風評被害

• Reading: ふうひょうひがい
• Romaji: fuhyohigai
• Kanji breakdown: 風 (fu) — manner, atmosphere; 評 (hyo) — assessment, reputation; 被 (hi) — to suffer; 害 (gai) — harm
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯː.çoː.çi.ɡa.i/

Meaning

Reputational damage; damage from rumours. Economic or social harm suffered as a result of unfounded or exaggerated negative rumours, rather than any actual fault.

A compound of 風評 (rumour, reputation) and 被害 (damage, harm). The term became prominent in Japan following the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and gained wider use after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, when agricultural and tourism industries in surrounding prefectures suffered severe economic losses despite their products being safe. 風評被害 is now a standard term in crisis communications and public policy. It emphasises that the harm is caused by perception, not by objective risk.

Examples

1. 原発事故の後、福島産の農産物は科学的に安全と認められても風評被害によって売れ行きが激減した。 After the nuclear accident, sales of agricultural produce from Fukushima plummeted due to reputational damage even though the products were scientifically certified as safe.
2. 感染症の流行期には医療従事者やその家族が風評被害にさらされるケースが社会問題となった。 During infectious disease outbreaks, cases of healthcare workers and their families suffering reputational damage became a social problem.
3. 企業は不祥事発覚後の風評被害を最小限に抑えるため、迅速な情報公開と謝罪声明を発表した。 Following the revelation of a scandal, the company issued a prompt disclosure and letter of apology to minimise reputational damage.

Usage Guide

Context: disaster response, crisis PR, agriculture, nuclear issues, public health

Tone: serious, policy-oriented

Origin & History

Compound of 風評 (fuhyo — rumour, reputation; from 風 wind/manner + 評 assessment) and 被害 (higai — damage, harm; from 被 to suffer + 害 harm). 風評 alone means 'rumour' or 'reputation' but in this compound emphasises the unfounded or disproportionate nature of the negative perception.

Cultural Context

Era: Heisei-Reiwa

Generation: Adult

Social background: Universal