This study aims to clarify the correlation between the way Japan shaped its international image during the Sino-Japanese and the Russo-Japanese Wars and its treatment of foreign journalists at the time. From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, Japan was committed to complying with international laws and strived to improve its standing in the world.

Consequently, it was crucial for Japan to undertake an image building strategy aimed at the Western powers. Extant studies on foreign journalists in Japan in the relevant period have focused on the development of international public opinion by foreign newspapers. The treatment of the foreign journalists themselves has not been sufficiently examined.

However, to elucidate the shaping of Japan’s representation in the foreign media, it is essential to discover the impressions of foreign reporters who embedded themselves within the Japanese Army. Thus, this study will examine the ways through which foreign journalists acquired their perception of Japan. In order to do so, this paper will refer to Japan’s historical records on diplomacy and the military to explain how the favors offered by the Japanese government to overseas journalists and the restrictions imposed upon them in their newsgathering activities influenced the manner in which Japan’s international image was fashioned.