MEDIA / MARKETING

The Arkansas Connection: You’ve got to keep an eye on that Arkansas. Not only did it give us a President, but the state offices there were the first to subscribe to a new Orange County publication, Japan Business Newswatch.

The 12-page newsletter condenses news from the Kyodo News Service, which is the Japanese equivalent of the Associated Press or Reuters. Katsuko Ono, who edits the Laguna Niguel-based newsletter, said she negotiated with Kyodo in Tokyo for the exclusive right to publish it in this country.

Ono has worked in the United States, in advertising and public relations, for 25 years. At first, Kyodo told her they did not understand why she would change their stories to tailor them to an American audience.

“They understand now that they see” the newsletter, she said. “There is a big communication gap between Japanese and American employees.”

Kyodo focuses on corporate news, for example, while Ono said she watches for wider trends in trade, the economy, professions and consumer choices.

The newsletter, which has about 100 subscribers at $339 a year, Ono said, is available by calling (714) 249-8931.