Japan Primed to Seek Earthquake Relief from United States Through Strong Lobbying Channels

A 8.9 magnitude earthquake and a corresponding tsunami hit northern Japan today, and while figures are still coming in, the New York Times reports hundreds of people have died. Undoubtedly, global aid will pour into Japan, much from the United States.

In recent decades, the United States and Japan have forged very close economic and governmental relationships, made stronger by the Japanese government and various Japanese companies frequent lobbying of the U.S. government.

Any lobbying the Japanese government conducts for earthquake aid will be reported to the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

The Sunlight Foundation has made this data from the last two years available online, and from it, we see Japan’s lobbying efforts have been quite extensive. In hiring a variety of prominent lobbying firms, including Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells) and Hecht, Spencer & Associates, the Japanese government has maintained strong communication channels with U.S. lawmakers.

Under lobbying regulations, the Lobbying Disclosure Act also permits foreign companies to register with it. Japanese companies have spent at least $17 million in lobbying the federal government in 2010, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis of federal lobbying data.

Among these companies, Toyota Motor Corp., Sony Corp. and pharmaceutical giant Eisai Co. spend the most on lobbying.