Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Tough time for Shonen Jump


 Weekly Shonen Jump has spent the better half of the past decade facing gradually decreasing circulation numbers, and that trend continues with the latest update. According to the Japan Magazine Publishers Association (JMPA), the magazine’s print circulation dropped below 1.4 million between July and September 2021.

These are still staggering numbers that Western comic magazines can only dream about, but in the Japanese competitive manga market they are cause for alarm. 

The full circulation total for that period came to 1,371,818 copies. This is in stark contrast to the numbers from the January-March period of 2014, which had the magazine at 2,715,834 copies. It first dipped below two million in 2017 and has continued to decline at a steady pace since.

At its height in 1994, Weekly Shonen Jump had a print circulation count of 6.53 million copies.

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In other news, for those who haven't noticed, my second guidebook,
Otaku Japan, is out! Amazon.co.jp: Otaku Japan: The Fascinating World of Japanese Manga, Anime, Gaming, Cosplay, Toys and More! : Gianni Simone, ジャンニ・シモーネ: Japanese Books

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Last but not least, I have launched a brand-new newsletter, Tokyo Calling, which covers books, films, music, and of course all things Japanese

Please check it out and if you like it, share it widely and SUBSCRIBE. It's free!

Tokyo Calling | Gianni Simone | Substack