Japan’s digital diaspora: social capital, health, and public communication in r/japanlife

Abstract

The present study examines the communication of members in an online community designed for both native and foreign residents living in Japan. The community serves as a platform for members to discuss various topics related to lifestyle, health, food, fashion, among other topics. Using a topic model, we analyzed a mid-size sample (n = 150k) to identify the primary topics of discussion and the potential benefits of participation. The findings indicate that health, lifestyle, travel within and outside of Japan, financial and domestic advice seeking, and temporal discussions for foreigners were the main themes discussed. We discuss the implications of these results and suggest future research directions, such as exploring sensitive topics among Japanese residents and examining the role of mediated communication in society.

Keywords:

• social capital
• health
• public communication
• Japanese online community
• online communities

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data deposition, supplemental files and figures

The data files for the study are uploaded and available on OSF.io.

Additional information

Funding

The research was supported by the Public Opinion Lab housed in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama.

Notes on contributors

Rebecca K. Britt

Dr. Rebecca K. Britt is the Associate Dean for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity in the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama. Her research specializes in computational social science, network analysis and health communication. She is a member of the Japan-U.S. Communication Association at the National Communication Association. Email: [email protected]

Katharina Barkley

Dr. Katharina Barkley is a Full Time Lecturer at Seinan Gakuin University specializing in intercultural corporate communication who has adapted Western crisis communication theories for the Japanese context. She is a member of the Japan-U.S. Communication Association at the National Communication Association.