📰 Reading newspaper culture in Japan

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📬 Japan remains one of the few countries where paper newspapers are still widely read. Major publications such as Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun have circulation numbers reaching millions of copies everyday, making them among the most widely distributed newspapers in the world.

📬 One key reason is that reading newspapers has long been part of daily life in Japan. Many people grow up in households that subscribe to a particular newspaper, and the habit continues across generations. For commuters traveling long distances by train or subway, reading the morning paper is also a familiar way to spend the journey.

📬 Another important factor is Japan’s extensive newspaper sales network. In the 2010s, Asahi Shimbun has 2,600 sales outlets and 70,000 salespeople, in which with such a large sales network, newspaper circulation will not decline easily.

Looking back since post-World War II, the job of newspaper delivery has always played an important role in urban life during Japan’s period of rapid economic growth. Many young people who moved from rural areas to cities to pursue higher education earned money for their tuition by working part-time as newspaper delivery people. Many of them then graduated from university and settled in the city. This unique background is likely one of the reasons why newspapers remain so important to Japanese people over the age of 50, especially those who moved from rural areas to cities.

📷 The photo was taken at the newspaper corner at Okayama University Central Library

*Source: Record China JP