THE MAGAZINES OF JAPAN

By S. TAKAHASHI

The vCl?'-ietll a.nd g-ize of Japanese magazines, togethel' wit.h theil'huge circltlat:i01&, come as a 8m'1)ri,~e to the Westel'1ltw v·isit·ing Japa.'Il.US'lLallll considering maga.z'ines to be 0, peculiarlll Euro1Jean 01' AnuwicanillRtit'ution, he fi:'uds ;''t JIl1Jnn countless newsstands und book·shops fill.edto the (Irim with nw,{Jo,zines of all for'/I!s (£ltd descriptions,

V<wy few f01'eigne1'g, even those l'iving in Japan, know anyth'innabout the contents of the maua.zines which pour in a. ceaseless streamtram the pT'inting-p1'esse,' of Japa:n, influencing and shaping the 1nindof its peopl~, M'r, Takahashi, who has long heen connect.ed with Japaneseiou'I'1wlism, hILS ki'lUl/y contributed an wrt'icle on this subject.-K.M.

THE MAGAZINE INJAPANESE LIFE

In Japan's cultural and spiritual lifemagazines play such an essential partthat one can call them one of the mostimportant organs of general education,enlightenment, and formation of publicopinion. There are magazines for aUages-from tiny tots onwards-for allclasses and professions, and for alldemands and interests. The number ofJapanese periodicals is extraordinarilylarge. According to the Magazine YearBook, published last July, there werein 1940 about 3,000 periodicals on saleto the public, over sixty of which werewomen's magazines. The publishingcompanies amalgamated in the recentlyfounded Publishers' Association issueabout 2,000 magazines. The l-emainingthousand not affiliated to this Associa­tion are probably such magazines ashave either, under present conditions,ceased publication since 1940 or are nolonger of any importance.

The leading magazines appear on thetwentieth of each month. On this daynewspapers carry huge publishers' ad­vertisements with detailed tables ofcontents. A glance at a book-store orat the book-section of a departmentstore will show the great importanceof periodicals for the bookselling-trade.Japanese bookstores are, as a rule,entirely open to the street, and on

large tables usually projecting rightout into the open there are piles ofnewly published magazines, besieged bypeople from early morning till closing­time, Before deciding to buy, one isallowed thoroughly to look throughevery magazine. Unkind tongues assertthat there are people who go frombookstore to bookstore amI in thismanner read through all magazines ofinterest to them without spending acent. Some such readers even go sofar as to mark the magazine whenthey go home to lunch, so that theyneed waste no time in finding the placewhere they left off when they returnlater on.

THEY ARE CHEAP

The price of Japanese periodicals iscomparatively low. It ranges fromthirty sen to one yen (seven to twenty­five U.S. cents at the official exchangerate.) On an average the large popularmagazines containing about 300 pagescost sixty sen, while the serious maga­zines, which are of a much higherintellectual level, cost one yen for 350­400 pages. How can this low price beexplained? First of all no importanceis attached to outward appearance.The paper is of a very poor quality.The cover, as a rule, only shows thename of the magazine. Only in thecase of popular magazines is the cover

THE MAGAZINES, OF JAPAN 53

made to look a little more colorful andath"active. Beyond that the popularmagazines are profusely, but very sim­ply, illustrated. The deciding factorsfor the cheap price are, of course, thehuge circulation of most of the maga­zines and the large advertising theycarry.

Of first rank among the more im­portant periodicals are the four leadingserious magazines: Kaizo (Reorganiza­tion), Chuo Koron (Central Review),Nippon H'lIoron (Nippon Review), andBungei Shunju (Current Literature).I call them serious magazines becauseof the high level of their political­economic-cultural contents, of whichone or the other side is more or lessemphasized by the various publications.

EX-LIBERAL

In principle it can be said that untilquite recently most of the leading maga­zines were of a strong liberal trendand thereby followed and encouragedthe inclinations of the intelligentsia.The four magazines mentioned aboveare published mainly for the educatedclasses. This is apparent from thevery style of printing. Japan uses theChinese system of writing, and in ad­dition has developed a phonetic script,called Kana. The popular magazines,designed mainly for entertainment, useonly a limited number of Chinesecharacters, and even these are almostall furnished at the side with furi­gana, Le. tiny signs of the Kanascript giving the pronunciation andthereby also the meaning of the Chinesecharacter. The four serious magazines,however, contain many more Chinesecharacters without the explanatoryKana signs. This fact alone is enoughto determine fairly accurately the typeof reader.

At present the afore-mentioned li­beral tendency is, of course, hardlynoticeable. The magazines have latelyhad to change their tone considerablyand have thereby lost much of theiroriginal character. Today one can al­ready speak of a far-reaching co-ordi-

nation of all publications along the linesof the current inner-political reform(Shintaisei). Most periodicals haveofficially abandoned their former standand consciously placed themselves atthe service of the reform. Withoutdoubt the importance of this fact forthe future development of Japan is notto be underestimated. If, here andthere, something of the former tendencycan still be glimpsed, this is because, onthe whole, the contributors have re­mained the same and the final adjust­ment does require some time.

The magazine Kaizo (Reorganization)exists since 1919. Its former trendwas rather leftist. It was founded ata time when Marxism happened to bethe fashion also in Japanese intellectualcircles. At present there is, of course,no longer any trace to be found ofsuch tendencies. The magazine has itsown publishing-house. The Presidentof the Kaizo Publishing Company isSanehiko Yamamoto, himself a well­known writer who quite recently, afterhis travels in Europe and America,appeared again in the limelight withnumerous articles and books describinghis impressions and views on the worldsituation.

CONTRIBUTORS

Like nearly all periodicals, Kaizo hasno fixed staff of collaborators. Thearticles are written by well-knownjournalists, writers, university profes­sors, politicians, authors, etc., whopublish their works in this or thatmagazine and are sometimes represent­ed in the same month by differentarticles in several publications. In J(a'izopolitical problems have first place.

A specialty of almost all Japanesemagazines are the so-called Zadanlcaireports, Le. reports on a discussion,arranged by the editors, by a numberof ex-perts on some specially contro­versial topic of poli tical, economic orcultural nature. These reports are oftenvery interesting and l·evealing. Fromtime to time special supplements aboutunusually important questions are pUb-

54 THE XXth CENTURY

lished at a small increase in price ofabout twenty sen. The literary sectionof l(aizo is composed of a few poems,several new short stories, sometimeseven a play or a novel in serial form.The same can be said of the otherserious magazines.

CIRCULATION

The circulation figures of Japaneseperiodicals are kept secret by thepublishers and exact data are un­obtainable. Kaizo and Chuo K01'on aresaid to have a circulation of about140,000 each. The largest circulationof the four magazines is supposedlythat of Bungei Shunju. This, apartfrom its high standard, is probably dueto the low price of only sixty sen foran issue of about 400 pages, whileKaizo and Chuo Koron cost one yen.

Since the outbreak of the China in­cident, the Kaizo Publishing Company,be5ide its large monthly, appearingevery twentieth, also publishes a specialnumber on the first of every monthcalled Jikyoku-han (Current Events)which deals mainly with world-politicalquestions of the day. It is thinner andhas a far smaller circulation.

One of the oldest existing magazinesis Chuo Kot·on (Central Review). Itwas founded in 1887 and is likewisepublished by its own company. ChuoKoron was formerly emphatically li­beral. It has a very high intellectualstandard and is addressed to the edu­cated classes. Many Japanese say thatone need only read Chuo Km'on to beadequately informed on all importanttopics.

The magazine Nippon Hyoron (Japan­ese Review) has appeared since 1927.It was originally called Keizai 01·ai(Economic Review) and was re-namedonly quite recently. Economic questionsstill play an important part in it,

THE BEST-SELLER

The most widely read of the fourgreat periodicals, as indicated above, isBungei Shunj'u (Current Literature),

founded in 1927. It is in spite of itsname by no means a purely literarymagazine, but is also of political-eco­nomic-cultural interest, with emphasison the cultural side. The essay enjoysspecial consideration in Bungei Shunju.The President of its publishing companyis Kan Kikuchi, one of the best-knownand most widely read modern authors,who in addition to his numerous con­temporary novels has also publishedseveral excellent popular history books.Since the outbreak of the China incidenta special number of Bungei Shuniuis published every month under thename of Genchi Hokoku (Reports fromthe Scene of Action), which has mean­while developed into an independentmagazine and which deals mainly withproblems of the Asiatic sphere, eventsin China, and world problems connectedmore or less closely with them.

In addition to these four outstandingperiodicals, a few others deserve men­tion. One of the newest is K01·on(Review). It was founded in 1939 inconnection with the great national re­form movement and is considered anexcellent exponent of the new spirit ofJapan. It has quite a high standardand deals mainly with problems of theJapanese and Greater Asiatic spheres.

This spirit of Japan is also stronglyemphasized in the magazine Genda'i(The Present Day). Although in ex­istence since 1920, it was formerlychiefly devoted to light reading. It isonly recently that it has attained amuch higher standard, so that it couldreally be ranked with the four greatserious magazines. The contents aremainly of a politico-cultural nature, andit is addressed primarily to universitystudents.

THE KODANSHA COMPANYGendai is published by the Nippon

Yuben Kodansha Company, the biggestpublishing-house in Japan, which issuesa number of the best-known children'sand popular magazines, starting withpicture-books, and all very national andeducational. The nine great magazinesof the Kodansha Company make up

THE MAGAZINES OF JAPAN

seventy-five per cent of the totalcirculation of all Japanese publications.The founder of this company was SeijiNoma, a former elementary school­teacher, who recognized the great valueof magazines for national education,and who, out of almost nothing, createdthe colossal enterprise of the KodanshaPublishing Company.

The oldest publication of this com­pany is Yuben (Eloquence), which existssince 1919 and is also widely read. Itis written more or less in popular styleand its contents are partly entertaining,partly instructive.

However, the most important con­tribution of Mr. Noma to the develop­ment of the Japanese magazines washis idea to publish the Kodan Clubthrough which he introduced the trea­sures of Japanese folklore into thesociety of printed words. At first, itis true, his plan seemed a failure.While waiting several months for thesales agents to return the unsold copies,he had no idea of how his magazinewas selling. In his autobiography hedescribes how he finally learned thesad truth: "Only 1,800 out of the10,000 copies of the first issue hadbeen sold, the remaining 8,200 unsoldcopies poured back upon us like a cloud­burst from the angry heavens andfilled our 'store-house' up to the ceiling.The second issue had fared no betterand we were flooded with five or sixthousand unwanted copies. The thirddeluge of as many returned magazine~allbut swamped us. It is impossible ade­quately to convey the black despondencyinto which I sank at the sight of thisincredible pile of unsold goods."

But he stuck it out. To quote himagain: "Call it hope, confidence, vision­what you will-a man who is whole­hearted in his devotion to any workhas certain convictions that the workwill succeed whether or not it seemspromising to other eyes. From thestart, and in spite of the most forbid­ding appearances for over half a year,I knew that this Kodan Club would beaU right in the end.

55

"After a year things began to mend.We saw the Kodan Club in the barber'sshop with waiting customers gloatingover its pages; we saw it in the handsof passengers in trams and trains. Itwas despised by highbrows and superiorwomen at first, but it was read byworkmen, rikisha men and shop appren­tices. By and by it made an ascentin the social scale. Nurses in hospitalsand doctors would recommend it toconvalescents. Statesmen and businessmen whose brains were taxed by graveproblems found in the Kodan Club foodfor mental relaxation. The latest scienceand philosophy may teach us a greatdeal, but there is something in thewords and deeds of our less sophistica­ted fore-fathers, as told by the skilledtongues of professional romance-narra­tors, which can thrill our hearts andmake us look back wistfully uponthe old days. After a year the KodanClub was doing fairly well in its sales."After that, Noma moved from successto success.

POLITICS, LITERATURE,PHILOSOPHY

The best-known political monthlie~

are Sekai Orai (World Review), inexistence since 1936, and Nippon oyobiNipponjin (Japan and the Japanese),like Chuo Koron, one of the oldestJapanese magazines, existing since 1888.It will be noticed that most periodicalsare of recent origin; only very fewhave been appearing since before theWorld War.

The best-known magazine for foreignpolitics is I<ok1.lSai Hyoron (936). Asleading economic magazines one shouldname: Jitsugyo no Nippon (EconomicJapan), existing since 1897 and appearingfortnightly; Economist, published threetimes a month since 1913 by the OsakaMainichi (a daily newspaper); Diamond,also founded in 1913 and published threetimes monthly; and Toyo Keizai Shimpo(Far Eastern Economic News), theoldest of all, dating from 1895. TheEnglish titles of both the newer economicmagazines are significant of the hithertostrong Anglo-American ties of Japaneseeconomics.

5G THE XXth CENTURY

There are numerous literary maga­zines. The following deserve specialmention: Shincho (New Currents),published since 1904 by the ShinchoPublishing-House, and Bungei (Liter­ature), founded in 1933 and publishedby the Kaizo Company. The afore­mentioned Bungei Shunju Publi 'hingCompany also issues, since 1935, themagazine Bungak'ltka,i (Literary World).

The philosophical magazine with thehighest standard is Shiso, (Thought),published since 1921 by the I wanamiCompany. Another well-known phi­losophical monthly is Riso (The Idea!),founded in 1927 and published by itsown company.

POPULAR MAGAZINES

Amongst the innumerable popularmagazines some of the !.Jest-known maybe mentioned here. The largest andprobably the most widely read of allJapanese magazines is King, reputedto have a circulation of about 800,000.It has been issued since 1925 by theKodansha Publishing Company, whichshould suffice to indicate its patriotictendency. Apart from the purelyentertaining section, King also containspopular and intelligible interpretationsof problems touching on the nationalexistence of Japan. This very tendencyis even more strongly emphasized inthe second great popular magazineHi'1lode (Sunrise), published since 1932by the Shincho Company.

II OMEN AND CHILDREN

Heading the numerous women'smagazines is the Shufu no Tomo (ThHousewife's Friend). Founded in 1917,it is published by its own companyand, like King, has a circulation ofabout 800,000. On account of its ex­cellent literary section it is also highlyesteemed by the masculine world.Occupying second place is Pujin Ku:rabn(The Women's Club, club being pro­nounced kurabu in Japan). This ma­gazine has appeared since 1920 and isanother product of the Kodansha

Publishing Company. Fujin Koron(Women's Review) has been issued since1916 by the publishers of the bigmonthly Chuo [(o'ron, and appeals tomore educated women. F'l.i,jin 1/0 Tomo(The Women's Friend) exists inee 1910.It was founded by Mrs. Tomoko Hani,who is very well-kno\vn for her partin women's activities; it hows acertain Christian influence and is alsomuch read in educated circles. For theyounger, more modern feminine worldthe Shinjoen (The New Garden) hasbeen published since 1937.

Among variolls children's magazinesthere is the newly-founded Shin Wakodo(New Youth) which enthusiasticallysupports national education of youth.

Finally two periodicals born out oflatest political developments may bementioned: 7'airi/m (The Mainland)and Taillo (The Pacific Ocean). Thetitles are :sufficient to give an idea oftheir contents and readers.

THE FUTURE

As in many other. phe.res the develop­ment of the last decade has beentowards ever greater numbers. Thepresent political and spiritual co­ordination will, however, probably bringabout many changes and do away withmany periodicals not mentioned in thi'article. For instance, it is alreadyintended henceforth to permit onlyabout ten women's magazines to appear,instead of the sixty now published. Foreconomic reasons and for the purposeof a general improvement in standard,such a step may have its advantages.This movement towards centralizationis probably being supported by therecently formed Association of Publish­ers, v. hich is under the supervision ofGovernment authorities.

The Government's interest in theJapanese magazines is the result oftheir deep influence on the life of thepeople. There is probably no countryin which magazines play a greatereducational or national role than inJapan.