Contested Japanese-ness: Examining the Meaning of Japanese Companies’ Country-of-Origin in China as a Product of Communication

Abstract This paper contributes to the research of consumer nationalism by examining the meaning of corporate country-of-origin as a product of communication, rather than individual perception. The paper focuses in particular on the Japanese electronic and auto companies in China. Using frame analysis to analyze data from the Chinese social media platform of Weibo, it identifies four overall frames from the interaction among the Chinese government, the companies, and the public. The coexisting frames of Foe, Friend, Power, and Reason simultaneously shape the meaning of Japanese-ness, which affords practical implications to corporations’ management of their perceived nationality.