Japan has its own press-release distribution ecosystem, entirely separate from PR Newswire, Business Wire or EIN Presswire. A handful of domestic platforms carry almost all the volume that reaches Japanese journalists, and each has a different focus. Here's what they actually are, without the sales pitch.
The main platforms, compared
| Platform | What it is | Strengths | Best for | Notes for overseas companies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PR TIMES | Japan's largest press-release distribution platform | Widest syndication to major portals; broad journalist and consumer readership | Consumer product launches, general company news | Accepts overseas companies; registration with an overseas address is possible using postal code 0000000 and an English company name. Distribution from about ¥30,000 + tax per release |
| @Press | A distribution platform known for its media-matching and targeting focus | Emphasis on routing releases to relevant journalists rather than blanket syndication alone | Brands that want more targeted media outreach alongside distribution | Pricing sits in a broadly similar range to other major platforms; confirm current terms directly, as overseas onboarding details vary by platform |
| Kyodo News PR Wire | Press-release wire operated in connection with Kyodo News, one of Japan's national news agencies | Credibility and reach into corporate, financial and institutional news desks | Corporate announcements, financial news, institutional or government-adjacent stories | Positioning leans corporate/financial rather than consumer; Japanese-language release body still required |
| Dream News / valuepress | Budget-tier distribution platforms | Lower entry cost than the larger platforms | Smaller budgets or supplementary distribution alongside a primary platform | Reach and syndication are typically narrower than PR TIMES; treat pricing as a broadly similar low-cost tier rather than a fixed figure |
The catch nobody mentions: every platform requires Japanese
None of the platforms above accept an English-only release as the primary submission. The release body has to be written in Japanese; you can usually attach an English version alongside it, but that's a courtesy for readers, not a substitute.
This matters more than most foreign brands expect. Japanese journalists skim dozens of releases a day, and one that reads as translated — stiff phrasing, imported sentence structure, superlatives that don't fit local convention — gets passed over before the story is even considered. The platform did its job; the release didn't do its part. See our Japanese press-release format guide for what a release actually needs to look like.
In practice this means the platform fee is the smallest cost in the process. Native Japanese writing — not translation — is what determines whether the distribution fee was money well spent.
Which should a foreign brand choose?
Honest guidance, by use case:
- Consumer product or brand launch: the largest general platform is the default choice for most brands, because of its syndication reach and the breadth of journalists and portals monitoring it.
- Corporate or financial news: a news-agency-affiliated wire tends to carry more weight with corporate and financial desks, and is worth considering for announcements like funding, partnerships or leadership changes.
- Testing the market on a tight budget: a budget-tier platform can work as a low-cost first attempt, though reach is narrower — treat it as a starting point, not a strategy.
- Ongoing news flow across categories: some brands end up using more than one platform depending on the story type, rather than committing to a single one.
None of this is a ranking of "best" — it's a match between story type and platform focus. The platform choice matters far less than whether the release itself is written the way Japanese journalists expect.
DIY vs having it handled
Doing it yourself means: writing (or translating) the release, setting up a platform account as an overseas entity, choosing a plan, formatting it to local convention, and submitting it — all before you know whether it will get picked up.
A natively written, distributed and reported release from a specialized service typically runs €1,000–2,500 all-in. That figure covers native Japanese writing, platform account setup, distribution, and a report back in English — not just the platform fee.
Japan PR Launchpad's pricing sits inside that range and is published rather than quoted after a meeting: €980 ($1,100) per release, plus a one-time €290 ($330) setup fee for first-time clients. If you cancel before distribution, it's a 100% refund — no charge for work that never went out.
Get your release written and distributed properly
Tell us what you're announcing — you'll have a concrete scope, price and timeline within two business days. No meetings required.
Create your free company profile →Frequently asked questions
Can foreign companies use PR TIMES?
Yes. PR TIMES accepts overseas companies, and registration with an overseas address is possible using postal code 0000000 and an English company name. No Japanese entity is required to distribute a release.
Do these platforms support English releases?
Not as the primary release. Japan's major platforms require the release body to be written in Japanese; an English version can usually be attached alongside it, but Japanese journalists rarely pick up releases that read as translated.
How much does PR TIMES cost?
Distribution on PR TIMES, Japan's largest platform, starts at roughly ¥30,000 plus tax per release. Other platforms sit in a broadly similar range; none of them publish costs for the native writing, translation or media targeting that determine whether a release actually gets picked up.
Which platform is best for consumer product launches?
For most consumer brands, the largest general platform (PR TIMES) is the default choice because of its wide syndication to major portals and broad journalist readership. Corporate or financial announcements are often better suited to a news-agency wire.
Do platforms guarantee media coverage?
No. No platform or agency can honestly guarantee editorial coverage — journalists decide what to cover. Distribution puts a release in front of them; native writing, correct format and a Japanese media kit are what maximize the odds of pickup.