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The Public Relations Society of Japan (PRSJ) announced today that the Grand Prix of its PR Awards 2025 has been awarded to Ishikawa Prefecture and a team of pro bono PR agencies for their rapid response to misinformation following the January 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. The judges praised the initiative for helping to prevent potentially life-threatening situations in the aftermath of the powerful quake. The participating agencies were Hakuhodo Inc., Hokuriku Hakuhodo Inc., Hakuhodo Products Inc., Ozma PR Inc., and Leon Inc.

 

The Gold Award was presented to Kinryu Seimen Co., Ltd. and its partner agencies—Hakuhodo Inc. and Ozma PR Inc.—for transforming the partial demolition of a ramen shop’s iconic giant 3D dragon into a playful stunt, placing its severed tail in the claw of a giant 3D crab a few doors away.

 

The PRSJ also announced the winners of one Gold Award, four Silver Awards, four Bronze Awards and one Special Award.

 

The PR Awards program is held annually to promote and develop public relations in Japan by recognizing outstanding PR initiatives. A total of 98 entries were submitted this year.

 

An awards ceremony featuring presentations by the winners will be held at Jiji Press Hall in Tokyo on December 10.

 

PR Awards 2025 Winners (11 total)

 

Grand Prix

• Responding proactively to a disaster by leveraging the foresight of PR professionals:

Real-time disaster response to protect lives following the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Project owner: Ishikawa Prefecture

Entrants: Hakuhodo Inc., Hokuriku Hakuhodo Inc., Hakuhodo Product’s Inc., Ozma PR Inc., and Leon Inc.

 

Gold (1)

• Tail of the Dragon’s Tail

Project owner: Kinryu Holdings Inc.

Entrants: Hakuhodo Inc. and Ozma PR Inc.

 

Silver (4, in order of registration)

• Breaking through stagnating SME wage growth: An innovative “third-tier” approach for supplementing pay increases with new kinds of employee benefits.

Project owner: Edenred Japan Co., Ltd.

Entrants: Edenred Japan Co., Ltd. and  KMC Group Co., Ltd.

 

 

• “Let’s Grow Burger King” campaign—encouraging customers to suggest new shop locations to overcome limited research funds and resources.

Project owner: Burger King Japan (BK Japan Holdings)

Entrants: The Produce Ltd., DE Inc., Antil Inc., and Sfrth Inc.

 

• SAVE ME – Teary-eyed sticker that turned discounts into pleas, reducing food waste.

Project owner: FamilyMart Co., Ltd.

Entrant: The Breakthrough Company GO

 

• ~Living Well in the 100-Year Life Era~
• Heartwarming stories from 10,000 Seniors in Care Homes — The Be supporters! Project

Project owner: Suntory Wellness Limited

Entrant: Suntory Wellness Limited

 

Bronze (4, in order of registration)

• Hidasuke!— A Platform Connecting Citizens’ Calls for Help with 1,500 Volunteers Secured Annually

Project operator: Hida City, Gifu Prefecture

Entrant: Hida City, Gifu Prefecture

 

• “

Project owner: Daiya Co., Ltd.

Entrants: Daiya Co., Ltd. and Hazoom Inc.

 

 

• I know IBD Project is a cross-industry initiative that supports patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by displaying stickers indicating a willingness to offer restrooms to IBD patients.

Project lead: AbbVie GK

Entrant: PRAP Japan, Inc

 

• Campaign promoting the appeal of conveyor-belt (kaiten) sushi to global audiences, including by collaborating with embassy officials from 24 countries to tailor flavors and styles to each market.

Project owner: Kura Sushi, Inc.

Entrant: PR Consulting Dentsu Inc.

 

Special Award (1)

• “OHTANI CHARM”—Student-led initiative to support their city’s recovery from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake by making products from local materials to sell in toy-dispensing vending machines.

Project operator: Suzu City Ohtani Elementary and Junior High School

Entrants: Kie Aoyama, Kotoko Ogawa, Sakura Matsutani, Advision Ginza Co.,Ltd., and

General Incorporated Association 2025PROJECT

 

Comments from Judging Committee Chair Tomoko Tagami

We sincerely thank all of the participants who submitted entries this year. The approximately 100 submissions highlighted the challenges facing Japan’s PR industry and its vital contributions to society. We are also deeply grateful to the judges, whose rigorous deliberations brought to light the true value of public relations.

 

This year’s judging process was itself profoundly meaningful, as it prompted thoughtful reflection on the very essence of PR.

 

The Grand Prix winner stood out for its comprehensive capabilities and thorough execution of PR fundamentals. In disaster-prone Japan, we cannot overstate the importance of governments collaborating with pro bono experts to quickly counter misinformation and reputational damage, in this case by delivering life-saving communications with precision and expertise. The judges unanimously recognized it as a model for next-generation government communications and a pioneering approach to future public services.

 

The Gold winner demonstrated the true value of PR by using humor and shared storytelling to skillfully resolve a sensitive situation that might otherwise have led to conflict and division. Beyond its entertainment value, the judges were deeply moved by the company’s courage and commitment to building consensus within the local community. The project exemplified how PR can positively shape society, restore reputation and foster goodwill.

 

Despite falling just short of being selected, numerous other outstanding projects left a strong impression on the judging panel. These initiatives offered invaluable insights for future PR leaders. We sincerely hope their passion continues and that they will participate again in future competitions.

 

Public relations is an exciting and promising field with the potential to become a leading force for social change. We are confident that the examples recognized through our awards program will inspire the next generation of PR professionals and contribute to the continued evolution of our industry.

 

 

PR Awards 2025 Judging Policy: PR Transforms Society

For the PR Awards 2025, the Public Relations Society of Japan incorporated three additional evaluation perspectives alongside its standard criteria. These were designed to clarify our belief that PR is not merely a communications tool, but a philosophy that creates lasting value for both business and society.

 

1. Authenticity and Necessity: Did the initiative address the real and meaningful issue for both the industry and society?

PR begins with identifying genuine challenges—where a company’s business goals intersect with authentic societal needs. We evaluated whether the initiative clearly defined such a challenge and demonstrated strong commitment and conviction in addressing it.

 

2. Collective Impact: Did the initiative use communication to bring people together and create change?

Effective PR builds understanding and trust among diverse stakeholders. We assessed whether the initiative engaged multiple groups, encouraged collaboration, and turned dialogue into concrete actions and measurable outcomes.

 

3. Pioneership: Did the initiative demonstrate leadership in shaping the future of PR?

We considered if the initiative went beyond conventional approaches, overcame obstacles and explored new possibilities. Particular attention was given to whether the participants showed the courage and vision to lead the evolution of PR and establish new standards for the industry.

 

 

Judging Committee (in Japanese alphabetical order)

 

Chairperson:  

Tomoko Tagami, Synasia Inc.

Representative Director

 

Judges (9 members)

Tomomi Ueno, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.

PR Team Manager, Communication Strategy Group, Communication Design Department,

Marketing Design Center,  Food Products Division

 

Yusuke Kimura, Hakuhodo Inc.

Chief PR Director and PR Bureau PR Planning 1 Department Manager

 

Tomoki Kunieda, Sophia University

Associate Professor, Department of Journalism, Faculty of Humanities

 

Masashi Kobayashi, PRAP JAPAN, Inc.

Group Planning Director / Director of Strategic Planning Department

 

Ryuichiro Takeshita, TBS Television, Inc.

Chief Content Officer, Cross Dig with Bloomberg, and Special Executive Officer

 

Kyungjin Ha, Kokugakuin University

Associate Professor, Department of Tourism and Community Development, School of Tourism and Community Development

 

Ryosuke Hashimoto, PR Consulting Dentsu Inc.

Deputy Director, Integrated Communications Bureau

 

Kaori Nambu, Schick Japan K.K.

Communications Department Manager, Marketing Division

 

Kazuaki Yokota, Inoue Public Relations, Inc.

Vice President, Japan Public Relations Research Institute, Inc.