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The need for international public relations in a modern world characterised by collapsing trade barriers and increased international trade sets the stage for the study reported in this paper. The authors argue that public relations practitioners and scholars should recognise the importance of culture (both societal and organisational) as a variable that affects public relations practice in various countries. They then report on quantitative and qualitative data gathered from 81 public relations practitioners working in Japan. They conclude that media relations are highly valued by Japanese practitioners who use friendships, typified by the personal influence model, to conduct their media relations. Wa, kou‐chou, amae and tatemae were among the cultural concepts that played a significant role in the way Japanese public relations practitioners operate. Although Japanese practitioners valued symmetrical forms of public relations, they seemed constrained to practise the one‐way models. The authors conclude that similar studies of public relations practice in various cultures will contribute to effective public relations and help toward building a strong theory of international public relations.