In brief
Tokyo’s Sunday Mainichi, Japan’s oldest general‑interest weekly, announced it will stop printing in April 2027 after more than a century of publication. Publisher Mainichi Shimbun cites a shrinking market and higher paper costs as the chief reasons, with the final issue expected to circulate about 30,000 copies.
Tokyo‑based Sunday Mainichi, the oldest general‑interest weekly in Japan, announced that it will cease printing on April 27, 2027, after more than a century of distribution. The publisher, Mainichi Shimbun Publishing Inc., said Friday that the final issue will go on sale at the beginning of April, marking the end of a newspaper that began in April 1922.
Background
The Sunday edition of Mainichi has long been a staple of people’s weekly news routines since its launch in 1922. It earned its place as Japan’s oldest general‑interest weekly, covering a wide range of domestic and international stories and offering in‑depth analysis and commentary.
In fiscal 2025, the magazine’s average circulation stood at roughly 30,000 copies, a figure that has hovered around the same level in recent years. The paper’s relatively small, but loyal, circulation set it apart from larger national dailies and oriented it toward readers seeking a more considered perspective.
Sunday Mainichi was also known for its university admissions coverage. The weekly routinely ranked high schools by the number of their graduates accepted to the University of Tokyo, and it published lists that named all successful applicants. In a landmark issue in April 1959, the magazine sold 1,567,000 copies to cover Crown Prince Akihito’s marriage, illustrating the paper’s occasional capacity for broader appeal.
Reasons Behind the Withdrawal
Publisher Mainichi Shimbun cited a shrinking market for physical newspapers as the fundamental reason for discontinuing the weekly. The company also pointed to rising material costs—particularly the cost of paper and printing supplies—as making a continuation financially unsustainable.
In its statement, the publisher explained that the fixed cost of printing and distribution no longer matched the magazine’s modest circulation revenue. This position reflects a broader trend in which print media faces decreasing readership and competition from online platforms.
Implications and Open Questions
The decision raises questions about the sustainability of niche print publications in Japan’s digital age. Readers who relied on Sunday Mainichi for its long‑form journalism and in‑depth university analysis will need to seek alternative sources, whether other print outlets, digital news sites, or multimedia platforms.
Industry observers are also curious how the paper’s closure will affect the staff, distribution networks, and the legacy of a publication that has documented Japan’s post‑war transformation for a century. While mainichi’s end will close a historic chapter, it leaves open whether a digital reincarnation or a new print model could fill the void left by the weekly’s absence.
Most of the early content delivered by Sunday Mainichi—including its university admissions rankings—will now be out of reach in print form. Whether other media will extend that coverage to a broader audience remains an open question.
In the final weeks leading up to the last issue, the publisher is expected to publish a concluding editorial reflecting on the magazine’s history and achievements. Whether that editorial will serve as a bridge to the future of public discourse is yet to be told.
