Via Radiant Marketing Group: Businesses in Japan are beginning to embrace blogs as internal and external communications tools just like their counterparts here in the states.

For instance Nissan Motor Co. is using a blog to promote its Tiida compact car, which went on sale in September. In the blog, sales team members introduce the car’s selling points by writing about the vehicle using more casual, everyday language than is usually seen in official Web sites.

“Since they are much easier to establish and maintain, blogs help both big and small companies save on the cost of managing Web sites.”

Many companies also have started using blogging as an internal communication tool on their in-house networks. Having each worker write their own blog makes it easier for them to share information, including to-do listings and daily business reports, allowing news to be made known to all workers at the same time.