Japanese newspapers             

Japanese newspapers (新聞 “shinbun”, or older spelling “shimbun”), similar to their worldwide counterparts, run the gamut from general news-oriented papers to special interest newspapers devoted to economics, sports, literature, industry, and trade. Newspapers are circulated either nationally, by region (such as Kantō or Kansai), by each prefecture, or by each city. Some newspapers publish as often as two times a day (morning and evening editions) while others publish weekly, monthly, quarterly, or even yearly. The five leading national daily newspapers in Japan are the Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, the Yomiuri Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun and the Nikkei Shimbun. The first two are generally considered liberal/left leaning while the latter three are considered conservative/right leaning. The most popular national daily English-newspaper in Japan is The Japan Times.  Read more 

Japanese newspapers announcing the new “Reiwa” era are being auctioned online for high prices

The making of history sure brings out the collector–and the greed–in people.

Let’s be honest: it’s not every year a new era begins. The last time it happened in Japan was thirty years ago, when Emperor Akihito ascended the throne and the Heisei era began. That’s why it’s no surprise that people would want to commemorate the announcement of the upcoming Reiwa era and the ascension to the throne of Crown Prince Naruhito.

And what better way to remember the occasion than to keep a newspaper from April 1, the day when the announcement was made, and when it would be on all of the headlines?     Read More

Papers refocus, expand role in business, education

Newspaper subscriptions are declining in Japan, as they are in most developed countries.According to research by the Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association, the number of newspaper publications has been declining since 2005 when it stood at 52.6 million copies (morning and evening editions are counted as one copy). In 2016, the number stood at 43.3 million copies. A decline of more than 1 million copies a year has been recorded four times since 2006. When the consumption tax was increased in 2014, the number of newspaper publications fell 3.5 percent, the largest decline ever.  Read More 

Why Is Japan Still So Attached to Paper?

Washi is to the Japanese something like what wine is to the French — a national obsession and point of pride.All of these forces — the past, the present, the future — can be crystallized in one persisting Japanese tradition: the longevity and depth of its papermaking. Perhaps chief among the historical foundations of Japan is that it is a country of artisans, so much so that the national government stipulates requirements for an object to be classified as a “traditional Japanese craft.” The first of these requirements is that an object must be practical enough for regular use, which helps explain the continuing relevance of paper, or washi(which translates as “Japanese paper”). Read more 

Newspaper Circulation in Japan: Still High but Steadily Falling

Amid a global decline in the print media, the immense market share and influence traditionally commanded by Japan’s domestic dailies are also beginning to come under threat. What does the future hold for Japan’s newspapers? Read More 

In Japan, loyalty among newspaper readers is strong, but digital natives are the future

In Japan, by contrast, one rarely hears of bankruptcies or buyouts in the newspaper industry. Are Japanese newspapers somehow immune to the trends that are shaking up the print media overseas? In the following I examine some of the characteristics of Japan’s newspaper business and contemplate the industry’s long-term outlook in the digital age. Read More

Japanese advertising methods

Misconceptions about advertising, like misconceptions about coupons, seem to abound. Traditional wisdom says that Japanese ads are softer and appeal to the emotions rather than to the intellect like crass Western ads. Japanese consumers, the reasoning goes, just don’t like comparative ads. Read More 

Information Media in Japan 2018 White paper

This book summarizes a carefully selected set of
basic data to give readers an overview of the information media environment in Japan.Download PDF Source :Dentsu.com