Visualizing the 'Local Government PR Capability' that Shapes Japan's Future: Zion Co., Ltd. Announces 'National Local Government PR Capability Ranking 2025 Edition'

Zion Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tsutomu Inoue) announces the 'National Local Government PR Capability Ranking 2025 Edition.' This ranking is a quantitative report that visualizes the 'execution layer' of local government PR from multiple angles by quantifying slightly under 320,000 (316,704) pieces of information disseminated by 67 local governments nationwide over one year. The measurement is based on four axes: 'Dissemination Capability, Ripple Effect, PR TIMES Usage, and SNS.'

■ Purpose of this project:

As a company aiming to 'solve Japan's social issues through business,' we consider regional revitalization and supporting local government information dissemination to be crucial missions. This ranking is not intended for competing over positions, but rather aims to serve as a starting point for dialogue among local governments, media, and citizens through the visualization of the current situation based on data.

■ Background of the project implementation:

We provide marketing support that leads to regional revitalization across the country. Based on the knowledge we have accumulated so far, we believe it is our responsibility to quantitatively visualize the current state of local government PR. This ranking respects the efforts of local government representatives nationwide and offers a perspective to understand modern local government PR from multiple angles.

■ Project structure:

To enhance the reliability of this project, we have welcomed Mr. Motoki Minami, who has extensive knowledge and a proven track record in the PR industry, as an external partner and supervisor, ensuring thorough objectivity in the design of evaluation indicators and analysis.

■ Overview and features of the ranking:

- Quantitative analysis on 4 axes: Targeting 47 prefectures and 20 designated cities (67 local governments in total), measured on 4 axes: Dissemination Capability (40%), Ripple Effect (30%), PR TIMES Usage (15%), and SNS (15%).

- Evaluation axis for the AI era: Designed as a PR index for the AI era by introducing 'AIO/LLMO readiness (Generative AI visibility),' which AI references, as an adjustment coefficient.

- Main results: Tokyo took the overall top spot in the prefecture category, and Kobe City took the overall top spot in the designated city category.

National Local Government PR Capability Ranking Summary

▼ News Highlights

1. Measuring the 'execution' of local government PR through 4 axes (Dissemination Capability, Ripple Effect, PR TIMES Usage, SNS)

Tokyo (68.25) is the overall leader among prefectures, and Kobe City (63.16) among designated cities.

2. Tottori Prefecture 2nd, Ishikawa Prefecture 3rd -- Small prefectures breaking into the top 3

Despite being the least populated prefecture, Tottori is an all-around honors student with a playful dissemination style, scoring a deviation value over 55 on all 4 axes / Ishikawa Prefecture achieved 66,867 annual reposts, conveying social urgency with qualitative appeal through a small number of posts regarding the Noto reconstruction.

3. Fukui, Shizuoka, and Wakayama Prefectures rank high nationally in 'Ripple Effect'

Fukui Prefecture stands out for its news media coverage with 588 local newspaper and 424 national newspaper publication achievements, ranking 1st nationally with a ripple effect deviation value of 84.25. Shizuoka Prefecture is 2nd at 77.51.

4. Designated Cities TOP 3: Kobe, Kyoto, Kitakyushu

Kobe City (63.16), Kyoto City (61.64), Kitakyushu City (59.43). Kobe City ranks 1st among designated cities with an integrated SNS deviation value of 75.17, driven by posts memorializing the earthquake, remembering reconstruction, and supporting sports.

▼ Evaluation design of the 4 axes

▼ Planning intent

This ranking is the result of a quantitative analysis using 4 axes based on the aggregation of slightly under 320,000 (316,704) pieces of information over the year from April 2025 to March 2026. This includes 80,431 official releases acquired from 67 local governments nationwide, along with related media reports, PR TIMES distributions, and official X posts. In contrast to existing evaluation axes that measure 'impressions,' this ranking is an attempt to measure the 'execution layer' from multiple angles. It visualizes 'dissemination in a format that reaches the audience' in an era where AI searches for information, based on data from all 67 local governments.

01. Integrated Ranking TOP 10

Reference values (figures not published): Iwate, Fukushima, Nara, and Sapporo are not included in the main ranking due to structural constraints in measuring dissemination capabilities from their official websites or providing data. Hiroshima Prefecture opted out this year according to their own intention.

02. Integrated Ranking Full Standings

Reference values (figures not published) Prefectures: Iwate, Fukushima, Nara. Hiroshima: Opted out this year. Designated Cities: Sapporo.

▼ Guide on how to read the rankings

The difference in integrated scores is gently distributed among the top, middle, and lower groups. It is recommended to focus on the characteristics of each local government's dissemination strategy rather than the ranking itself. Lower-ranked municipalities do not necessarily have 'low PR capability'; rather, their positions are formed by the balance between dissemination and ripple effects, or the relationship with the scope of obtainable data. The scale of room for growth is important information that can be read from this ranking.

▼ Fairness design: Population adjustment and visibility adjustment

Population adjustment: Dissemination and SNS indicators were converted by population ratio. This ensures a design where local governments with small populations are also evaluated fairly.

Visibility adjustment: Pub