is a Japanese

publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

company founded in 1887 amidst the wealth and military prosperity of the

Meiji era The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization b ...

. Hakubunkan entered the publishing arena by printing a

nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...

magazine as well as expanding into

printing Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ea ...

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...

, paper manufacturing, and related businesses, becoming one of Japan's largest publishing companies in the process. Hakubunkan Shinsha's primary business is now publication of various diaries, journals, and day planners, especially those from the era of the original Hakubunkan company. Hakubunkan is not related to the

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

school teaching materials company Hakubun.

History

In 1887, founded the company in Yumi, Hongō,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

(now part of Hongō, Bunkyō, Tokyo). The company was named after

Itō Hirobumi was a Japanese politician and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of Japan. He was also a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior statesmen that dictated Japanese policy during the Meiji era. A London-educated samur ...

, based on an alternate pronunciation of his

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

. Hakubunkan began publishing the magazine in 1887 as well. One of the most famous stories to appear in the magazine was (also known as ''The Golden Demon'') by

Ozaki Kōyō was a Japanese author and poet. His real name was , and he was also known by various noms de plume including and . Biography Ozaki was the only son of Kokusai (), a well-known carver in the Meiji period. Ozaki is known as a classic Japanes ...

, who based two of the characters in the play on (son of the founder of the company) and Tomiyama Tadatsugu. Hakubunkan then established Tōkyōdō (the predecessor of

Tōkyōdō Shoten is a Japanese retail book store chain founded in 1891 as Tōkyōdō, a book publishing company. After World War II, the company branched out into retail book sales and Tōkyōdō split into two companies: Tōkyōdō Shoten, which continued with ...

and Tohan Corporation) in 1891. The following year, Tōkyōdō moved to Hongoku, a neighborhood of

Nihonbashi is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan which grew up around the bridge of the same name which has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The current ...

in Tokyo (now located in Chūō). In 1893, Tōkyōdō became a domestic and foreign

news agency A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and All-news radio, radio and News broadcasting, television Broadcasting, broadcasters. A news agency may ...

. At the beginning of 1895, Hakubunkan began publishing the general interest magazine . The Hakubunkan Printing Office (predecessor of Kyodo Printing) was then established in 1896. In the years 1895-1933 Hakubunkan published , the "first large-scale literary magazine in Japan directed at a mass audience". Its early contributors included Kawakami Bizan,

Hirotsu Ryurō was the pen-name of a novelist in Meiji period Japan. He is credited with the creation of the genre in Japanese literature. His real name was Hirotsu Naoto. Early life Ryūrō was born in Nagasaki, Buzen province (present-day Nagasaki prefect ...

Kosugi Tengai was the pen-name of a novelist in Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. His real name was Kosugi Tamezō. He is considered the founder of the naturalism movement in modern Japanese literature. Kosugi was born in what is now Misato, Akita P ...

Izumi Kyoka , meaning "spring" or "fountain", is a Japanese given name and surname. While a unisex name, it is more commonly used by women. It can alternately be written as , , , or . People with the name include: As given name * , actress * , stage name Mi ...

and

Higuchi Ichiyo is a common Japanese surname. People with the surname *Akihiro Higuchi, Ukrainian-born film director known by his alias Higuchinsky *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese voice actress *, Japanese manga artist *Dean Higuchi, American professional wr ...

. To celebrate its fifteenth

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

, Hakubunkan opened the free

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

(now the Sankō Library) on June 15, 1902. The library is located in the

Shiba Park is a public park in Minato, Tokyo, Japan built around the temple of Zōjō-ji. The park is located between the Minato municipal offices and Tokyo Tower. Many of the footpaths in the park offer excellent views of Tokyo Tower, so the park is a popu ...

neighborhood of Minato Ward in Tokyo. Due to the

Great Kantō earthquake Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

in 1923, the building which housed the headquarters of Hakubunkan was destroyed by fire, and the company relocated to the Tozaki area of Koishikawa, Tokyo (now part of Bunkyō Ward). After the magazine ''Taiyō'' ceased publication in 1927, Hakubunkan continued to operate in the red, finally splitting into three companies in 1948: Hakuyūsha, Kōyūsha, and Kōbunkan. Hakuyūsha began using the Hakubunkan name again in 1949 before changing it again to Hakubunkan Shinsha in 1950.

Magazines

Hakubunkan has published many magazines, including the following: *'' Bōken Sekai'' ( 冒険世界, January 1908 - December 1919) was succeeded by ''Shinseinen''. *'' Bungei Club'' ( 文芸倶楽部, January 1895 - January 1921) changed its title to from January 1921 issue, then later inherited to ''Shin Shumi'' until 1933. *'' Bunshō Sekai'' ( 文章世界, March 1906 - February 1921) changed its title to from January 1921 issue, then was succeeded by ''Shin Shumi''. * * *'' Kōdan Zasshi'' ( 講談雑誌, April 1915 - 1954) was later changed its publisher to Kōdanzasshisha to Bunyūkan then to Hakuyūsha. *'' Nihon Taika Ronshū'' ( 日本大家論集, June 1887 - December 1894) was succeeded by '' Taiyō''. *, changed its publisher to Nōgyō Sekaisha to Hakuyūsha. * *''

Shin Seinen Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the human leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese ...

'' ( 新青年, January 1920 - July 1950) changed its publisher from Ekoda Shobō to Bunyūkan then to Hakuyūsha. *'' Shin Shumi'' ( 新趣味, January 1922 - November 1923) *''

Shōjo Sekai was one of the first '' shōjo'' magazines in Japan. It was published by Hakubunkan beginning in 1906 and was initially edited by renowned children′s author , better known by the pen name .Shōnen Sekai , is one of the first '' shōnen'' magazines published by Hakubunkan specializing in children's literature, published from 1895 to 1914. ''Shōnen Sekai'' was created as a part of many magazine created by Hakubunkan that would connect with many di ...

'' (January 1895 - January 1933?) *, published from January 1940 as ''Kagaku to Kokubō Tankai'') *'' Taiyō'' ( 太陽, January 1895 - February 1928) *, September 1931 - 1932) * was transferred from Yakyūkaisha to Hakuyūsha, while magazine title was changed a few times. * *

List of Volumes

太陽, Volume 3 (1897) (Taiyō, Volume 3 (1897))

Book series

* Jitsuchi oyo gigei hyakka zensho (実地応用･技芸百科全書) (= Encyclopedia of Art and Crafts for General Use) (1889-1893) * Teikoku bunko (帝国文庫) (= Empire Library) (1893-1897) * Teikoku hyakka zensho (帝国百科全書) (= Imperial Encyclopedia) (1898-1914) * Tsuzoku kyoiku zensho (通俗教育全書) (= Complete Popular Education) (1892-1896) * Nogyo zensho (農業全書) (= Complete Library of Agriculture) (1892-1893) * Sekai rekishidan (世界歴史譚) (= World History), 35 volumes (1899-1902)se:"Sekai rekishidan"
worldcat.org. Retrieved 27 June 2022. - series of biographies of famous people

References

External links

Official website

Information on Hakubunkan
at

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