About JNPC
For many years after World War II, the Japanese media lacked an umbrella organization suited to hosting news conferences by visiting heads of state and other foreign dignitaries; instead, almost all such events were held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. As Japan grew into an economic powerhouse during the 1960s, and many foreign VIPs were expected to visit Japan for the Japan World Exposition, Osaka 1970, the Japanese media rallied around the idea of having their own national press club where they could host news conferences and other forums for important visitors.
So it was that on November 1, 1969, the Japan National Press Club (JNPC) was established under the auspices of the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association, the Japan Commercial Broadcasters Association, and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).
While the majority of press clubs around the world offer only individual memberships, JNPC has adopted a dual system of individual and corporate memberships tailored to the actual circumstances of the Japanese news industry, with corporate members taking responsibility for the Club's operations. As of October 2019, on the eve of JNPC's 50th anniversary, membership consisted of 133 organizations and 1,233 individuals.
Over the years, JNPC has welcomed countless distinguished visitors from abroad. US President Gerald Ford, Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping of China, President François Mitterrand of France, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, South African President Nelson Mandela, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, and a succession of UN secretaries general are among the world leaders who have addressed our members while in office. Other honored guests include American Space Shuttle astronauts, charismatic business leader Lee Iacocca, broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite, and economist Thomas Piketty.
Of course, we have also provided a podium for domestic newsmakers, from political leaders, including prime ministers and other top officials, to influential figures in Japanese business, culture, and sports. JNPC currently hosts some 200 news conferences and similar forums annually, and our guest book grows more diverse all the time.
In addition to these events, JNPC sponsors a number of professional programs for journalists, including domestic and overseas "press tours" oriented to current topics and newsgathering workshops for starting and mid-level journalists. Moreover, JNPC serves as a witness to history as well as a key hub for dissemination of the news as we offer free online access to our massive archive of news-conference recordings (sound and video) going back to the Club's founding.