them.
• Speaker profiles and the correct spelling of every name in Japanese.
• A contact person in Japan who can answer follow-up questions in Japanese.

Plan the program

Keep the formal part short: an opening, the announcement, a demonstration and questions. Leave time for a photo session with the speakers and the product, and for individual interviews afterwards; many outlets need their own photos or quotes.

Arrange a professional interpreter if speakers present in English, and brief them on product names and numbers beforehand. Rehearse the Q&A with the questions Japanese reporters are likely to ask: price, availability in Japan, support and the company's plans for the market.

Follow up

The same day, send attendees and invited editors who couldn't come the release, images and any video. Answer questions quickly, and record which outlets published what. Offer samples or interviews to outlets that showed interest but didn't publish yet.

Example: ONE Championship's first Japan press conference

On 23 August 2018, ONE Championship held its first press conference in Japan at Park Hyatt Tokyo, in partnership with Gloture. Gloture's report at the time counted more than 330 attendees, including media, photographers and fans. Champions and well-known fighters took questions on stage, and the organization used the conference to announce its plans for Japan. Read the ONE Championship case study.

Common mistakes

• No real news. A conference about something that could be a release costs editors a trip and wastes goodwill.
• English-only materials. Many editors will not use a story they can't check in Japanese.
• A clash with a bigger event on the same day.
• Too much presentation, too little access. Editors need photos, demos and time to ask questions.
• No follow-up. Coverage often depends on what you send after the event.

Where Gloture fits

Gloture is a Japan Product PR agency. We prepare Japanese product stories and press releases, distribute them and approach relevant Japanese editors directly, which is what most product launches need. We don't offer event management as a separate service. Gloture's Product PR starts from US$2,500; the scope is agreed for each project. Media coverage isn't guaranteed.

Press conference checklist

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a press conference to launch a product in Japan?

Usually not. For most consumer products, a Japanese press release, samples and individual meetings with relevant editors reach more of the right outlets. A conference makes sense when the news is big enough for editors to travel for it.

Can foreign companies hold a press conference with a kisha club?

Press clubs are organized around public institutions and industry bodies, and their arrangements vary. Most product announcements by overseas brands are held by the company itself, inviting outlets directly.

How far ahead should we send invitations?

About three to four weeks ahead, with a reminder a week before and a final note the day before. Check the date with a few target editors before you fix it.

Should the conference be in Japanese?

The materials should be, and the Q&A should be possible in Japanese. If speakers present in English, use a professional interpreter who has been briefed on product names and figures.