Japanese media in the United States
This series asks editors in the field about the history, characteristics, readership, challenges, and future vision for Japanese language media outlets, including paid and free papers, newspapers, and magazines published across the United States.
Stories from this series
Part 7: The Rafu Shimpo, first published in 1903 - a paid Japanese newspaper in Los Angeles
Nov. 8, 2021 • Keiko Fukuda
Both English and Japanese The Rafu Shimpo, first published in 1903, is still published four days a week as a paid paper (three days a week during the pandemic). Since the days before free papers, the paper has provided local news, Japanese news, and lifestyle information for the Japanese community in Los Angeles, and I have been relying on it since I moved to the United States. In this place where you can't go anywhere without a car, an acquaintance …
No.6 "Iroha" launched in 1990 - A monthly newspaper closely tied to the Japanese community in Dallas
Oct. 25, 2021 • Keiko Fukuda
Collaboration with local Japanese organizations I have often heard of the free Japanese newspaper "Iroha" published in Dallas. However, as a California resident, I have never had the opportunity to learn about what kind of publication it is or what it contains. The publisher, Makoto Ueda, told me that this is because the paper is closely tied to the local Japanese community and does not disseminate information outside the region. As of August 2021, the paper does not publish an …
5th issue: "US FrontLine" launched in 1992 - a magazine covering the entire United States
Oct. 11, 2021 • Keiko Fukuda
A vast area and a wide range of readers The Japanese media we have introduced so far have focused on one or more specific areas: Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and San Francisco, but the free Japanese magazine we will introduce this time, USFrontLine, is distributed to many areas across the United States where there are Japanese communities. "The three areas with the highest distribution are Los Angeles in California, the San Francisco area, and New York, but we also …
No. 4: Weekly Bayspo, first published in 1999 — A beloved weekly newspaper in the Bay Area
Sept. 27, 2021 • Keiko Fukuda
A pioneer of free SF media Recently, I often check out the Facebook community "Japanese in America." A common post I see in this community is, "I'm moving to the XX area. Can you recommend some local Japanese information magazines?" As a Southern California resident, I can immediately write a recommendation for a publication in Los Angeles, but to be honest, I'm not familiar with the Japanese media situation in the Bay Area, which is also in California. So, although …
Part 3: The North American Post, first published in 1902, is the oldest Japanese newspaper still in existence in the United States
Sept. 13, 2021 • Keiko Fukuda
90% of the pages are in English The oldest Japanese newspaper in America is The North American Post, based in Seattle, Washington. However, when it was first published, its name was The North American Times, and its first publication dates back to 1902. The paper was established in Seattle, where the Japanese community has long been formed, by its first publisher, Kiyoshi Kumamoto, and several other first-generation Japanese. Until the war, the paper was a daily Japanese-language paper with a …
Part 2: Weekly NY Life, launched in 2004 – a free newspaper that continues to provide original reporting
Aug. 30, 2021 • Keiko Fukuda
As long as there are readers Weekly NY Life, a Japanese publication with a circulation of 20,000 copies on the East Coast of the United States, mainly in New York, was launched in 2004. People who have lived in the United States for a long time may be surprised that the paper has been around for less than 20 years. I am one of them. The reason is that both the publisher and CEO of the magazine, Ryoichi Miura, and …
