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July 12, 2026
 

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PUBLISHERS

A staff member taking a printed newspaper out of the machine at the Kyoto Shimbun factory in Kumiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 1, 2026
‘AI simply can’t replicate it’: Japan embraces zine trend
Independent artist and writers have been turning ever more to self-published or handmade small print publications, reflecting a love of paper in the digital era.
Shueisha is one of the major Japanese manga publishers and its Weekly Shonen Jump has been awarded the Guinness World record for bestselling manga magazine in 2022.
CULTURE / Books
May 26, 2026
Shueisha turns 100 with an eye on the future of manga
Japan’s record-breaking manga publisher Shueisha marks 100 years in the business with a slew of projects that make its titles more accessible to readers.
Former Kadokawa Chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (center) speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Thursday after a court handed him a suspended jail sentence of two years and six months over bribes linked to sponsorship contracts for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jan 22, 2026
Former Kadokawa chairman given suspended jail sentence over Olympic graft scandal
Tsuguhiko Kadokawa, 82, was found guilty of bribing a former senior official of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee.
Naomi Okuyama (left), who rents a shelf at Honmaru Jinbocho bookstore in Tokyo, poses with store manager Haru Shimokawa in September.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 27, 2025
As bookstore numbers decline in Japan, many are leasing out shelves
The shelves are leased out to book lovers to allow them to sell the works they want to recommend, fostering communities of such “shelf owners.”
A person visits the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai on July 26.
BUSINESS / Tech
Aug 4, 2025
AI search pushing an already weakened media ecosystem to the brink
A recent study has revealed that AI-generated summaries now appearing in Google searches discourage users from clicking through to source articles.
At Mount Zine’s gallery in Komazawa, Setagaya Ward, one wall is for exhibiting, while another is for zines for sale.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 21, 2025
A buzzing zine scene across Japan packs passion in multiple formats
In a world now dominated by digital media, small handmade books are a return to analog media and offline connection.
Shogakukan's office in Tokyo. The Fair Trade Commission issued a warning to Shogakukan and Kobunsha for failing to clearly indicate terms and conditions for freelancers they outsource work to.
JAPAN
Jun 18, 2025
Japan’s FTC gives first warning over freelance law breaches
Shogakukan and Kobunsha, both based in Tokyo, were urged to take preventive measures under the law, which came into effect in November 2024.
The publisher in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, announced in 2016 that it would publish a reprinted version of a pre-World War II survey listing areas where the descendants of feudal outcasts lived. It published lists of the areas on its website.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Dec 6, 2024
Japan’s top court finalizes order to erase feudal outcast area lists
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit said the publication of the lists violated their personal rights.
Sony already has a 2% stake in Kadokawa and a stake in Kadokawa subsidiary FromSoftware, the developer of Elden Ring.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 19, 2024
Sony in talks to buy media powerhouse behind Elden Ring, sources say
The talks between the two sides are ongoing and, if successful, a deal could be signed in the coming weeks.
According to The Japan Fair Trade Commission, Kadokawa notified 26 subcontractors in January 2023 that it would unilaterally cut compensation rates for content slated for Lettuce Club from its April 2023 issue and beyond.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 13, 2024
Kadokawa warned over unfair payment practices
In a joint statement issued Tuesday, Kadokawa and its subsidiary pledged to pay the outstanding amounts once calculations are complete.
Kadokawa is investigating the authenticity of a claim by hackers, who stole data from the firm through a cyberattack, that they leaked additional stolen information.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 3, 2024
Hackers behind Kadokawa cyberattack claim new info leak
The company said it is investigating the authenticity of the claim, and called on people not to share any such data on social media.
Books published by Tuttle Publishing on a bookshelf in Infinity Books in Tokyo's Sumida Ward on Saturday
CULTURE / Books
Jan 3, 2024
Asia publishing mainstay Tuttle rides new wave of interest in Japan
The back catalog of Tuttle, which traces its history in Japan to 1948, is in high demand, and it has even branched out to graphic novel versions of classic Asian literature.
Music streaming service Spotify started offering audiobooks in October, but not everyone in the book industry is thrilled.
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 20, 2023
Spotify’s push into audiobooks sparks concern among authors
Spotify began offering complimentary audiobooks to millions of customers in October as part of their monthly subscriptions.
AI apps on a smartphone screen. In a joint statement, Japanese organizations said that current generative AI creates content based on the analysis of large amounts of data collected from the internet without the consent of and payments to copyright holders.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Aug 17, 2023
Japanese publishers voice copyright concerns over generative AI
The statement said that Japan’s copyright law is more favorable to AI learning than those of other countries.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
May 18, 2023
R.F. Kuang wrote a blistering satire about publishing. The industry loves it.
The ‘Yellowface’ author draws on her own experiences in the publishing industry to tackle issues like cultural appropriation and representation.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Feb 25, 2023
ChatGPT launches boom in AI-written e-books on Amazon
ChatGPT appears ready to upend the staid book industry as would-be novelists and self-help gurus looking to make a quick buck are turning to the software to help create bot-made e-books
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Jul 29, 2022
Publishers sue ex-Mangamura operator for ¥1.9 billion in damages
The lawsuit, filed at the Tokyo District Court by Kadokawa, Shueisha and Shogakukan, is the first against Mangamura, which was known as the biggest pirate website in Japan.
Japan Times
WORLD / Society
Jan 31, 2022
Book ban efforts spread across the U.S.
Challenges to books are nothing new, but according to educators, librarians and free-speech advocates, the tactics and venues where they play out are changing.
Japan Times
WORLD / Politics
Jan 9, 2021
Simon & Schuster cancels plans for Josh Hawley’s book
Simon & Schuster said Thursday that it would cancel the publication of an upcoming book by Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, one of several members of Congress who tried to overturn the results of the presidential election.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 25, 2017
Taiwan objects to Kojien dictionary’s definition of the independent island state
The publisher of Kojien, the most authoritative dictionary in Japan, has been stuck between a rock and a hard place over its definition of Taiwan as a province of China, prompting a request for a correction from the self-ruled island.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

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