Two Consecutive Years of National Recognition! Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, Supported by Public Relations Advisor Services, Achieves Remarkable Success with its 'Public Relations Magazine'

G.K. LOCUS BRiDGE (Headquarters: Kitamoto City, Saitama Prefecture, Representatives: Keisuke Kurose, Hiroshi Hayashi) announced that Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture, which receives support through its 'Public Relations and City Promotion Support Services,' has been awarded in both the Public Relations Magazine (City Section) and Public Relations Planning categories at the 'Reiwa 8th National Public Relations Contest' hosted by the Japan Association of Public Relations. LOCUS BRiDGE has supported these operations by providing guidance and advice on Oshu City's information dissemination and public relations magazine creation, conducting training sessions for staff, and holding workshops for citizens. What is the National Public Relations Contest? The National Public Relations Contest targets public relations magazines, published photos, and public relations videos released by over 1,700 local governments nationwide in the previous year. Experts evaluate their expressive power, planning ability, and design. In Reiwa 8, entries were judged across 5 media types and 10 categories: Public Relations Magazine (Prefectural/Ordinance-designated City Section / City Section / Town/Village Section), Website (Prefectural/Ordinance-designated City Section / City Section / Town/Village Section), Public Relations Photography (Single Photo Section / Photo Series Section), Video, and Public Relations Planning. The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Award is given to the top selection in each category, and among these, only one receives the Prime Minister's Award. Oshu City's Initiatives Public Relations Magazine (City Section) Award "Koho Oshu" (November 2025 issue) [Comment from the person in charge] First, I am very happy to receive an award for the third consecutive year. I am also surprised to receive awards in two or more categories for the second consecutive year. Thanks to everyone who cooperates with our interviews and all the citizens who look forward to reading our public relations magazine every month, we were able to win a national award again this time. We will continue to work on creating the magazine with the motto "A public relations magazine where citizens are the main characters." [Review] (Iwate Prefecture Contest, Public Relations Magazine Section) This is a valuable special feature that serves as a bridge of understanding for coexisting with people with disabilities, whose proportion is by no means small. The use and arrangement of photos are devised to make readers want to turn the pages. Public Relations Planning Award "Citizens as the Main Characters! Public Relations Magazine Reform to Accelerate the City" [Project Overview] Oshu City embarked on a public relations reform centered on "a public relations magazine where citizens are the main characters," moving away from the traditional "information-centric public relations magazine." Based on citizen surveys and analysis of other local government examples, issues such as a page composition biased towards administrative information and difficulty in reading were organized, and the magazine's layout was fundamentally reviewed. Specifically, opportunities for citizens to appear were significantly increased, photos and special features were strengthened, and the editorial system was shifted to emphasize interviews. Furthermore, by linking with SNS and introducing reader-participatory projects, public relations evolved into a two-way communication. As a result, not only did the readership rate and satisfaction of the public relations magazine improve, but articles also led to citizen behavioral changes, such as participation in events and involvement in local activities. The public relations magazine functions not merely as an information dissemination medium, but as a promotional tool that connects citizens, administration, and the community, and moves the city. [Inquiries] Oshu City Hall, Mirai Rashinban Division Official Website here. Phone: 0197-34-2126 Email: kouhou@city.oshu.iwate.jp Features and Strengths of Our Services Our company, a professional team primarily composed of former public servants, provides consistent services from problem identification to strategy formulation and implementation support, all from a "local and municipal government perspective." As a specialized company supporting local governments in solving their challenges, we promote public-private partnerships leveraging our past achievements and know-how, and propose and build new societal structures. ・Comprehensive support for Furusato Nozei operations (donor response, return gift management, system operation, etc.) ・Consulting services related to local government public relations and city promotion ・Business planning and marketing support for regional industry revitalization Company Name: G.K. LOCUS BRiDGE Location: Fine Life Kitamoto 103, 4-13-1 Chuo, Kitamoto City, Saitama Prefecture Representatives: Keisuke Kurose, Hiroshi Hayashi Business Activities: Regional Furusato Nozei support business, City promotion support business, Regional revitalization and local activation business, Sales support for local governments nationwide, etc. Homepage: https://locusbridge.jp/