News Content and Americans’ Perceptions of Japan and U.S.-Japanese Relations

Tensions between the United States and Japan over bilateral trade began increasing in the late 1970s, turning sharply negative in the early 1990s before relaxing. This article explores the influences on Americans’ perceptions of Japan during this period. Using agenda-setting and issue-framing theories, we find that concerns over certain aspects of U.S.-Japan relations prompted negative perceptions of Japan.