Crisis communications come into play when a government or industry organization finds itself embroiled in controversy due to unforeseen accident or other incident with public relations impact. Deft crisis communication on the part of all those involved is essential to ensuring that the storm can be weathered safely and with a minimum of damage. The number of organizations in Japan that aggressively carry out crisis communications, however, remains relatively small. This article is intended to contribute to the more widespread implementation in Japan of more competent, effective crisis communications by presenting an overview of the field illustrated with specific case studies.