Headlines
The Characters Culture Promotion Organisation established
The Characters Culture Promotion Organisation was established on October 24 with aims of improving the Japanese people's reading and language abilities and developing human resources with expressive ability and mental capacity that can better understand the Japanese language and its printed characters, the foundation for Japanese culture and history.
This organisation was founded due to a need to implement the law on children's book promotion (2001) and law on characters culture promotion (2005) within the private sector.
The organisation specifically calls for improvement of language skills in business and the workplace; symposiums organised by government and private sectors, implementation of "language skill certification," expansion of public and business libraries, promoting lifestyles with newspapers, encouraging "characters culture" in local communities, and calling on the Diet to designate the year 2010 as National Reading Year.
The organisation's executive board includes people from publishing and the press as well as industry and labour unions. Its chairman is Yoshiharu Fukuhara (honorary chairman of Shiseido Co.); vice-chairman, Takashi Atoda (author and president of the Japan P.E.N.); and director [chair of board of directors] Miyoko Hida (children's book author, director of Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture). Its board of directors includes the presidents of The Mainichi Newspaper, Dentsu Inc., and Toppan Publishing, the chairman of the Japan Medical Association, president of the Nippon Tosho Fukyu Co. (book dissemination company), and members of the House of Representatives.
The organisation was established amidst the publishing industry's experience of ten years, negative growth on one hand, but there being more reading promotion activities on the other hand.
Reading is an individual activity; however, by linking individuals, it is hoped that a big movement will grow. The organisation's director, Hida Miyoko called for "making reading promotion a national movement."
At the inaugural meeting, the organisation called for advancement of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. One of its goals is to work towards designating 2010 as the National Reading Year in order to promote this movement. It is hoped that this cross-sectoral collaboration will appeal to many people and become a national movement.
(November 2007, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Distribution Routes
The total sales amount of Japanese publications in 2006 by distribution route was released. (from the late September issue of Shuppan News)
According to the report, the route from the publisher to the broker, then to the bookstore had the largest share (67%) at 1.5 trillion yen of sales. This flow is called the 'main route'. Twenty years ago, it had an 80% share, but its market share has been in decline.
The convenience store route had the second largest share at 480 billion yen in sales (21%). Approximately 40,000 convenience stores nationwide primarily handle magazines. This route uses the convenience stores' unique stock-keeping method to stock and sell magazines in an effective way. Although the total sales of magazines have been declining in recent years, publishers have positive expectations for selling them effectively in convenience stores. The top convenience store in Japan is Seven-Eleven with sales of 170 billion yen.
3. The wholesale route had 170 billion yen of sales (7.4% share). This route sells items at kiosks of subways and trains other than the Japan Railroad system.
4. Cooperatives had 49 billion yen (2.2%). Of this, the Japanese Consumers' Co-operative Union had 7 billion in sales. National Federation of University Co-operative Associations, whose earnings are mainly comprised of sales at university cooperatives, had 42 billion yen. Technical and general education books sold at university bookstores are its primary products.
5. The Tetsudo Kousaikai (railroad workers' aid) route comprises 28.8 billion yen (1.3%). This route sells mainly to kiosks at the Japan Railroad system stations. There are approximately 2,600 kiosks selling magazines and paperbacks. A recent increase in store closures due to lack of manpower is a problem; however, many people use these kiosks because of their convenience.
6. The stand route accounted for 19.3 billion yen (0.9%). Wholesaler vendors commission stand vendors to place stands in stores other than bookstores; however, this route has been in decline in recent years.
7. Export route had 14.9 billion yen (0.7%). This is the route for exporting publications from Japan to other countries; books comprise 10.3 billion yen, magazines 4.5 billion yen. The sales amount is not large; it has been increasing, although not as much as imports.
These are the sales amounts of publications by distribution route in 2006 (total 2.2 trillion yen). This figure does not include the divided sale route. Also, the direct sales are not counted for this figure but it is thought to be quite large.
(October 2007, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Increase in Number of Published Materials and the Self-publishing Boom
According to the Publishing Yearbook 2007 (Shuppan News Co.), there were 80,000 new titles published in 2006. The total sales at book store figure for the publishing industry was approximately 2.2 trillion yen, of which books accounted for 1 trillion and periodicals 1.2 trillion yen. The figure is a 1.2% decrease compared with the previous year. This is the tenth consecutive year of decreases, indicating that the stagnation of the publishing industry continues.
As for new titles, there were over 80,000 in 2005 and a small increase in 2006. The number of privately-printed books has increased, but it is questionable if such self-published materials should be considered on the same level as commercially produced publications. The author bears the total cost of production, and its main purpose is not to sell the material through normal trade routes. The number of copies published is small, usually 200 to 300. Above all, their content is based on an individual's pastimes or interests: a personal history, a collection of haiku or other poetry. Some compile their technical knowledge into a book for their successors. A novel may be published but this is a rare case. All of these self-published materials are counted as a title because they are published by publishers.
The following are the top ten Japanese publishers for 2006 in terms of number of titles. 1) Singpoosha (2788 titles, mainly self-published books); 2) Kodansha (2013 titles); 3) Bungeisha Co. (1468 titles, mainly self-published books); 4) Gakken (1106 titles); 5) Shogakukan Inc. (937 titles); 6) Shueisha Inc. (849 titles), 7) PHP Institute (795 titles); 8) Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. (924 titles); 9) Shinchosha Publishing Co. (615 titles), 10) Iwanami Shoten Publishers (572 titles).
The first and third publishers are cooperative publishers, and they publish an outstanding number of titles. Besides these two, there are several other publishers that concentrate on self-publishing; all are ranked highly on the list of publishers by number of titles.
Why is there an increase in self-publishing? One reason is that anyone can write with the spread of personal computers. This brings about an increase of people who want to express themselves. Another is that production costs are much less expensive than before, so it is easy to publish material using one's own funds.
Companies that specialize in self-publishing support this trend. They have formulated a new business model, with courses on how to write a manuscript and how to organize one's writing for prospective authors.
It is difficult to capture the entire picture of the self-publication industry, but it is thought that 40,000 to 50,000 titles have been published.
Newspapers often carry advertisements enticing people to 'self-publish your own work.' .
(May 2007, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
School libraries
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) recognizes that there are fewer than the prescribed numbers of books in many primary and lower secondary schools. This is one reason why upgrading school libraries is urgent.
The national government initiated a programme for school libraries in 2007 called the "New 5-Year Plan for Improvement of School Library Books." This plan which will provide 20 billion yen per year and 100 billion yen over 5 years, as local tax allocation.
School libraries are a basis for students' self-learning and the core of education. In this respect, the importance of reading education at school is acknowledged by everyone, especially educators.
Currently, there is a movement to change Japan's education system. An Education Rebuilding Council has been formed to discuss many issues. With the motto of 'a society united for education rebuilding', there are many issues to tackle, such as the improvement of academic ability, elimination of bullying, determination of the roles of education boards, and rexamining teaching certification.
The Council's first report has been made public; however, there are some who are dissatisfied with it because it does not clearly state how students will be nurtured within the education system, nor how the students' ability to think for themselves will be drawn out.
It is necessary to realize that reading is a basic skill for improving academic achievement and fostering the development of decision-making abilities. Reading cultivates linguistic and expressive skills, imagination, creativity, and also compassion. Thus, reading should be at the centre of education reform.
20 billion yen per year towards the improvement of school libraries is a large amount for the publishing industry as well. In particular, it is welcomed by those publishers that produce books for school libraries. Above all, this programme will be good for both school libraries and publishers because it brings new books to students. It is hoped that this programme will prove to be successful.
(April 2007, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
New Year messages from leaders in the Japanese publishing industry
To start the new year, I would like to introduce messages and thoughts on what the publishing industry currently needs from top officials of different areas in the publishing industry - publishers, wholesalers, and book stores.
Ms. Noma Sawako, the chairman of the Japan Publishers Club, the social organization of the publishing industry, commented that when listening to the experiences of people who have been recognized for their contributions to the reading campaigns, one is uplifted and filled with the joy of reading.
Mr. Komine Norio, the chairman of the Japan Book Publishers Association, said that the Association will celebrate their fiftieth anniversary with commemorative events: publish a history of the Association and a digital version of the 100-year history of publishing, and open exhibits of encyclopaedias and botanical guides. The Association will also carry out various activities under the Law to Promote the Culture of the Written Word.
The Japan Magazine Association President, Mr. Matsumura Kunihiko, raised four issues: 1) Resale: the system of no discount re-sales is essential to the publishing industry; 2) Freedom of the press cannot be conceded. Many laws relevant to this issue were not passed, such as the Private Information Protection Law, Human Rights Protection Law, basic plan to provide assistance to crime victims, and conspiracy law; however, the industry must keep an eye on the situation. 3) The decline of magazine sales must be stopped. Better editing and reexamination of pricing is needed. 4) In advertising, competition is fierce with many new emerging media. It is necessary to convey the distinctiveness of magazines (as an advertising medium) to corporations and advertising agencies. We need to make a strong statement as an active, aggressive magazine association. There is a World Magazine Congress of the IFPP (International Federation of the Periodical Press) in Beijing from May 13 to 15. The theme of the congress is digitalization of magazines and digital media.
Mr. Yamazaki Atsuo, chairman of the Japan Publication Wholesale Association: 1) We must maintain the no discount resale system for the further development of the publishing culture. 2) The return rate must be improved. The number of books published and periodical titles are increasing, but return rates are shifting as well. This situation must be improved. 3) Expansion of reading promotion activities is needed. The establishment of the Culture of the Written Word Promotion Organization is currently underway and support from many parties is expected.
The Japan United Bookstore Association (Japan Shoten Kumiai Rengou) published a nationwide book retail management survey report in May and presented the voices of the book retailers in a separate volume in December. According to the report, bookstores are struggling under severe financial conditions and decreasing sales. Based on the survey, the Association will establish a council for improvement of book retail policy and a working group to examine improvement of the book retail environment in order to discuss the issues. The association is certain that the small and mid sized bookstores operating in local communities will contribute to the development of the publishing industry. 2007 will be the year to improve the retail bookstore environment.
(March 2007, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Weekly magazines continue to decline
The Japan Audit Bureau of Circulations announced sales figures for magazines in the first half of this year (January - June). According to the report, total sales (147 titles) have increased in comparison to the same period last year, but circulation of individual titles has decreased. Particularly noticeable is the decline of general weekly magazines published by publishing houses. The downward trend of general weekly magazines continues; the top magazine in this category has a circulation of 570,000, but others have had a 2-digit decline. Weekly magazines published by newspapers are also in decline.
These weekly magazines seem to aim for original stories that the newspapers and broadcast media do not cover, yet they do not pull it off successfully. Some articles have caused problems such as invasion of privacy or libel suits, and these problems have received more attention than the articles themselves.
Weekly magazines have justified their existence by publishing sensational reports of ' information off the street ' or gossip. Perhaps this technique is not effective any more.
General women's magazines are also declining. It may be that the category "general weekly magazine" is disappearing; their raison d'etre (the justification for their existence) is certainly under question.
If weekly magazines differed from newspapers and broadcast media in their perspective, it would be their reporting based on long-term investigation; however, their efforts leave something to be desired.
15 years ago, general weekly magazines was a lively category, with each title having a circulation of approximately 700,000. It may be that they have failed to adapt to the changes of the times, caused by the Internet, cellular phones, and the more recent free papers.
I personally think content with a more human approach, grounded in daily life, is more suited to weekly magazines.
(November 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
On the Free Magazine Boom
It has been reported in this column several times that the Japanese publishing industry is undergoing a transition due to declining sales. In particular, the large decline in magazine sales is one of the main causes of this trend.
There are approximately 4,500 magazines on the Japanese market, publishing 4.3 billion issues yearly with annual sales of 1.3 trillion yen. Magazine publishers are struggling because this figure is declining every year.
Over the past few years, there has been a wave of free magazines appearing on the market. Free magazines are produced solely from advertising revenue and are distributed free of charge. Their content varies widely; however, they come with discount coupons. Some people pick these magazines up because of the coupons. Their distribution method varies also: certain magazines are placed on racks exclusively for them at or near train stations; others are distributed by hand on the street or are put in mailboxes of individual households.
There are over 1,200 kinds of free magazines and newspapers; approximately 300 million issues in total are published.
The continuing stream of free magazines indicates an increase in corporations who pay for advertisement, and therefore, that the economy is recovering. It can also be said that consumers cut back spending on traditional magazines because those free magazines are free.
Many free magazines target a certain audience, such as the young or older generation. A well-known example of a free magazine is R25, whose target audience is 25-year-olds. Its success spurred new magazines to follow suit. More variety means increasing competition; this would necessitate improvement of content; hence overall quality should improve. Free magazines will be competing with traditional magazines. The number of free magazines is expected to increase in the future, so traditional magazines will have to counter this trend.
(October 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
New Dictionaries and Encyclopedias in the Internet Age
The Internet Age has had a major effect on the production, distribution, and even consumer behavior in the publishing industry.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias are often mentioned as a typical example of published material. Dictionaries are essential to education, as well as to daily life. That is why dictionaries are considered one of the basic publications of libraries and the publishing industry in general. There is a long tradition of dictionaries and many different dictionaries with diverse use and contents are available.
The situation surrounding dictionaries and encyclopedias started to change around ten years ago. With the rapid popularization of computers, many people began to use dictionaries and encyclopedias on the Internet. According to one survey, the number of print dictionaries sold in the last ten years decreased from 12 million to 6 million copies. Currently, the sale of electronic dictionaries is estimated to reach 50 billion yen; this figure is thought to increase in the future.
Sanseido, a publisher known for their dictionaries, announced that it will publish three dictionaries, including its most famous dictionary Daijirin, in both print and Internet format. This is an attempt to combine the merits of the print version - ease of use, portability, and relatively low cost - with a web-based dictionary.
People who buy the print dictionary may also use the online dictionary; that is, they can use one dictionary in two different ways. This is the thinking behind the concept "Sanseido Dual Dictionary." In October 2006, there will be a major revision of the Daijirin; 10,000 new words and colloquialisms will be added to the Internet dictionary also.
These dictionaries incorporate new techniques such as electronic editing in its production scheme and use the XML format to store the master data. This is a new approach to dictionary making in the Internet Age which will surely have an impact on other dictionaries.
(September 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
New Trend: Books to be Worked on
There are different types of publications: books to be read, books to be looked at, and books to be used. 'Books to be used' refer to textbooks as well as supplementary materials for educational programmes on radio and television.
In the last few years, there has been an increase in activity books, or 'books to be worked on', books in which the reader actively engages. Some examples are: Enpitsu de Oku no Hosomichi (Oku no Hosomichi in Pencil), where the reader traces in pencil a travelogue written by poet Matsuo Basho; Otona no Nurie (Colouring Books for Adults) series, containing pictures of Japanese beautiful scenery, and Mandara Nurie (Mandala Colouring Book) which has Buddhist pictures. Others are practice drills in kanji (Chinese characters) and arithmetic, and Koe ni Dashite Yomu Nihongo (Reading Japanese Literature Aloud), which suggests that the readers should read the classics aloud for a deeper understanding of the language. Sudoku, a number puzzle from Japan, has become very popular abroad. There are also books in which the reader can cut out paper pieces to construct traditional Japanese townscapes. These books are all part of the current boom in 'books to be worked on'.
Japan has always had a tradition of Buddhist training through copying sutras or drawing Buddhist pictures, but using pencils or crayons is unusual. Both the Colouring Book for Adults series and Oku no Hosomichi in Pencil has become best-sellers, selling over 1 million copies and nearly 800 thousand copies respectively. The boom has spurred plans for more books of this type. Their intent is to enjoy Japanese classics by tracing them and, at the same time, to improve one's handwriting. An innovative aspect of the books is that adults are the target audience.
This type of book is the publishers' newest scheme. One reason for the books' popularity may be that with the increase in the older generations, there are many readers who want to concentrate on an activity to maintain mental equilibrium while invigorating their mind. It seems that this boom in books that use hands and brain will continue. There are endless possibilities for 'books to be worked on'.
(August 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Opinion Poll on Shoplifting
Bookstores have launched anti-shoplifting campaigns by putting posters proclaiming "Shoplifting is a crime" near the entrance of the store or installing a large mirror on the ceiling of the store for psychological effect as preventive measures. However, shoplifting incidents have not decreased in number.
A nonprofit organization, National Association for Shoplifting Crime Prevention, has recently published the result of an opinion poll among juveniles in primary, junior high and high schools. The result shows 95% of juveniles in primary school, 83% in junior high school and 80% in high school think "shoplifting is a crime which should never be committed". The figures tend to decrease as they become older. As for the reason why they shoplift, 88% of juveniles in primary school, 79% in junior high school and 69% in high school reply "to get the item". The figures also tend to decrease with their age. On the contrary, those who reply "for thrill seeking" amount to 10% in primary school, whereas it is 26% in both junior high and high school.
With regard to effective shoplifting prevention efforts, 68% of juveniles in primary school, 52% in junior high school and 47% in high school say it is imperative to improve "education at home". The figures tend to decrease with their age, i.e. younger juveniles seem to be more conscious of being under surveillance of their parents. In this case, as many as 93% of junior high and high school students think "the parents who heard that their son/daughter had shoplifted should immediately come to receive him/her" and more than 70% of students both in junior high and high school find "the parents as well are responsible".
The result shows approximately 87% of both junior high and high school students think "the parents should take strong measures" against their children who committed shoplifting and more than 40% of them say "they should be aware of what they have done". On the other hand, among those who think "the parents should not take strong measures", 70% are of the opinion that "they would lose their status at home and get into trouble". In this way, the students seem to be able to understand the situation based on their calm judgment. At any rate, the report shows it is imperative that the parents should be much more aware of their children.
The Association is planning to develop incentive activities such as holding seminars or panel discussions in order to prevent shoplifting by juveniles.
(July 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Actual Situation of Retail Bookstores
Japan Booksellers Federation has lately reported a "Survey on the situation of retail bookstores' management in Japan". In Japan, there are approximately 17,000 bookstores. The survey was carried out after an interval of six years since the last one in November 1999.
The members of the bookstore unions of the Federation have fallen in number by almost 50%, from 12,953 in 1986 to 6,683 in April in 2006. The number of bookstores which filled out the questionnaires amounted to 2,028. It is remarkable to find that 85.6% of the total respondents replied that the management conditions were getting worse. In regard to the major reasons for this, 84.2% replied that it was caused by "decrease in number of customers", 44.7% by "opening of large-sized bookstores" and 40% by "decline in surroundings of bookstores".
The total sales of the publishing industry, which reached their peak in 1996, have been gradually decreasing. In 2005, the sales of books and magazines combined were 2 trillion 292 billion yen, down 2.4% compared to the previous year. Bookstores are actually involved in intense competition caused by an increase in convenience stores, new development of almost-new bookstores as well as increasing use of Internet bookstores.
To the question asking what bookstores want exactly at present, 59.6% of them replied "enlargement of sales margin for bookstore". The sales margin for bookstore is fixed at approximately 22% of the list price. In regard to this point, larger bookstores wanted it rather than smaller ones. In the second place, 51.4% replied "prompt and reliable measures to deal with customer orders. In this case, smaller bookstores trend to want it rather than larger ones.
As for survival measures intended for bookstores, 44.6% of them replied that they need "closer relation with the community", 31.9% "out-of store sales" followed by 19.9% "specialization of bookstores".
At the general meeting of the Federation held in May 2006, a policy was presented based on this survey on the actual situation. It refers to the measures dealing with improvement of the management environment, centering on enlargement of sales margin for bookstores.
In principle, bookstores should be situated at the forefront of the publishing industry. Smaller bookstores in a community especially have been playing an important role by providing children with the chance to encounter books. In order to promote bookstores more actively, it is necessary to improve the purchasing power of the readers.
(June 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
The Effect of Almost-new Bookstores
"BOOKOFF", a popular secondhand bookstore chain has been in the media spotlight lately. The media reports focused on its new female president, a former housewife who started as a part-time worker, then became full-time and moved up to become a director.
Bookoff has been selling books bought back from customers (usually at 10% of the list price) for about 15 years. A condition for buyback is that the books are as clean as new ones. The books are sold at 50% of the list price, thus the sales margin is 40% per book. The margin for brand-new books is said to be 20 to 25%, so the margin of Bookoff is better than that of bookstores that sell new books. Bookoff has attracted people's attention as a new type of "book business," selling used books and CDs.
Bookoff has 860 stores throughout Japan. It has 6,500 employees, of which 600 are full-time. Its annual sales reach 40 billion yen. It has opened stores overseas, first in New York, then Hawaii, Bali, and most recently in Seoul. All of them sell mainly Japanese paperbacks and comics.
The market for almost-new books has grown because consumers can buy books less expensively. It seems that such bookstores not only buy books from consumers, but also buy part of publishers' inventory.
Since these books are almost new, customers buy them over the new ones, and the sales of ordinary bookstores fall. The bookstore union is researching this trend, and has released findings that bookstores near Book-Off have been negatively affected. In particular, Bookoff sells many comic books, causing a decline in sales of new comics. For this reason, publishers which publish comics are critical of Bookoff; however, Bookoff's strategy is not illegal.
There are 2,000 such almost-new bookstores nationwide and stores are growing in number. Their annual sales is estimated to be 100 billion yen. The publishing industry is divided on this subject. The positive side is that books have become more accessible; the negative side is that readers move away from new books.
(May 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Active Implementation of Reading Promotion
The Law to Promote the Culture of the Written Word, enacted in July 2005, was a ground-breaking new law to promote the culture of letters.
General concern over decline in reading was one impetus for the enactment of the law. Although the amount of published material and number of bookstores are increasing, and the number of library loans is increasing to over 600,000,000 items annually, People are reading less.
Another motivation for the Law was to support publishing activities. The Law's section on implementation of measures has broad recommendations covering the maintenance of the resale system, promotion and dissemination of material with academic merit, reinforcement of authors' and publishers' copyright, and maintenance of library facilities.
The publishing sales slump stems from the fact that people do not buy or read books. We wants them to read books and learn the joy of reading. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to actively promote ongoing reading promotion programmes.
There are various such activities conducted by the publishing industry: the week starting from 27 October is Reading Week, there are over 50 book report contests, the Noma Reading Promotion Prize honours people who participate in promotion activities. Morning Reading Time is a programme in which students read books for ten minutes every morning. Since its inception ten years ago, this programme has had more than 8,000,000 (8 million) participating children in over 20,000 primary and secondary schools.
The Reading Marathon is a 2-year old programme to promote reading among university students. Students have their card stamped every time they buy a book at the university book store. In the autumn of 2005, the Reading Marathon Contest, in which people write summaries of books they read (in 300 words), was initiated.
Reading promotion activities are conducted by publishers such as Kodansha and Shogakukan, wholesalers, and bookstores. Local municipalities implement the Book Start programme, in which newborns are presented with books. The Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture has established a course to train book reading volunteers and people who will work as reading advisors. Newspaper publishers have programmes such as Author Visit, where authors visit schools and conduct guest lectures (Asahi Shimbun) and Reading Promotion Project (Yomiuri Newspaper)
What the publishing industry should emphasize now is to utilize the Law and focus on diverse reading promotion activities to call for broad support.
(April 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Publishing and Information Capabilities
The Research Institute for Publications announced that the total sales of the publishing industry in 2005 was 2 trillion 196 billion yen, down 1% compared to the previous year. The future of the publishing industry is unknown, as the downward trend continues even though sales temporarily increased in 2004.
People in the publishing industry in general do not evaluate the effectiveness of analyzing a trend through figures; it is not seen as useful to react to little changes in numbers.
The real issue is what the figures signify. The total sales for 2005 is approximately equal to that of 1993. In those days, the growth of magazines was going well, and overall sales were increasing. Sales began to decline from 1997. A major reason for this was the popularization of the Internet and mobile telephones, both of which compete with magazines as a source of information. The change in the function of magazines led to the decline of readership.
Some watchers say that this phenomenon is a 'delayed bubble' caused by an unavoidable delayed reaction to the overall decline of the Japanese economy since 1990. The Japanese economy is beginning to recover, but this upward momentum has not yet reached the publishing industry.
At present, integration of the Internet and broadcasting is becoming increasingly popular. With publishing and broadcasting, their mutual exchanges created a synergetic effect. It is true that there are best-selling books derived from the Internet. On the other hand, this also adversely affects the publishing industry, which depends on the sales of magazines as an information source.
It is doubtful if publishing sales would recover, since sales of print books are weak; however, if the present situation is caused by a 'delayed bubble,' there must be a solution. In any case, we need to rethink the publishing paradigm and culture of publishing, taking into account trends such as increases in new publications and growing rate of returns.
(March 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Blog Books Gain in Popularity
The Internet has spread rapidly in the ten years since the release of Windows 95 in 1995. The number of Internet users has risen; the number of computers has reached 70 million and mobile telephones, 80 million now in Japan.
Readers have been writing comments in Internet bulletin boards for about seven years. Readers' comments to blogs (web logs, messages organized by day) have surged in the past two or three years. Blogs of celebrities, entertainers and athletes have become famous, and have a large number of daily hits.
Blogs, a new type of writing, have come to the attention of publishers. It is not uncommon for blog-based diaries, novels, and essays to be published as books, and there have been a number of best-sellers. This phenomenon shows that the merger between Internet and publishing is in progress.
It may be said that editors at publishing houses routinely conducts blog-surfing in order to search for new publishing ideas, authors, and works.
(February 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Expired Copyright Prompts 8 New Translations of Le Petit Prince
Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) by Antoine Saint-Exupery was published in the United States in 1943. Since then, it has become a classic translated into over 140 languages, and over 20 million copies have been sold worldwide.
Because the copyright of the Japanese language version of this book expired in January 2005, several publishers announced a new translation of their own. The original translation was published by Iwanami Shoten and has sold over 6 million copies.
The fact that there are various new translations of this work indicates its power as a published work. There are 8 versions as of December 2005, each with slightly different titles. The reader would be able to select a version depending on typeface size or book design; even then, it would be a difficult choice.
There have never been so many versions of a translated work around the same time. This example illustrates that publishers and translators are looking for classics whose copyright has expired.
(February 2006, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
The Problem of Returns
In 2004, there was a total sales increase in the publishing industry overall, putting a stop to seven straight years of decreasing sales. However, there were no major hit items in 2005, and sales of both books and magazines marked a decrease. The downward trend in publishing sales continues.
A big factor is the problem of returned books. Under consignment sales system, bookstores are free to return unsold books and magazines to their distributors within a specified period of time. This problem has been an issue in the industry for some time. There has been progress in efforts to tackle the problem with digitization of distribution system, but we are still in a transition period.
One reason cited for the problem of returns is the increase in returns caused by bookstores that have closed or switched businesses. For the past several years, approximately 1,000 stores per year are said to have left the industry. Many chain bookstores have opened, but floor space on average is decreasing.
To solve this problem, either reducing the number of new publications, or building a better system to increase is efficiency. The former is an issue for the publisher. However, it is difficult to change the current situation because publishers want to serve its mission and role by producing new creative works. The latter solution deals with the current distribution system.
The relationship between the readers and the various players, the creator (publisher), distributor (wholesalers), seller (bookstore), should be such that readers should be able to obtain books they want surely and rapidly. This means that publishing people should nurture readers and meet their needs, however, those needs are varied. The number of new publications is not as large compared with those of other developed countries, but there are many similar books on the market. Publishers ought to assess their plans for new publications critically.
The fact that there are many new publications does show the richness of society. There is free competition; those publications which are positively evaluated by the readers will remain.
Because of the rapid growth of internet bookstores, there is the possibility that multiple channels of distribution change consumer behaviour. At the same time, different distribution routes according to the type of publication would be considered. The freedom to publish is freedom of distribution and freedom to advertise.
(December 2005, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Reading Survey in Farming Areas
The main reading surveys in Japan are Dokusho Yoron Chosa (Reading Opinion Poll) by the Mainichi Newspaper, 'Reading Survey of University Students' by the Association of University Cooperatives, and Zenkoku Noson Dokusho Chosa (National Farming Community Reading Survey) by the Ie-no-Hikari Association. Some have a long history; the Mainichi poll has been conducted 59 times, the Ie-no-Hikari survey 60 times.
Among these surveys, the farming community survey is a unique one. The target population is randomly selected from family members of the Agricultural Cooperatives nationwide. According to the survey done for 3 consecutive days in August, the percentage of people who read either a magazine or a book was 65%. The percentage who read a magazine (monthly or weekly) was 58%. By category, the percentage for monthlies was 45%, weeklies 37%, and books 31%. There are more people read magazines than books. The percentage of people reading is generally on the decline. The percentage for magazines was the lowest in 55 years; that for books was the second lowest in 33 years.
As for locations where people obtain reading materials, the top three for monthlies were bookstores (45%), supermarkets and convenience stores (31%), agricultural cooperatives (27%). For books, the top three locations were bookstores (79%), libraries and community centres (20%), supermarkets and convenience stores (19%). At the moment, the Internet is low at 3%, but this will certainly increase in the future.
Average monthly spending on reading materials for everyone surveyed, including people who do not buy books, was 824 yen, 100 yen more than the previous survey. For people who buy reading materials, the average spending was 1457 yen, 109 yen more than the last time.
Daily exposure to various mass media was reported as: Books and magazines, 18 minutes; newspapers, 25 minutes; and television, 159 minutes.
92% of the households subscribe to a newspaper (95% in previous survey). By category, 69% of the households subscribe to a regional newspaper, 24% to a national paper, 11% to an agricultural paper, and 3% to a sports paper.
The results were not so different for farming areas as compared to urban areas. However, the farming areas are characterized by use of agricultural cooperatives and agricultural papers, and subscription to the two magazines Ie-no-Hikari and Gendai Nogyoo (Agriculture Today), both dedicated to improving agriculture and agricultural society.
(November 2005, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Bargain Book Store Opens
Kanda-jimbocho district in Tokyo is known as a 'book town.' It is one of the foremost book districts in the world, especially for used books, with a total sales area of 16,500 square meters, 3 million different titles, and 10 million books of inventory. It is known worldwide along with Charing Cross in London, the Seine river bank in France, and Liulichang in China.
The end of October to the beginning of November is 'Reading Week' in Japan. During this period, events such as the Kanda Used Book Festival and Jimbocho Book Festival are held, attracting over 200,000 people.
A new landmark opened in this book town: Book House Jimbocho. The store is unique in that it specializes in general books, children's books, and how-to books at a 50% to 60% discount. These are books which publishers have allowed for sale at a discounted price.
In Japan, books are sold at a fixed price as a rule, but some books may be discounted. Books not for resale may be sold at a discount by publishers, or certain books may be sold at a discount after being on the market for a certain period. For several years, the Fair Trade Commission has requested a flexible and practical system of discounted book sales. This bookstore is the response to this request.
Since it opened on 12 October, Book House Jimbocho has been in the news and many people have visited the store.
In terms of profitability, there are still many difficulties. It is more of a trial effort than a profit-making enterprise. The store is operated by Shogakukan Group. It will be interesting to follow up on Book House Jimbocho, whose aim is to provide reasonably priced books for readers.
(October 2005, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
Publishing Distribution System
The Japanese publishing distribution system is fairly developed by worldwide standards. Having a good system is important, for 77,000 new titles and 600,000 books on the market must be delivered yearly from the publisher to the reader. The 3,500 varieties of magazines are distributed under the same system.
After the material is delivered to the distributor from the publisher, it goes to one of several possible routes: 1) bookstore route; 2) convenience store route; 3) wholesale route 4) cooperative route; 5) railroad kiosk route; 6) stand route; 7) export route.
According to the recent Shuppan News (Japanese Publications News and Reviews), the bookstore route has a 66% share of the market, or sales of approx. 1.5 trillion yen, and can be said to be the main distribution route. Publications are distributed to the approximately 18,000 bookstores nationwide, from which payments are made.
The convenience store route is second place at 22% of the market, or 520 billion yen. Convenience stores, numbering approximately 40,000 nationwide, sell mainly magazines. Of the 1.03 trillion yen in total magazine sales, the convenience store sales comprise 500 billion yen, of which the top 3 convenience store chains have a 80% market share. 7-Eleven has sales of 200 billion yen, and Lawson and Family Mart together has 200 billion yen. Sales of Japanese magazines can be said to be based on this route.
The wholesale route mostly target newspapers and stalls of private railroad stations. This route has 170 billion yen in sales and a 7.6% share. The above 3 routes are the top 3 in terms of market share.
Other routes have relatively small market share, but each deals in distinctive type of publications.
As we can see, the distribution system of the publishing industry is developed but not without problems. The system is based on consignment; therefore, items which remain unsold can be returned without cost. The return rates may be as high as 40% (figures listed above are the market price minus the return rates). As the distribution system has its ineffective points, a more effective system is under consideration.
(September 2005, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB correspondent)
The Law to Promote the Culture of the Written Word
In July 2005, the "Law to Promote the Culture of the Written Word*" was enacted. This law was proposed by a supra-partisan group of Diet members, "The Association to Promote Written Culture."
In the publishing industry, publishers, wholesalers, and book stores carry out reading promotion activities on their own. Newspapers also have conducted reading campaigns with moderate success. Since 2002, the Children's Reading Promotion Law has had provisions for school libraries towards maintenance; however, only 30% of local governments have utilized it. Such was the background for proposal of this new law.
Specifically, the law aims at improving the language capabilities of Japanese people by promoting written culture and reading activities. To meet this aim, the law seeks to enrich school libraries and include reading education in the publishing, library and education industries. With regard to publishing, the law supports continuation of the resale price maintenance system, promotion and dissemination of material with academic merit, cultural exchanges such as book fairs, and translation of materials from countries which have little opportunities for translation and training of translators.
The law is a flagship for basic principles. To implement the law, effective measures are necessary. The publishing industry needs to actively lobby the government for budgetary provisions under the new law. There, there is a need to consolidate requests of each industry. The Children's Reading Promotion Law had a budget of 65 billion yen over 5 years. Then, a budget of about 100 billion yen would not be too large for this new law.
In Japan, "Reading Week" begins on 27 October. The first day of the Week was designated as the Day of Letters and Culture of the Written Word.
* translated by ACCU
(August 2005, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB Correspondent)
Tokyo International Book Fair Held
The 12th Tokyo International Book Fair (TIBF) was held from 7 to 10 July in Tokyo. The exhibition space was divided into publications and digital publishing. Digital publishing has been expanding in the last few years. Although e-book reading device has not become widely available, e-books read on cellular phones played a central role this year.
Contents for cellular phones have increased rapidly because now they have become easier to operate and feature ultra-high-density screens. Among a variety of subject matter, comics are especially popular. The e-book core of comics is expected to increase in the future.
As for general publications, many people gathered in the discount sales corner. In particular, there were a lot of foreign book sales. The booths of the publishers were divided mainly into the fields of humanities and social science, natural science, and children's books. Various publications were exhibited by specialist publishers.
One of the main attractions was an exhibition from Germany that TIBF hosted officially to highlight the "Year of Germany in Japan" this year.
According to the secretariat, visitors over the four days amounted to 48,000, the same as last year. As the 17th International Stationery & Office Products Fair was held at the same time in the adjacent hall, and visitors were able to enter both halls, the total figure would be higher.
This annual fair has two main facets, the copyright trade and service for general readers. It seems it will continue in same way in the future.
(July 2005, Kiyota Yoshiaki, APPREB Correspondent)
Tokyo International Book Fair
Tokyo International Book Fair (TIBF) is both a trade event and a book sales promotional fair for all publishers, importers, wholesalers, bookstores, literary agents, publishing professionals, and also for the general readers. In 2005, it will be held from 7 to 10 July, though past fairs up to the last year were held in April. Six special fairs, such as Natural Sciences Book Fair, Children's Book Fairs, Educational Book and Software Fair, Humanities and Social Sciences Book Fair, Editorial Production Fair, and Digital Publishing Fair, are held concurrently.
ACCU will participate in TIBF 2005 as usual and exhibit the educational/cultural materials that produced recently, including Asian Copyright Handbook and a reference book Material Development on Disaster Prevention for Community Empowerment. Some publications including catalogues of winning works of the past Noma Concours, the ACP (Asia/Pacific Copublication Programme) book for peace education and mutual understanding, Meet My Friends! are affordable.
For detail information, official website: http://web.reedexpo.co.jp/tibf/english/index.html
(May 2005, ACCU)
Reading Promotion Movements
Until recently, publishing sector was taking the leading role in promotion of reading, such as bookreading at bookshops and the "Reading for 10 minutes in the morning" movement, which is now practiced in 13,000 elementary and junior high schools all over Japan.
In 2001 the government established a law to promote children's reading. It included an annual budget of 13 billion yen in total on purchase of books for school libraries. But, on average, only about 30% of the budget allocated to local governments has been utilized for this purpose.
Diet members gathered regardless of their parties and established in July 2003 an assemblyman federation for promoting reading with the aim of improving the reading environment for the general public and to promote reading culture. With 200 members, it pressures the central and local governments towards realizing that objective.
(August 2003, Kiyota Yoshiaki, ABD Correspondent)
Current Trends
The main points regarding current trends in publishing presented by leaders in the publishing industry in their New Year's messages were as follows:
- Sales for 2002 fell short of the previous year for the sixth consecutive year.
- The sales slump appears to have hit bottom, particularly in books, which registered a slight increase of 0.4%.
- The government is moving to implement the total price system (the inclusion of tax in the price) from April 2004 along with a future consumer tax hike. The publishing industry has lodged a protest with the Taxation System Research Council, appealing for continuation of the current method in which the book price and tax are indicated separately (book price + tax).
- The publishing industry is working for legislation on publishing company rights.
- Various programmes are being implemented to promote reading.
- Protests have been launched against the media control bills (legislation introduced to restrict media activities).
- Flexible operation of the resale price maintenance system will be continued.
The key issue in the industry is low sales. However, the volume of books borrowed from libraries has leaped dramatically, reaching 500 million a year. Annual sales of bargain bookstores, the new trend in second-hand bookstores, amount to 90 billion yen. New manga coffee shops, where customers can read comic books with their drinks, continue to open.
Despite low sales for new publications, books are clearly being read. The real problem may be that readers are not attracted to recent publications simply because they are not good books. Up to 73,000 new titles are published annually. Because of mass-production of inferior goods, books quickly become boring stereotypes that no one wants to buy, creating a vicious circle. It is time for publishing companies to slow down and publish only after careful examination of each manuscript.
(February 2003, Kiyota Yoshiaki, ABD Correspondent)
Publishing and Reading News in 2002
According to a magazine on publishing, Shuppan News, third issue in December 2002, the top 10 news items in publishing and reading in 2002 were as follows:
- Unprecedented 2.3 million copies was the initial print-run of the Japanese edition of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth of the series. Thanks to the so-called "Hari-Pota phenomenon", the publishing industry has enjoyed the increased total amount of sales though momentarily.
- Dispute over public libraries to buy massive multiple copies of bestsellers to cater to the readers continued among copyright holders and those who are concerned with libraries.
- Koe ni dashite yomitai Nihongo (Japanese Texts Worth Reading Aloud) by Saito Takashi sold more than 1.4 million copies in 2002, and similar books have been published one after another. Books on the Japanese language continued to boom.
- A book on how to live well in old age, written by a 90-year-old doctor who is still active sold well, and many books to cheer up the aged were published.
- Many books on the abductees who recently returned to Japan from North Korea were published, and magazines vigorously pursued this matter.
- The total number of schools which practise "Reading for 10 minutes in the morning" has exceeded 10,000. Several reading promotion movements which deem it important for children to become fond of reading in their early childhood have also been active.
- Periodicals which focus on one theme such as temples, flowers, streets, etc., and will be something like an encyclopedia on that topic when put together, continued to be launched aiming for new readership, and were popular.
- Active debate over bills to control the activities of the media intended to protect personal information has sprung up in many fields in the publishing sector.
- Nihon Shuppan Infra Centre was established to provide the publishing industry with an improved infrastructure of information.
- The Kansai-kan, a new branch of the National Diet Library, and a facility serving as a digital library opened in October. Together with the International Library of Children's Literature which went into action in spring 2002, the Diet Library provides improved services for users.
(December 2002, Kiyota Yoshiaki, ABD Correspondent)
Publishing Situation
Though the sales amount in the publishing field is still at a low level, the same as the previous year, the number of new titles is increasing. In April 2002 it was 7,129 (13.3% increase) and the sum total from January to April was 24,573 (8.3% increase).
As for the best-seller in the first half of this year, besides the three titles of Harry Potter series which have sold well since last year, there are some books on Japanese language, books on how to master English, and simple statistics books such as "If the world were a village of 100 people", etc. No new trends are evident, and publishing circles continue to make efforts to find a breakthrough in this prolonged depression.
Meanwhile, the reading promotion movement is very active through story-telling at bookshops, enriching school libraries, and morning reading time at schools. It seems that the publishing community feel the necessity to attract new readership and a way to stimulate publishing.
(June 2002, Kiyota Yoshiaki, from ABD 33-1)
Sites Related to Publishing
There are many sites related to publishing in Japan in the Internet such as book reviews, publishing news, online selling of books themselves and digital contents of books. About 2,200 publishing companies out of a total of 4,300 in Japan have their own site, and the number is increasing.
A review guide, Hon no Hyoban (URL: http://www.honn.co.jp) is one of the interesting sites. It carries "50 Most Frequently Cited Books" by totalling the number of times they are featured in 67,008 articles from 20 newspapers and 250 magazines. According to the list, from the top, Mohouhan: The Copy Cat by Miyuki Miyabe (Shogakukan Inc.) was featured in 96 articles, translations of Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson (Fuso Publishing Inc.) in 87, and Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki & S. L. Lechter (Chikuma Shobo Publishing Co.) in 74, etc. Though the books of its top rank are best sellers, they are listed not in sales order, but according to how much attention the book drew from the readers.
(Yoshiaki Kiyota, February 2002)
Publishing and Reading News in 2001
According to the publishing magazine (Shuppan News) December 2001 issue, top 10 news items in publishing and reading were as follows: 1) The Fair Trade Committee decided to continue with the resale price maintenance system for the time being. 2) Suzuki Shoten, a wholesaler specializing in human and social science books, went bankrupt with a debt of 4,000 million yen. 3) The Harry Potter series continues to boom, selling 7.3 million copies in Japan out of 100 million total in 40 countries. 4) The publication of the parody of the best seller Who Moved My Cheese? caused controversy. 5) Books analyzing and discussing the present severe depression of publishing sold well. 6) Trade edition of the new school textbook of Japanese history sold well, but only a few schools adopted for use in class. 7) Focus, weekly photo magazine, which published 2 million copies in the 1980s, stopped publication due to sales slump. 8) New series of various kinds of paperbacks continued to be launched aiming for expansion of the market. 9) There was a rush to publish books related to Islam, Afghanistan and terrorism after the shocking incident in New York. 10) Cartoonists appealed against the new type of secondhand bookshops which mostly handle recently published books and comics. (Yoshiaki Kiyota, December 2001)
Morning Reading Time at Schools
The total number of elementary, junior and senior high schools which practice "Reading for 10 minutes in the morning" had exceeded 7,000 throughout the country by September 2001. It is a movement whereby each pupil and student reads a book he/she wants to read freely in the 10 minutes before class. Figures show that about 2.8 million students read books in school and 7,000 schools (4,702 elementary, 1,886 junior high, 412 senior high schools in detail) account for about 18% of all those schools.
This movement started about 10 years ago and has recently been spreading rapidly. The reason for its success is that teachers have requested students neither to write their impressions nor to record what they read.
According to the council for reading promotion, it has been recognized in the education scene that reading is indispensable to education for the mental and emotional well-being of present-day children, and that reading should form a basis for education.
It is said that the habit of reading in childhood makes people like books, but compulsory reading may often have the opposite effect. Thus, it is a good opportunity for children to enjoy reading and become familiar with books by "Reading in the Morning".
By the end of March 2002, the total number of schools practicing this movement is expected to reach 10,000. (Yoshiaki Kiyota, September 2001)
Recent State of Publishers
According to Shuppan Nenkan 2001 (Publishing Year Book) published by Shuppan News Co., Ltd., publishers numbered 4,391 in 2000. As the total number reached over 4,000 in 1979, it can be said that Japanese publishing has been stable but not very active in the past two decades.
In the 1980s, publishing has been developing constantly, and numbers of book titles and copies, and sales amounts increased. During the term, the sales amount of magazines exceeded that of general books, and there has been a rapid increase in the number of new magazines. Large publishers came to depend on the sales of magazines in the 1990s and this trend has continued until now. Because the themes reflecting various readers have been subdivided into many categories such as hobbies, culture, practical knowledge, lifestyle, etc., medium and small size publishers have also been able to publish their original characteristic magazines.
Regarding the scale, publishers with a capital exceeding 100 million yen account for 249, which include publishing divisions of newspapers, broadcasting companies, printing companies, etc. and of which only 10% are estimated to be companies specialized only in publishing. The capitals of major publishers including Kodansha Ltd., Shogakukan Inc., Shueisha Inc., Iwanami Shoten Publishers, Shincho-Sha Co., Ltd., and Heibonsha Ltd., Publishers are 200 to 300 million yen. Of those, the top two publishers employ about 1,000 people and others 200 to 300, while 2,235 publishers (51%) employ fewer than 10. 3,434 publishers (78%) are concentrated in Tokyo, followed by 200 in Osaka, 133 in Kyoto. (Yoshiaki Kiyota, June 2001)
News in Publishing and Reading in 2000
Some features of top 10 publishing and reading news in 2000 presented in publishing magazine "Shuppan News" in December 2000 are as follows: 1) Total sales amount in publishing has decreased consecutively for 4 years; 2) The Fair Trade Commission has examined the issue of resale and consignment (fixed price) sales system and will announce the conclusion at the end of March 2001; 3) On-line bookstores came out one after another and competed harder; 4) Various best seller books were published in spite of depression in publishing; 5) International Library of Children's Literature has opened and Children's Reading Year encouraged the movement of reading promotion; 6) New series of characteristic paperbacks narrowing the theme and target of readers were launched; 7) Many books on Yukio Mishima have been published, 30 years after his shocking death in 1970. (Yoshiaki Kiyota, January 2001)
Certain Conditions for Best Sellers
There are 4 types of best sellers in recent Japanese publishing; 1) those that sell well because of the author's name, 2) those with attractive titles, 3) those from big publishers, and 4) those tied up with TV media.
The new books written by some famous authors, so-called best seller novelists, including Ryotaro Shiba, Jun-ichi Watanabe, and, currently, Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Banana Yoshimoto, etc., are sure sellers. The factors which promote sales of a book are, needless to say, good content, timely publishing, and practical value ("how-to" books, etc.). A title which shows its content attractively and holds the readers' interest and attention is extremely effective. Certain publishers often publish best sellers, among which Gentosha, Soshisha, and Takarajimasha have recently been outstanding, as well as major publishers that publish many books, pay much for advertising, are good at selling, and know how to manage sales. Books related to TV media sell well, such as novelization of teleplays and on TV programmes and those written by well-known personalities, singers and actors. Such books are called "telesellers".
Best sellers in 2000 were as follows: "Dakara Anatomo Ikinuite" (Here's Why You Too Should Start Over" by M. Ohira, Kodansha Ltd., which sold over 190 million; "Jinsei no Mokuteki", (Aim of Human Life), by Hiroyuki Itsuki, novelist, Gentosha, written about how to live from a religious point of view; !Inochi" (Life), by Miri Yu, Shogakukan Inc., written about her personal experience up to the birth of her baby; "Platonic Sex", by Ai Iijima, Shogakukan Inc., a frank account of her life so far which especially aroused young readers' sympathy.
The common theme of those books is "how to live". This trend has been getting stronger in recent years. The book people want to read is one that gives a really good picture of a personality. (Yoshiaki Kiyota, December 2000)
New Electronic Paperback Publishing Site "Paburi" Opened
Eight major Japanese publishing companies, which publish 'bunkobon', Japanese small-sized paperbacks (Kodansha Ltd., Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd., Kobun-Sha, Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc., Shueisha Inc., Shincho-Sha, Tokuma Shoten Co., Ltd., Bungei Shunju Ltd.), opened a co-operative site (http://www.paburi.com) on 1 September 2000, which sells digital contents of paperbacks, mainly sold out in bookstores or gone out of print, on Internet.
Though there are some similar kinds of sites which sell digitalized books, this is the first time in Japan for major publishers to operate full-scale. Beginning with 1,000 titles it will make weekly additions, aiming at 2,500 items in a year. Despite recent low sales of printed publications, this may possibly widen the book market.
However, future prospects on reading novels on personal computers or mobile equipments is uncertain due to issues of resolution of picture screens, literacy, etc. It is rather difficult for people who have been used to reading printed publications to read novels on screen. But for the young generation who have been used to TV screens and video games since their childhood, and have been using computers, it may not bother them. Thus, it may not be long before it becomes natural for everyone to adopt a new reading style, such as reading on screen.
Electronic books are sent and paid for by credit card easily on Internet instead of involving transport and distribution as is usual for books. It is epoch-making and leads to new business. The progress of IT (information technology) happens to engender unexpected situations. (September 2000)
Annual Report on State of Publishing in 1999
Shuppan-Nenkan 2000 (annual report on publishing) published recently by Shuppan News Co., Ltd. is a reference material covering Japanese publishing news and data in 1999. It includes a catalogue of all new titles published in 1999 (62,621 in total); top 10 publishing news items in 1999; reports of controversial current issues such as how electronic publications should be treated in the National Diet Library Law which urges publishers to provide a copy each of their publication to the National Library; trends in book and magazine publishing as well as electronic or paperless publications; activities of book-related organizations such as Japan Book Publishers Association, Japan Magazine Publishers Association, Japan Booksellers Federation, etc.; various literary awards and their winning works; recommended reading books by publishing organisations, etc.
The number of new titles published by each publisher are also presented. From the top, 1,694 titles by Kodansha Ltd., 902 by Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd., 902 by Shogakukan Inc., 772 by Shueisha Inc., 620 by Iwanami Shoten, Publishers, etc. It also covers changes in publishing of books and magazines in the last 20 years, and sales amount ranking by bookstores. And the listing covers publishers, edit productions, distributors, online bookstores, copyright agencies, libraries, newspaper companies and others.
Some general facts about Japanese publishing presented in Shuppan-Nenkan are as follows: Gross sales in publishing in 1999 amounted to 2,554,823 million yen (approx. US$33,855 million), 2.4% less than last year. This amount has been decreasing for three years. The details are: 1,042,077 million yen for books (1.18% less) and 1,511,745 million yen for magazines (2.8% less). Though the decrease in the rate of book sales was smaller than that of last year, the situation remains serious. Regarding magazines, the rate became a little bigger than the previous year, and their poor sales reflected the whole publishing industry. The gross sales in 1999 were almost at the same level as in 1994. The publishers numbered 4,406, of which 3,461 (79%) are concentrated in Tokyo. 1,400 have opened their websites, a trend which has been increasing
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