Introduction to Japanese News Media.
Japan has a lively media scene, thanks to its technological advancements especially in the broadcasting sector. The media owned by the government faces huge competition from commercial media outlets. NHK is only state owned broadcaster among five that provide terrestrial television networks throughout Japan. NHK also charges a license fees from the commercial broadcasters. Millions of Japanese population have subscribed to both cable pay television and satellite broadcasts.
Apart from news, people like to watch drama shows and sports on TV in Japan. Baseball is the most followed sports in the country. Even though the broadcasters do not show foreign TV shows, their influence on domestic television content is clearly visible.
Print Media
Newspapers are the most trusted medium of news in Japan. Millions of people read national dailies, most of which come in two editions. People also pay for online access of some digital newspapers.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Japanese journalists “find it hard to fully play their role as democracy’s watchdog because of the influence of tradition and business interests”. But the United States based agency, Freedom House, claims that Japan has witnessed aggressive political reporting by some of the news portals and magazines in the recent years.
History
Yokohama Mainichi Shinbun was the first newspaper of Japan. The national daily was started in 1871 for the coverage of all news related to foreign and domestic affairs. Early newspapers of Japan can be divided into two types, ?shinbun and Koshinbun. While ?shinbun used to act as political forums, Koshinbun were popular newspapers for local news, light fiction and human interest stories. Koshinbun was meant for general masses of the country, while early readers of ?shinbun newspapers came from the samurai class.
Internet Media
The web media is on the rise in the technological advanced country. According to Internet World Stats, over 118 million people had access to the internet by 2018. While worldwide social media applications like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are available in the country, Japan and Korea’s joint production Line leads the market of social media and messaging apps.
Japanese newspapers and news websites’ list
We have compiled a list of top newspapers and websites that are quite popular among the Japanese readers within the nation and its neighbouring countries.
Part I: Newspapers and websites
In the first part of the article, we have shared a list of the prominent newspapers and websites of Japan with their details.
Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun is among the five main national newspapers in Japan. As per June 2020 figures, the circulation of Asahi Shimbun’s morning edition was 5.16 million and 1.55 million for the evening edition. The broadsheet newspaper was founded by Murayama Ry?hei and Ueno Riichi. Its first issue appeared on January 25, 1879, in Osaka, The Asahi Shimbun Company, headquartered in Osaka, is the publisher of the newspaper.
History
Asahi Shimbun is one of the largest and oldest dailies in Japan. It started as a four-page illustrated newspaper and was available for one sen. During its initial years, Asahi Shimbun had a circulation of around 3000 copies. Its first premises were Edobori, Osaka. Later in the same year on September 13, Asahi published its first editorial. Ueno Riichi was enlisted as a co-owner in 1881. From 1882, the newspaper started receiving funds from the government.
Controversy
During the Rice Riots in 1918, Asahi Shimbun was critical of Terauchi Masatake’s cabinet, hence, the authorities forced it to take down an article. This incident softened the liberal ideology of the Asahi Shimbun. Several staff reporters resigned from the newspaper in protest. During February 26 incident in 1936, its office was vandalised and the newspaper had to face multiple attacks from ultranationalists.
Sankei Shimbun
Sankei Shimbun is a daily newspaper published in Japan. It is the fifth-highest circulated daily in Japan. Sankei Shimbun, which was once a national newspaper, is now a metropolitan daily. On October 2020, Sankei Shimbun shut down its print publications outside Tokyo and the Kansai region. The newspaper is a part of Fujisankei Communications Group.
History
Shankei Shimbun emerged from the collaboration of two newspapers- Nihon Kogy? Shimbun and Jiji News. While Jiji News was established in 1882, Nihon Kogy? Shimbun’s first issue was published in 1993. Jiji News was founded by journalist and author Fukuzawa Yukichi and the latter was established by Hisakichi Maeda and published by Minami-OSAKA Shimbun. Sankei Shimbun is considered to be a conservative and nationalist newspaper. It is said to have changed its liberal views after facing financial crisis.
Website
In 1996, Sankei Shimbun launched two online newspapers- Sankei Web and E-news. In 2001, an e-newspaper edition was also started. From 2005, Sankei Shimbun started adding videos, compatible with smartphones, to its digital edition under the title Sankei NetView. MSN Sankei News was launched in 2007. It was a new online newspaper produced in collaboration with Microsoft. In 2014, the online news was rebranded as Sankei News.
???? | Sankei Shimbun Android App
The Japan News – by Yomiuri Shimbun
The Japan News is an English language newspaper of Japan. Published by Yomiuri, it is one of the largest English language newspapers in the country. Talking about Yomiuri Shimbun, it is a Japanese language newspaper published in major cities like Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo. Counted among the five national newspapers, it is headquartered in Otemachi, Chiyoda. According to the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers’ (WAN IFRA) World Press Trends, 2019 Report, Yomiuri Shimbun was named the newspaper with largest circulation in the world.
Origin And History
Yomiuri Shimbun was established in 1874 by the Nisshusha newspaper company. Initially, it was a small daily newspaper. It is printed twice in a day. From the 1880s to 1890s, Yomiuri Shimbun was known as a literary arts publication as it published work by writers like Ozaki K?y?. In 1924, the management of the company was led by Shoriki Matsutaro. Under his leadership, the quality of news coverage saw an improvement. He also established Japan’s first professional baseball team, which is now known as Yomiuri Giants. It became the newspaper with largest circulation in Tokyo area by 1941.
During wartime in 1942, Yomiuri Shimbun joined hands with Hochi Shimbun and published as Yomiuri-Hochi. The newspaper is known for promoting nuclear power within the country. Yomiuri Shimbun went on to establish Yomiuri Prize in 1948.
???? | The Japan News – by Yomiuri Shimbun Online
???? | The Japan News – by Yomiuri Shimbun ePaper
???? | The Japan News – by Yomiuri Shimbun iOS App
JIJI
Jiji or JijiPress Ltd is a Japanese news agency. Jiji is not a publicly-traded company. It is an employee-owned corporation. It does not have non-employee shareholders. Jiji has news bureaus across Japan and in prominent cities worldwide.
Origin And History
It was established in November 1945 after Domei Tsushin, the government-owned news agency, shut down its operations. Domei Tsushin was responsible for gathering news and disseminating information before and during World War II. In the next few years, Jiji collaborated with news agencies worldwide such as UPI, the Associated Press, AFP, and Reuters among others.
Controversy
In 2011, Jiji in its report mentioned that Olympus CEO Michael Woodford blackmailed the management of the company to appoint him as CEO. In return, he will cover up an accounting scandal. Woodford slammed the report saying “the so-called unnamed sources at Olympus had clearly lied, Jiji had without proper scrutiny and challenge simply reported those lies.”
Jiji had to withdraw the report and issue an apology. In 2012, president Masahiro Nakata resigned after a Jiji writer in Washington, D.C. was found guilty of plagiarism. The writer copied an article from Kyodo News.
Website
Jiji also has a website. For the convenience of its readers, the news stories have been segregated into sections such as International, Society, Economy, Sports, Entertainment and Life among others.
Sports Nippon
Sports Nippon is a Japanese language sports newspaper published in Japan. Back in 1997, it was considered one of the “Big Three” sports newspapers in the country among 17 competitors. Sports Nippon is an affiliate newspaper of Mainichi Shimbun.
Origin And History
Its first issue appeared on February 1, 1949. Launched as Sports Nippon Shimbun in Osaka, it was a tabloid with four pages. It was available for 1.50 yen per copy. In 1950, it established a branch in Tokyo. From June 1, 1959, it started its journey as a national newspaper. While in 1959 and 1975 Sports Nippon began local printing in Sapporo and Aomori City respectively, the newspaper began printing in Maebashi and Fukushima in 1982. Sports Nippon began colour printing in 1986. In 2014, the company launched Manga Archivo, a weekly tabloid.
Digital Media
Sports Nippon also has a website to complement its print edition. To cater to the interest of its readers, the website has segregated different sports into specialised sections such as Baseball, Football and Martial Arts among others. There are other categories like Performing Arts, Olympics, Gambling, Car and many more. Sponichi Mail, an e-mail newspaper was launched on January 1, 1999.
Sports Nippon (????????) Online
Sports Nippon (????????) Android App
Sports Nippon (????????) iOS App
Mag2
Mag2 or Magmag is a Japanese language website in Japan. The origin of the portal can be traced back to January 1999 when Magmag, an e-mail newsletter delivery service founded Magmag Co., Ltd. In July 2000, the website established its office in Tokyo, which was finally shifted to Shinagawa-ku in September 2017. Takashi Matsuda is the President and CEO (2021).
History
In December 2014, the company launched the comprehensive website ‘Mag2news’. Next year in March 2015, ‘Money Voice’, a business portal was founded. Another product ‘Jimoto no Kokoro’, a website for local information was started in June 2015. ‘Trip Editor’ and ‘By Them’ are other portals of the company. While the travel website ‘Trip Editor’ was launched in March 2018, ‘By Them’ was established in August 2019. Finally, in September 2020, Magmag got listed on Tokyo Stock Exchange’s JASDAQ market.
Categories
To cater to the interest of its readers, the website has segregated the news stories into various sections and covers genres such as news, beauty, fashion, entertainment, education, politics, sports, travel and food among others.
Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a private media, financial, software and data company. Headquartered in New York City, the United States, the organisation was established in 1982 by Michael Bloomberg. Founded as “Innovative Market Systems”, it was renamed Bloomberg LP in 1986. In 1987, Bloomberg opened its first branch in Asia in Japan’s Tokyo. While Tokyo bureau was established in 1990, Osaka bureau was inaugurated in 2008.
Network And Services
As far as its media services are concerned, Bloomberg has a wire service, global television network, radio station, websites, two magazines- Bloomberg Businessweek and Bloomberg Markets besides subscription-based newsletters. On its website, Bloomberg claims to be the “world-leading financial technology company with highly transparent information supplies” and a network in approximately 180 cities across the world.
Social Media Presence
“Bloomberg information is indispensable not only for major financial institutions in Japan, but also for the leaders of the Bank of Japan and the Ministry of Finance,” it mentions on the website. Bloomberg is also available on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
J-Cast
J-Cast is a news website based in Japan. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company ‘Co., Ltd. Jay cast’ was launched on August 25, 1997. It was established by the former publisher and editor-in-chief of the magazine AERA, Masao Ninagawa.
Origin
The website ‘J-Cast News’ was established on July 26, 2006. In July 2007, the company launched J-CAST Mobile. “Based on the breaking news of newspapers and television and the “1.5th information” equipped with the analytical power of magazines, we cover a wide range of things,” the portal claims in the about us section of its website.
J-Cast is a representative portal of Japan Yahoo. It also has J-Cast TV that offers “wide shows, dramas, variety shows, news, sports, music, and other recommended programs”.
‘Middle Media’ Debate
According to Hiroyuki Fujishiro, a freelance journalist, media that arranges information on blogs and bulletin boards such as J-CAST News, is a “middle media” as it is between CGM and mass media. However, Ninagawa slams Fujishiro’s middle media theory saying that he feels proud that he “creates his own content and is not just a news aggregator like Google News”.
AFPP BBNews
?AFPPBB News (AFPBroadBand News) is a Japanese language news website launched in 2007 by AFP Communications. As far as AFP (Agence France-Presse) is concerned, it is the predecessor of Agence Havas, founded by Charles-Louis Havas in 1835 in Paris.
Modus Operandi
AFPBB News translates and edits news stories reported by AFP from around the world. AFPBB News disseminates information from media across the world. Hence, all the articles on the website do not represent the views of AFPBB. It started translating news articles related to China from June 2017. The reports were sent by China News Service (CNS), a national news agency.
Other Websites
The company responsible for marketing AFP communication’s content in Japan is Creative Link Co., Ltd., Group Company of AFP communication, which is a Subsidiary of Agence France-Presse. It also has another website ‘Mode Press’ which is a fashion channel providing information related to fashion and collections from four major cities- Paris, New York, London and Milan. ‘Watches Press’ is a portal which gives information about watches and its different trends across the country and region.
Digital Media Presence
?For the convenience of its readers, AFPBB News has segregated the news stories into different sections and sub-sections such as News, Sports, Photos and Fashion. ?AFPBB News is also available on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.
Hamusoku
Hamusoku is a Japanese language website based in Japan. The portal is available on micro-blogging site Twitter.
News Post Seven
News Post Seven is a news portal based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, in Japan. The Japanese language news website integrates four magazines, namely SAPIO, Weekly Post, Josei Seven and Money Post. All of these magazines are published by Shogakukan.
The Publisher
Operated by Shogakukan Post Seven Bureau, the website not only posts original articles but also re-edited stories of Weekly Post and Josei Seven magazines. One can read these articles and reports without any extra charge. It also has a video news service News MagVi. Talking about the publisher, Shogakukan Inc. is a company based in Tokyo. It publishes non-fiction, literature and dictionaries among others. Founded by Takeo ?ga, the company was established on August 8, 1922.
Digital Media Presence
News Post Seven has several categories such as Domestic, Sports, Life, International and Business among others. It is also available on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Sankei Sports
Sankei Sports is a daily sports newspaper published in the Japanese language. Headquartered in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, the daily is published by Sankei Shimbun. Published in the broadsheet format, its first issue was launched in February 1955. Sankei Sports is also known by its nickname Sanspo.
Origin And Circulation
Sankei Sports is owned by Fujisankei Communications Group. While in February 1995, Sankei Sports was launched at the former Osaka headquarters, it was published in Tokyo in February 1963. The newspaper had a circulation of 1,360,000 in 2002.
Digital Media Presence
Sankei Sports also has a website to complement its print edition. To cater to the interest of its readers, the portal has segregated the news stories into several sections. It covers all the sports ranging from baseball, football, rugby, golf, horse racing, tennis, swimming, judo, table tennis to sumo wrestling. It is also available on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
???????? | Sankei Sports Online
???????? | Sankei Sports ePaper
ZAKZAK
Zakzak is a news portal in the Japanese language. To cater to the interest of its readers, the website has categories news articles and reports into several sections such as Politics, Society, Sports, Economy, Health and Leisure among others. Zakzak also has accounts on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
IZA
IZA is a news website in Japan. The Japanese language portal has several sections to cater to the interest of its readers. Politics, Economy, International, Sports and Society are some of the categories available on the website. IZA is also available on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
CNN Japan
CNN Japan is the Japanese version of the US-based news channel CNN (Cable News Network). It is distributed in the country by Japan Cable Television. The content on CNN Japan is exclusively for Japanese audience. The shows are broadcast between 0.00 to 17.00 EET. Earlier, CNN Japan used to present a mix of CNN/US and CNN International. However, from 2008, CNN Japan is a direct relay of CNN International Asia Pacific.
Ownership
While Japan Cable Television is a television production company, founded in October 1971, CNN is Atlanta based multinational news television channel. Established by Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld in 1980, it was the first 24-hour news channel in the United States. CNN is owned by CNN Worldwide, which is a unit of the Warner Media News & Sports division of AT&T’s Warner Media
Digital Media Presence
CNN Japan also has a Japanese language website. The portal has multiple sections such as World, USA, Business, Tech, Entertainment, Travel, Photo, Video, Odd News, Style and Opinion. It is also present on Facebook and Twitter. CNN Japan’s mobile news application is available for iOS devices.
47News
?47News is a website for the coverage of “domestic and foreign news”, owned by Japanese news agency Kyodo News. It is affiliated with as many as 52 participating newspapers publishing in 47 prefectures of Japan. 47News aims to “disseminate local culture and vitality” in form of breaking news, photos and videos as stated on its Facebook page.
Origin
The news website is operated by the National Newspaper Net Co., Ltd., which started the service on September 15, 2006. With Masato Shimada as President and Uichiro Oshima as Representative Director, 47News claims to have a capital of 75 million yen in its Operating Company Profile.
Coverage
The website is also known for its coverage of sports news, covering baseball, golf, soccer and Olympics. 47News’s coverage of new products and technologies are also much trusted in the country. Tourism, movies, B-class gourmet, music, F1, new publications and a soothing article corner are among highlights of the website.
For the convenience of its readers, the 47News website segregates stories in sections like Featured, National, Region, Society, Political, Economic, International, Sports, Culture and Ranking among others.
Nikkan Gendai
Nikkan Gendai is a Japanese language magazine that is published daily by the Kodansha Grupu Co., Ltd. Nikkan Hyundai Co., Ltd. Established in 1985, Nikkan Gendai was initially edited by the former editor-in-chief of Shukan Hyundai. Shunji Terada is the President of Nikkan Gendai (2021).
“In a weekly magazine that can only be published once a week, the story becomes out of date. Then, “Daily Gendai” started because it was going to put it out every day,” Nikkan Gendai explains its objective in the Company Profile on its website.
Target Audience
Targeting businessmen, Nikkan Gendai boasts of its editorial policy that makes it stand apart from the big media houses. The reportages of the magazine hit “real intention, anger, and the doubt of the public” and try to cover all the information that a businessman wants in practical articles.
Besides business, Nikkan Gendai has its focus on horse racing as its reporters follow all the developments closely and provide information that is not available in any other newspaper.
Website
Nikkan Gendai has a website as well with news sections like Politics and Society, Performing arts, Sports, Life, Money, Health, Horse racing, Photo and Books among others. “Nikkan Gendai was the first thing that the internet media today is trying to do,” the website claims in its Company Profile.
?????? | Nikkan Gendai Android App
?????? | Nikkan Gendai iOS App
Tokyo Shimbun
The Tokyo Shimbun is a Japanese language newspaper owned and operated by The Chunichi Shimbun Company. Besides The Tokyo Shimbun to serve the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, the media group publishes another newspaper, Chunichi Shimbun, for the Nagoya Metropolitan Area.
In 1888, The Tokyo Shimbun was started as a regional newspaper in Nagoya. In 1942, it merged with the Miyako Shimbun and finally a merger with a Tokyo-based paper gave The Tokyo Shimbun its current form in 1967.
Circulation
According to the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, the combined circulation of the daily newspapers owned by The Chunichi Shimbun Company was close to 3.5 million in 2008. With two editions in a day, The Tokyo Shimbun had morning circulation of 620,125 and evening circulation of 309,387 copies at that time.
With its headquarters in Nagoya, the Chunichi Shimbun Company has employed approximately 3,458 people. The Tokyo Shimbun also owns a professional Japanese baseball team, Chunichi Dragons.
Ideology
The newspaper is considered to be of left-wing and supports the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan. President Uichiro Oshima is the Representative Director of The Tokyo Shimbun.
Website
The Tokyo Shimbun also has a news portal that publishes stories in sections like New Corona, Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Society, Political, Economic, International, Sports, Life, Culture and Performing Arts, Editorials and columns, and Event among others.
Tokyo Shimbun (????) Android App
News24
News 24, which is also known as Nippon TV News 24 Japan, is an English language news website owned and operated by the Nippon Television Network. In the About Us section of the official YouTube channel of News 24, Nippon Television Network claims to be “Japan’s leading broadcast network”.
Coverage
For the convenience of the readers, News 24 segregates stories in sections like Society, Entertainment, International, Political, Economic, Sports, Featured, Show, Post, Blog, Local Weather, Earthquake and Disaster Prevention among others.
Ownership
The Nippon Television Network Corporation is the biggest media conglomerate of Japan in terms of revenue. It only second largest in the country after Sony. The studios of Nippon TV are in Minato, with its transmitters located in the Tokyo Skytree. Nippon TV was started in July 1952. It is the first TV channel to get a broadcasting license in Japan. Later in October, the Nippon Television Network Corporation was formed.
On July 2, 2019, the Nippon TV Holdings and Fuji Media Holdings partnered with the Walt Disney Television with the help of the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. At the same time, NBC News had partnered with NNN and FNN on a deal for 52 years.
Nishinippon Shimbun
The Nishinippon Shimbun is a Japanese newspaper owned by the Nishinippon Shimbun Co., Ltd. In 2013, Nishinippon Shimbun had a circulation of 875,000, combined of the morning and evening paper. With its headquarters in Fukuoka, The Nishinippon Shimbun enjoys huge chunk of circulation in the Japanese city. One can also find the newspaper in Ky?sh?, an island of Japan.
Origin
The Nishinippon Shimbun was started under the title of Chikushi Shimbun with an objective to cover the Seinan Civil War in 1877. Three years later, the newspaper was renamed as Fukuoka Nichi-Nichi Shimbun and then The Nishinippon Shimbun in 1942. The country was witnessing the Pacific War at that time and The Nishinippon Shimbun merged with Kyushu Hodo for the coverage of news.
Network
The Nishinippon Shimbun has the largest network of regional news sources in Kyushu. Besides covering Kyushu, some of the newspaper reporters operate from the main office in Fukuoka City. The Nishinippon Shimbun has over 65 local offices spread across seven prefectures of Kyushu. Branch offices of the newspaper are in Tokyo and Osaka.
For the coverage of foreign affairs, The Nishinippon Shimbun has as many as six foreign bureaus, in Paris, Washington, D.C., Beijing, Seoul, Taipei and Bangkok.
????? | Nishinippon Shimbun Online
????? | Nishinippon Shimbun ePaper
????? | Nishinippon Shimbun Android App
Kobe Shimbun
Kobe Shimbun is a Japanese language daily newspaper that has website as well with its base in Hyogo Prefecture. The electronic version of the newspaper is known as Kobe Shimbun NEXT. The newspaper’s website claims in its About Us section that its “information dissemination and networking power” help Hyogo residents “solve regional issues”.
Kobe Shimbun further claims to be the most circulated newspaper in Hyogo Prefecture, thanks to its detailed coverage of the regional issues.
Network
More than 200 reporters of Kobe Shimbun operate from the headquarters of the newspaper in Kobe and Himeji. Kobe Shimbun also has three branches in Osaka, Tokyo and Higashiban, besides seven general bureaus and over 20 branch offices. As many as 12 regional editions are published by Kobe Shimbun. With such an extensive coverage network, Kobe Shimbun aims to “cover the entire area of Hyogo Prefecture in detail”.
Other Publications
The company that owns Kobe Shimbun has its ventures in magazines, television and radio broadcasting as well. One of the most prominent publication associated with Kobe Shimbun is a sports newspaper “Daily Sports”. It covers all news related to the Hanshin baseball team.
“We will entertain Japan and the world while based in rural areas. Group companies include Sun Television, Radio Kansai, and Keihanshin El Magazine, which form a major media group,” the company states.
Kobe Shimbun (????) Android App
Akita Sakigake Shimpo
Akita Sakigake Shimpo is a Japanese language daily newspaper based in Akita prefecture of Japan. More than half of Akita Prefecture’s residents read Akita Sakigake Shimpo. The newspaper is owned by Sakigake Group that also owns Akita Broadcasting System, Akita Television and FM Akita.
According to 4imn.com, Akita Sakigake Shimpo is a Generalist Newspaper with a circulation of 200,000 to 300,000.
History
Ryochi Karino started the newspaper under the title “The Ugo Shimbun” on March 28, 1873. He also edited the early editions of the Akita-based daily. The title of the newspaper was changed to Kaji Shimbun in August that year. Until October 2008, Akita Sakigake Shimpo published an evening edition along with the daily morning paper.
Website
Akita Sakigake Shimpo also has a website that publishes news in sections like National news, Sports, Special feature, Serialization, Entertainment and Event among others. One can also read the digital version of Akita Sakigake Shimpo using its website.
Akita Sakigake Shimpo is also available on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Akita Sakigake Shimpo Android App
The Seikyo Shimbun
The Seikyo Shimbun is a Japanese language daily newspaper. The title translates to the newspaper of holy teach in the English language. According to Pamela J. Creedon’s 2007 book “Women in Mass Communication”, The Seikyo Shimbun is the third largest paper among Japanese national dailies.
Origin
The first issue of The Seikyo Shimbun was published on 20 April 1951. According to The Japan Times, The Seikyo Shimbun had a circulation of 5.5 million copies in 2016.
Ownership
Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai owns and operates The Seikyo Shimbun. Soka Gakkai International (SGI) president Daisaku Ikeda features in articles published in the newspaper. Ikeda also writes essays for The Seikyo Shimbun that also publishes the life experiences of Soka Gakkai members based in Japan and abroad.
Besides publishing news reports on domestic and international issues, The Seikyo Shimbun occasionally publishes content related to S?ka University and Soka University of America. The volunteer of the organisation delivers The Seikyo Shimbun door to door throughout Japan.
Timeline
On April 20, 1951, when The Seikyo Shimbun was published for the first time, it had a circulation of 5,000. The initial two-page newspaper used to come in every 10 days. On September 6, 1953, it became a weekly newspaper, adopting an eight-page format on August 2, 1957. After eight years, The Seikyo Shimbun became a daily newspaper, while its official website was launched on November 18, 2006.
???? | Seikyo Shimbun Android App
Niigata Nippo
Niigata Nippo is a Japanese language newspaper published in Japan. Headquartered in Chuo-ku, Niigata, the newspaper was established on November 1, 1942. By 1980, the circulation of Niigata Nippo was more than 400,000. The news site for smartphones ‘Niigata Nippo Mobile’ was launched in 2008. Niigata Nippo launched a children’s newspaper in 2011.
Origin
Its origin can be traced back to 1877 when the first issue of Niigata Shimbun was issued. Later in 1942, Niigata Nippo was born with the merger of Niigata Prefectural Central Newspaper and Joetsu Newspaper. Back then, its circulation was 84,206.
Digital Media
Niigata Nippo has a news portal as well. It also has account on social media platform Facebook. Besides another headquarters in Kurosaki, it also has branch offices in Tokyo, Osaka, Joetsu and Nagaoka.
Agora
Agora is a Japanese website which publishes opinions of various experts. “This site is not a personal blog, but aims to activate speech on the web by providing a “market of speech” by multiple experts, and to connect experts and the general public,” Agora states in the description on its website. Agora boasts of having 10 million page views a month in September 2016 and July 2019.
Origin
Agora was launched in 2009. Its founding members are Nobuo Ikeda, Yoichi Takahashi, Kazuhiko Nishi and Tetsuzo Matsumoto. The site is operated and managed by a Tokyo-based company Agora Research Institute Co., Ltd.
Digital Media Presence
Agora has several sections on its portal such as Politics, Economy, Business, Society/General, International, IT/Media, Science/Culture and Book Review among others. It is also available on Facebook and Twitter.
Shizuoka Shimbun
Shizuoka Shimbun is a daily newspaper published in Japan. The newspaper has three branch offices and two general bureaus alongside 25 bureaus across Japan. While Shizuoka Shimbun has its headquarters in Shizuoka, its branch offices are located in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Origin And History
The first issue of the newspaper was published on December 1, 1945. Shizuoka Shimbun was born with the merger of six major newspapers in the prefecture. The six newspapers were Shizuoka Minyu Shimbun, Shizuoka Shimpo Hamamatsu Shimbun, Numazu Godo Shimbun, Shimizu Shimbun and Atami Mainichi Shimbun. The newspaper started colour printing in 1958.
Shizuoka Shimbun’s Sunday and Holiday evening editions were discontinued in May 10, 1964. The evening edition for Saturdays was also discontinued in April 2011.
Website
Shizuoka Shimbun also has a news portal with sections such as Tourism, Event, Gourmet, Movies and Jobs among others.
Shizuoka Shimbun (????) Online
Okinawa Times
Okinawa Times is a regional newspaper in Japan. The daily is headquartered in Naha City of Okinawa Prefecture. The first issue of Okinawa Times was published on July 1, 1948. Okinawa Times is one of the two major daily newspapers in Okinawa. The other major daily is Ryukyu Shimpo. In 2010, the circulation of Okinawa Times was 153,370.
Digital Media Presence
Okinawa Times has a news website. To cater to the interest of its readers, the portal has segregated the news stories and articles into several sections such as Sports, Politics, Economy, Society, Entertainment and International among others. It is also available on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Record China
Record China is a pro-China news website in Japan. Based in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, the company was established on August 23, 2005. The news portal has a wide range of categories such as Economy, Sports, Society, Photo Feature, Columnists, Entertainment and Current Events among others.
Origin And History
The news website was established by Chinese filmmaker Shujian Ren. Initially, Record China was into picture sales. It started publishing news from 2006. The main focus of the website is on social and cultural issues and subjects. As per an article written by Maiko Ichihara for The Diplomat, Record China’s “stories often include explicit political messaging”. The article states that the registration data of Record China show the Chinese Communist Party’s indirect control over it through two intermediate corporations.
Zaikei
Zaikei is a Japanese news website that mostly covers finance and economy. It is owned and managed by Keikei Shimbun Co., Ltd which was established in August 2006. Based in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, the website has several sections to cater to the interest of its readers. There are categories such as Politics, Society, IT, Science, Environment, Economy, Industry, Business and many more. The Japanese language portal is also available on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
English Language Edition
Zaikei also has an English language edition called Zaikei News. The portal is managed by Zaikei Shimbun. It has offices in Tokyo as well as New York. It has sections like Business, Tech, Life & Culture, Entertainment and Sports among others. Zaikei News has account on Facebook.
Ryukyu Shimpo
Ryukyu Shimpo is a newspaper in Japan. Published in the Japanese language, it is the first newspaper in Okinawa. The newspaper was founded by Sh? Jun, a former prince of the Ry?ky? Kingdom. Ryukyu Shimpo also has a website and is available on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Origin And History
The first issue of Ryukyu Shimpo was published on September 15, 1893. It has both morning and evening editions. Ryukyu Shimpo was published every alternate day until April 1, 1906, when it started being published daily. The newspaper was awarded by the Japan Newspaper Association in 1978 for its photo coverage of the invasion of the Senkaku Islands by the Chinese fishing fleet.
Due to the government’s Newspaper Unification Policy, Ryukyu Shimpo was merged with Okinawa Asahi and Okinawa Daily News (Okinawa Nipp?) and renamed Okinawa Shimp?. It resumed publication with its original name only after the war ended.
Fukui Shimbun
Fukui Shimbun is a newspaper in the Japanese language. Based in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, its first issue was launched on August 28, 1899. However, the company was established on February 11, 1899.
Fukui Shimbun also has a website to complement its print edition. For the convenience of its readers, the articles and reports have been segregated into sections like Economy, Nuclear Power Plant, Sports, Education, Culture, Editorial and Society among others. Fukui Shimbun is also available on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Hokkaido Shimbun
Hokkaido Shimbun is a newspaper published in Japan. The daily also abbreviated as Doshin is published in Hokkaid?, the second largest island of Japan. Owned by The Hokkaido Shimbun Press, the first issue of the Japanese language newspaper was published on January 20, 1887. Hokkaido Shimbun has both evening and morning editions and has headquarters in Sapporo.
Digital Media Presence
Hokkaido Shimbun also has a news website to complement its print edition. The portal has categories such as Politics, Entertainment, Culture, Health, Science, Human Resources and Economy among others. It is also present on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hokkaido Shimbun has news app for both Android and iOS users.
Circulation
The morning edition had a circulation of 1,208,175 in November 2006. At the same time, the circulation of its evening edition was 673,410 for January–June 2005.
Hokkaido Shimbun (?????) Online
Hokkaido Shimbun (?????) ePaper
Hokkaido Shimbun (?????) Android App
Hokkaido Shimbun (?????) iOS App
Kankokeizai
Kankokeizai is a newspaper based in Tokyo, Japan. First published on April 1, 1950, it was a monthly tabloid with two pages. Initially, it was named Ryokan Shimbun. The newspaper increased its pages in July 1957. The company was renamed Kanko Keizai Shimbun on November 1981. The newspaper has branch in Osaka, Tohoku and Hokkaido.
Digital Media Presence
Kankokeizai also has a news portal with sections such as Featured, Topics, Interview, Business, Local Tourism, Travel and many more. It has accounts on social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook besides a YouTube channel.
Saga Shimbun
Saga Shimbun is a newspaper published in Saga Prefecture, Japan. The first issue of the Japanese language newspaper was published on August 24, 1884. It has branch offices in Fukuoka, Osaka, Karatsu, Takeo, Tosu, Imari, Kashima and Arita. Saga Shimbun Co. Ltd., which owns the newspaper, was established in 1954.
Saga Shimbun was the first Japanese newspaper to introduce phototypesetting system (CTS) in dailies in 1968. Next year, it also received Japan Newspaper Association Award for the same.
Digital Media Presence
Saga Shimbun also has a website. The news portal has several sections such as World, Culture and Entertainment among others. It is present on social media platforms as well. Besides accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, Saga Shimbun also has a YouTube channel.
Kahoku
Kahoku Shimpo is a Japanese language newspaper published by Kenjiro Ichiriki. Based in Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, the first issue was published on January 17, 1890. Kahoku Shimpo is owned by Hebei New Newspaper Co., Ltd. In 1899, the newspaper began an English column. Kahoku Shimpo was the first local newspaper to hire woman reporter in 1906 in eastern Japan.
Gifu
Gifu Shimbun is a newspaper published in the Japanese language. It basically covers news and stories related to Gifu prefecture. The first issue of the newspaper was published on July 19, 1881. Gifu Shimbun also has a website with sections such as Sports, Entertainment, Outing/Gourmet and many more. It is available on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Gifu Shimbun has branch offices in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Shimbun Akahata
Shimbun Akahata is a mouthpiece of the Japanese Communist Party. Established in 1928, the newspaper has daily as well as weekly editions. Shimbun Akahata has reporters in ten countries across the globe, namely, Hanoi, London, Delhi, Paris, Mexico City, Washington, D.C, Beijing, Berlin, Cairo and Moscow. They also published an English edition called Japan Press Weekly.
Circulation
Shimbun Akahata’s daily subscribers were more than three million in the early 1990s. However, by 2007, the daily circulation decreased to approx. 1.6 million and reduced further to around 1.2 million by 2016.
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?????? | Shimbun Akahata ePaper
Kyobun
Kyobun is an educational newspaper published in Japan. The Japanese language newspaper was first issued in January 1975. Headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, the newspaper is published every Monday and Thursday. Kyobun also has a website and is available on social media platforms such as Twitter Facebook and Instagram.
Jomo Shimbun
Jomo Shimbun is a daily newspaper in Japan. It is headquartered in Gunma prefecture, Japan. The first issue of Jomo Shimbun was published on November 1, 1887. The Japanese language broadsheet newspaper is the highest circulated daily in the region. Jomo Shimbun has a news website to complement its print edition. It is also available on Twitter and Facebook.
Iwate Nippo
Iwate Nippo is a regional newspaper in Iwate prefecture. The Japanese daily is headquartered in Morioka. Its first issue was published on July 21, 1876. It was the first newspaper in Iwate Prefecture and was known as Iwate Shimbun. The newspaper was renamed Iwate Nippo on March 2, 1897. Iwate Nippo started publishing the evening edition from September 18, 1923. However, it was soon suspended in March 1944, only to be resumed by June 29, 1952. Iwate Nippo also has a news portal. It has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
KYODO NEWS
Kyodo News is a news agency in Japan. Its predecessor is Domei News Agency, founded in 1936. It was the official news service of the Japanese government. After the end of World War II, Domei News Agency was shut down and Kyodo News Agency, a nonprofit cooperative organization was formed in 1945.
Headquartered in Hibiya, Tokyo, Kyodo News claims to be “completely independent of government and commercial interests”. Kyodo News’ English-language service – Kyodo World Services was launched in 1965 and the Chinese language service was inaugurated in 2005. According to the news agency, its main source of revenue is membership and subscription charges.
Web Japan
Web Japan is a website managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The portal provides information regarding Japan’s culture, history, nature and society among others. “Web Japan was launched with the aim of helping people around the world get to know more about Japan and the Japanese,” it states in the About Us section of its website.
Majority of the content published is in English, however, a part of the site is multilingual. Web Japan is present on all major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Chiba Nippo
Chiba Nippo is a newspaper published in the Japanese language. It is based in Chiba Prefecture of Japan. Chiba Nippo also has a website besides the print edition. The news portal has several sections to cater to the interest of its readers. There are categories like Tourism, Life, Editorial, Culture and Election among others. Chiba Nippo is also available on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Shimotsuke
Shimotsuke is a regional newspaper published in Japan. The origin of this Japanese language newspaper can be traced back to 1878 when its predecessor Masugi Shimbun was first published on June 1 in Tochigi City. It was on March 7, 1884, when Shimotsuke was born.
Shimotsuke is also available as a news website. For the convenience of its readers, the news stories and articles have been segregated into several sections such as Sports, Society, Economy, Column, Movie and Political Administration among others. Shimotsuke has accounts on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Tokyo Daigaku Shimbun
Tokyo Daigaku Shimbun is a Japanese language news website. The portal is managed by the students of the University of Tokyo. For the convenience of its readers, Tokyo Daigaku Shimbun has segregated the news stories and articles into several sections such as Liberal Arts, Campus Life, Interview and News among others. Tokyo Daigaku Shimbun is also available on Facebook and Twitter.
Komei Shimbun
Komei Shimbun is a mouthpiece of the Komeito Party in Japan. The party was founded on November 27, 1961. The first issue of the Japanese language newspaper was launched on April 2, 1962.
Komei Shimbun also has a news portal. According to the information given on the website, Komei Shimbun has a circulation of 800,000. It is also available on all major social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
To O Nippo
To O Nippo is a newspaper published in the Japanese language. The first issue of the newspaper appeared on December 6, 1888 in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It is the first newspaper to be published in Aomori Prefecture. It has both evening and morning editions. To O Nippo also has a website. The portal has sections such as Sports, Special feature, Entertainment, Photos / Videos and many more.
Chubu Keizai Shimbun
Chubu Keizai Shimbun is an economic newspaper in the Chubu region, Japan. The newspaper was first published on November 1, 1946. It basically covers Tokai prefectures of Aichi, Gifu, Mie, and Shizuoka.
Chubu Keizai Shimbun also has a website with sections such as Finance, Car, Business, Food, Construction, Transportation, Energy, Telecommunications and many more. It has accounts on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Kumamoto Nichinichi
Kumamoto Nichinichi is a newspaper published in the Japanese language. Headquartered in Kumamoto, Japan, the first issue of the newspaper was published in April 1942. In December 1948, the company launched a weekly children’s newspaper, which was discontinued in 1950. The first evening edition of Kumamoto Nichinichi appeared in October 1949. Kumamoto Nichinichi also has a news website besides print edition. It is present on Facebook, Twitter as well as YouTube.
Kumamotonichinichi Android App
Shinano Mainichi Shimbun
Shinano Mainichi Shimbun is a newspaper in Japan. It is distributed mainly in Nagano Prefecture. The first issue of Shinano Mainichi Shimbun was published on July 5, 1873. Initially, it was known as Nagano Shinpo.
The name of the newspaper was changed to Shinano Mainichi Shimbun in 1881. As per January 2005 figures, the circulation of the newspaper is 482,644. Shinano Mainichi Shimbun also has a news website to complement its print version. It has sections such as Sports, World and Entertainment among others.
Shinano Mainichi Shimbun Online
Saitama Shimbun
Saitama Shimbun is a newspaper published in the Japanese language. Headquartered in Yoshino-cho, Kita-ku, Saitama City in Japan, it is a morning newspaper for Saitama Prefecture. The first issue of the newspaper was published on October 16, 1944. Saitama also has a news portal besides the print edition. It also publishes ‘Gurutto Saitama’ every Thursday. The newspaper basically contains information about Hoyt spots in the region such as food and event among others.
Shikoku
Shikoku is a newspaper published in Japan. The Japanese language newspaper was first published in 1889 in Kagawa Prefecture. Initially, it was known as Kagawa Shinpo. Shikoku is also available as a website. The news portal was launched in April 1997. To cater to the interest of its readers, it has sections such as Business, News, Sports and Weather among others. Shikoku is also present on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Weekly BCN
Weekly BCN is a weekly newspaper published in the Japanese language. It appears every Monday. The business newspaper was first issued in August 1981. Based in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo in Japan, the newspaper claims to be read by the “management of IT companies, business strategy managers, sales department managers, and public relations/marketing department managers”. Weekly BCN also has a website and is available on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
Chugoku Shimbun (????)
Chugoku Shimbun is a regional daily newspaper in Japan. The Japanese language daily is headquartered in Hiroshima. Chugoku Shimbun basically covers the Ch?goku region comprising Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Shimane, Okayama and Tottori Prefectures. It has both morning and evening editions. It was founded on May 5, 1892, as Daily Chugoku. The newspaper was renamed Chugoku Shimbun in 1908.
Chugoku Shimbun (????) Android App
Chugoku Shimbun (????) iOS App
Ehime Shimbun
Ehime Shimbun is a newspaper published in the Japanese language. The first issue of the newspaper appeared on September 11, 1876. It is also available as a news website. To cater to the interest of its readers, Ehime Shimbun has various sections as well as sub-sections. There are categories like Sports, Entertainment, Life and News among others. Ehime Shimbun claims that its circulation reached 206,775 copies in January 2020.
Mainichi Shimbun
Mainichi Shimbun is one of the four national newspapers in Japan. The daily newspaper is published in broadsheet format. Published in the Japanese language, it was formed with the merger of two newspapers- Osaka Mainichi Shimbun and Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun. Even after the merger in 1911, they continued to be printed independently until 1943 when they were published under one name- Mainichi Shinbun. It also has a website and is present on Facebook and Twitter.
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???? | Mainichi Shimbun Android App
???? | Mainichi Shimbun iOS App
Kochi Shimbun
First published on September 1, 1904, Kochi Shimbun is a newspaper published in the Japanese language. It was the only local newspaper in Kochi Prefecture. Kojiro Tomita was its first editor-in-chief. In 1927, Kochi Shimbun published its evening edition with four pages. Kochi Shimbun also has a website with sections such as Sports, Election, Editorial, Event and many more.
Part II: Business newspapers
In the second part of the article, we have explained about the newspapers that are known for the coverage of business news in Japan.
Nikkei Shimbun
Nikkei Shimbun, which is popularly known as The Nikkei, is a Japanese language newspaper that publishes all news related to economics under the flagship of Nikkei, Inc. The Tokyo based newspaper claims to be the largest financial newspaper in the world. The circulation of Nikkei Shimbun is more than three million.
History
Since 1950, Nikkei Shimbun calculates a stock market index, The Nikkei 225, for the Tokyo Stock Exchange. In 1876, Nikkei Shimbun was launched as an in-house newspaper of the Mitsui & Company. At the same time, the company had started a weekly market-quotation newspaper under the title of Chugai Bukka Shimpo, which translates to Domestic and Foreign Commodity Price Newspaper.
In 1882, the newspaper department was named Shokyosha and it became a daily publication in 1885. Four years later, the newspaper was renamed to Chugai Shogyo Simpo. Following a merger with Keizai Jiji and Nikkan Kogyo, the newspaper became Nihon Sangyo Keizai Shimbun in 1942. In 1946, the title of the newspaper was changed to Nihon Keizai Shimbun.
Current Status
The publication is going stronger with time. In November 2015, Nikkei Shimbun bought the operations of the Financial Times from Pearson PLC. Nikkei Shimbun is one among the four national Japanese newspapers, besides The Yomiuri Shimbun, The Asahi Shimbun and The Mainichi Shimbun.
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, which translates to The Daily Industrial News in the English language, is a Japanese language business newspapers based in Tokyo. Published by The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd., Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun has an average circulation of 420,000 copies.
Origin
The first issue of Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun was published in 1915. The economic newspaper covers all the news related to industries like automobile, telecommunication, electronics, information technologies and science.
Website
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun has a website as well with sections like News, Video, Special Features and Series, My Page and Journagram. One can also follow Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun on various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Line.
Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (??????) Online
Part III: Sports Newspapers
In the third part of the article, we have explained about the newspapers that are known for the coverage of sports news in Japan.
Nikkan Sports
Nikkan Sports claims to be the first Japanese sports newspaper that has been publishing daily since 1946. Affiliated to daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun, Nikkan Sports has an average circulation of 1,965,000.
Another publication, Hokkaido Nikkan Sports, was launched in 1962. For the readers in Osaka, the sports daily started The Nikkan Sports Newspaper West Japan Osaka on January 20, 1950. The Nikkan Sports Newspaper West Japan West Headquarters ensures that “a diverse number of sports, including domestic sports, as well as the U.S. Major League baseball and European football” are covered by the newspaper.
Network
The Nikkan Sports News office is located in Tokyo, while the Hokkaido Nikkan Sports News has its base in Hokkaido. Another company owned by the sports paper, Nikkan Sports News West Japan, operates from Osaka, Nagoya and Kyushu.
Website
Nikkan Sports has a website as well with news sections like Baseball, MLB, Football, Overseas Football, Sports, Golf, Sumo and Martial Arts, Horse racing, Boat Velodrome Auto, Performing arts and Society among others.
?????? | Nikkan Sports Android App
?????? | Nikkan Sports iOS App
Tokyo Sports
Tokyo Sports is a Japanese language newspaper that publishes daily for the coverage of sports news since 1960. Osamu Sakai acts as the President and the Editor-in-chief of the Tokyo based newspaper (2021). Osaka Sports, Chukyo Sports and Kyushu Sports are among the sister publications of Tokyo Sports.
Website
Tokyo Sports also has a website with sections like News, Performing arts, Society, Baseball, Pro wrestling, Martial Arts, Sports, General, Football, Horse racing and Public among others. One can read the e-paper of Tokyo Sports on its website.
The newspaper has its presence on social media as well. On its official Facebook page, Tokyo sports claims to be “Japan’s No 1 newspaper”. One can connect with Tokyo sports on Facebook to “get the best news, showbiz and sport content delivered straight” to the Facebook feed. Tokyo Sports is also available on Twitter and features a TV stream under the title of East Spot Official Channel.
“We will deliver not only full-fledged professional wrestling news, but also “sharp” news such as performing arts, baseball, and sports,” Tokyo Sports says in its Twitter bio.
The Chunichi Shimbun
The Chunichi Shimbun is a Japanese language broadsheet paper with its focus on the Aichi Prefecture. The daily newspaper is owned and published by Chunichi Shimbun Co., Ltd in Nagoya. The Chunichi Shimbun is quite popular in the region for its coverage of sports news.
Circulation
The Chunichi Shimbun comes only third in circulation after one of its group newspapers, Total Yomiuri Shimbun, and The Asahi Shimbun. The number of sold copies is much more than Sankei Shimbun, a national daily publishing in the same region. Close to 60 percent population of the Aichi Prefecture prefer to read The Chunichi Shimbun.
The Tokyo Shimbun, The Tokyo Chunichi Sports and The Chunichi Sports are among other newspapers owned by the group that owns The Chunichi Shimbun. The combined circulation of the group newspapers are over four million, ranking fourth in Japan, after Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun.
Sports Team
The Chunichi Shimbun also owns a baseball team, Chunichi Dragons and organises a popular international gymnastics competition, The Chunichi Cup.
Home, Dragons, Baseball, Football, Performing Arts and Society, Regional Sports, Sports General, Race and Life are among other sections of news on The Chunichi Shimbun sports website. One can follow The Chunichi Shimbun on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Line to follow news and updates.
Part IV: Japan’s English Newspapers
In the fourth part of the article, we have explained about the newspapers that publish in the English language in Japan.
Japan Times
The Japan Times is the oldest surviving English language newspaper in Japan. Published by The Japan Times, Ltd. The Japan Times comes under the ownership of News2u Holdings, Inc. with its headquarters at the Kioicho Building of Tokyo.
Origin
Motosada Zumoto started The Japan Times on March 22, 1897, to provide the Japanese population with an opportunity to read news and discuss about it in the English language. With this, they could feel to be a part of the international community, claims The Japan Times.
Control
Claiming to be an independent newspaper, The Japan Times reported mounting pressure from the country’s government after 1931. The Japanese government has allegedly asked the newspaper to surrender to its policies on many occasions. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs named Hitoshi Ashida as the chief editor of the newspaper to take control in 1933.
Other Publications
The Japan Times, Ltd. owns two weekly tabloid newspapers along with The Japan Times. While one is titled The Japan Times Weekly, the other one is known as Shukan ST. After October 16, 2013, The Japan Times started to come as a supplement along with The New York Times International Edition.
The website of The Japan Times segregates stories in sections like News, Opinion, Life, Community, Culture and Sports for the convenience of the readers.
Japan Today
Japan Today is an English language online newspaper that was launched in Tokyo in September 2000. Japan Today publishes news articles from wire services along with press releases, opinion pieces, photographs and company profiles.
Ownership
The GPlusMedia Co. Ltd., which claims to have experience of more than 20 years in media management, owns Japan Today. Japan Today also provides recruitment opportunities to the foreign residents in the country. In 1999, the company launched GaijinPot for a large, diverse and loyal base of foreigners in Japan. GaijinPot lists classified ads of jobs and real estate on its website.
In 2000, the GPlusMedia acquired “Japan Today, the country’s No. 1 English language news and commentary site” and sold its operations to Fujisankei Communications in 2015. Recently in 2020, the company launched two more websites — Japan Info and Real Estate Japan for the convenience of foreigners in Japan.
Coverage
National, Crime, Entertainment, Politics, Business, Tech, Sports, Tokyo 2020 Olympics, World and Features are among the sections of news on the Japan Today news website. One can follow Japan Today on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+ for news updates.
Part V: Community Newspapers
In the fifth part of the article, we have explained about the community newspapers of Japan.
Daily Sun New York
Daily Sun New York is a Japanese language newspaper, which has a website as well with sections like My News, World, Pick Up, Column, Bookmark, Classifieds, Event / Report, Interview and Special Feature among others. One can follow Daily Sun New York on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and install mobile app on iOS and Android phones to get news updates.
Daily Sun New York Android App
Japanese Daily Sun
Japanese Daily Sun is a Japanese language newspaper that has a website as well with news sections like Job, News, Article, Column Library, Living, It’s Good, Good Luck, Hawaii and Heartwarming Sun among others. The first issue of the newspaper was published on April 1, 2003. According to the information posted in Company Profile, Japanese Daily Sun “is full of local information about Hawaii” and “widely distributed free of charge to Oahu”.
NY Japion
NY Japion is a Japanese language newspaper that has been published every week on Friday since April 2001. It serves the Japanese citizens residing in the New York Tri-State area. “Life Information Paper to Make New York Life More Enjoyed and Active,” explains NY Japion on its website.
Conclusion
There are many newspapers currently publishing in Japan for both news and special interest issues, ranging from economics to sports, industry, literature and trade. Besides national newspapers, the country has circulation of region newspapers as well, such as Kant? or Kansai. Not just daily, some of the Japanese newspapers publish twice a day, in morning and evening. However, weekly, monthly, quarterly and even yearly publications are also available for the Japanese readers.
Asahi Shimbun, Yomiuri Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and the Nikkei Shimbun are among the most read national newspapers in Japan. Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun are liberal and left leaning newspapers, while Yomiuri Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and Nikkei Shimbun are conservative and right leaning. To serve the English language readers, The Japan Times publishes in the country daily.
Current Status
With technological advancements in the television sector, Japan is disseminating news like no other nation. The internet media is equally growing in the country, with a highly literate population preferring to read at least one newspaper a day online. The Japan Times, Japan Today, Asahi Shimbun Digital, Rocket News 24, The Tokyo Reporter, News On Japan, NHK News Web and Japan Industry News are among the most popular news websites in Japan (2021).
Stance
Blogs and right-leaning websites of Japan often allege media bias in national mainstream newspapers. Mass media has been termed mass garbage by many of these internet media entities. On 24 October, 2010, Japan became the first country to witness demonstration on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, the credibility of conventional media has fallen. Allegedly, reporters of mainstream media did not put pressure on the government and other authorities for more information and reported inaccurate information. Journalist turned lawyer Kazuo Hizumi explains in his book, titled “Why is mass media called mass garbage?”, that elite bureaucrats, law enforcement and judiciary decide the agenda of the mass media to control politics and discourage critical thinking of the readers.
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