Frequency of Contact Between Japanese Politicians and the Press.

This paper attempts to characterize aspects of the relationship between members of parliament (Diet) and reporters in Japan. It focuses on the frequency of meetings between the political elite and the press, based on the results of a questionnaire that was distributed among Diet members. The findings show that there is a correlation between frequency of meetings and the number of times one has been elected to the Diet: frequency increases with parliamentary experience, but only up to a certain point. This research is part of a broader study being conducted in Japan on the relationship between politicians and the press. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]