The Asahi Shimbun
The Asahi Shimbun is a Japanese daily newspaper founded in Osaka on 25 January 1879. It began as a small-print, four-page illustrated paper selling for one sen per copy, with an initial circulation of about 3,000. The founding officers were Kimura Noboru, Murayama Ryōhei, and Tsuda Tei. In 1881, the paper adopted an all-news format and brought in Ueno Riichi as co-owner. Financial support from the government and Mitsui helped solidify its management, and under the leadership of Ueno and Murayama, it rose to national prominence. The first Tokyo edition was published on 10 July 1888. In 1907, the celebrated writer Natsume Sōseki joined the Tokyo Asahi. The Osaka and Tokyo operations merged into a single corporation on 1 October 1908. The newspaper’s liberal stance led to government suppression during the 1918 Rice Riots and attacks from ultranationalists, including vandalism during the 1936 February 26 Incident. From the late 1930s, under editor-in-chief Taketora Ogata, the Asahi ardently supported Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe’s wartime government and criticized capitalism. Ogata was a leading member of the ultranationalist Genyōsha group. In 1937, the Asahi sponsored the Kamikaze aircraft, which flew from Japan to London. The newspaper’s name was unified as the Asahi Shimbun on 1 September 1940. Publication was halted by the government on 1 January 1943 after it printed a critical essay. Later that year, Murayama’s son-in-law removed Ogata from his editor-in-chief role. Today, the Asahi Shimbun is one of Japan’s five largest newspapers, with a morning circulation of 3.26 million and an evening circulation of 892,295 as of June 2025, making it the second largest in the world by print circulation. Its publisher remains a privately held family business controlled by the founding Murayama and Ueno families.
- field
- Newspaper publishing
- nationality
- Japanese
- known_for
- Being a newspaper of record for Japan; second-largest newspaper in the world by print circulation
- headquarters
- Osaka, Japan
- circulation_morning
- 3.26 million (June 2025)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Its three founding officers were Kimura Noboru (company president), Murayama Ryōhei (owner), and Tsuda Tei (managing editor). During the 1930s and 1940s, the Asahi ardently supported Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe's wartime government and criticized capitalism under editor-in-chief Taketora Ogata, who was a leading member of the ultranationalist Genyōsha. Influential editorial writers included Shintarō Ryū, Hiroo Sassa, and Hotsumi Ozaki, an informant for spy Richard Sorge. Publication was stopped by the government on 1 January 1943 after a critical essay by Seigō Nakano. In 1989, the paper reported a coral reef defacement near Okinawa that turned out to be a hoax by its own reporter, leading to the president's resignation.
Reader's Guide
The Asahi Shimbun holds a significant place in Japanese media history as one of the country's oldest and largest national daily newspapers, and as a newspaper of record. Its long history reflects key developments in modern Japan, from its founding in the Meiji era through its involvement in wartime politics and its postwar reckoning. The paper is considered left-leaning and has been called 'the intellectual flagship of Japan's political left,' with a tradition of reporting on political scandals. However, public trust in the Asahi Shimbun was the lowest among Japan's major dailies according to the Reuters Institute Digital Report 2018, with confidence declining in all major newspapers. The Asahi Shimbun Company remains a privately held family business controlled by the founding Murayama and Ueno families. Its circulation, second only to the Yomiuri Shimbun, makes it the second largest newspaper in the world by print circulation, though its digital size trails many global newspapers including The New York Times. The paper's legacy includes both its role as a critical voice and its controversial wartime support for the government, as well as incidents like the 1989 coral reef hoax that damaged its credibility.
Did You Know?
- On 9 April 1937, a Mitsubishi aircraft sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun and flown by Masaaki Iinuma arrived in London, the first Japanese-built aircraft to fly to Europe.
- In 1989, the Asahi Shimbun reported a coral reef defacement near Okinawa that turned out to be a hoax by its own reporter, leading to the president's resignation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How large is The Asahi Shimbun in terms of circulation?
With a morning print run of roughly 3.26 million copies as of mid-2025, it ranks as the second-biggest newspaper globally by print circulation, trailing only the Yomiuri Shimbun.
Who owns and controls The Asahi Shimbun?
The paper is operated by The Asahi Shimbun Company, a privately held business. Day-to-day control rests with the Murayama and Ueno families, who were the original founders.
Where is The Asahi Shimbun headquartered?
Its main offices are located in Osaka, Japan, where the company has maintained its base of operations since the late 19th century.
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