(''Annals of Art and Culture'') is a Japanese monthly magazine based in Tokyo, Japan.

History and profile

''Bungei Shunjū'' was started by writer

Kikuchi Kan , also known as Kan Kikuchi (which uses the same kanji as his real name), was a Japanese author and publisher. He established the publishing company Bungeishunjū, the monthly magazine Bungeishunjū (magazine), of the same name, the Japan Writer ...

(1888–1948) in 1923. The name of the magazine and publishing house came from the title of the literary review column in the magazine '' Shinchō'' by Kan. ''Bungei Shunjū'' is published on a monthly basis. The magazine's stance is described as

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

, with strong support for the emperor. The headquarters of the magazine is in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. ''Bungei Shunjū'' covers a wide range of topics from politics to sports. Each issue usually contains about 30 articles by politicians, researchers, journalists or non-fiction writers. It is claimed that the magazine never features articles by members of the

Japanese Communist Party The is a communist party in Japan. Founded in 1922, it is the oldest political party in the country. It has 250,000 members as of January 2024, making it one of the largest non-governing communist parties in the world. The party is chaired ...

or the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

but this is actually false as there are some exceptions. It has published writing by Takako Doi, former leader of the

Japan Socialist Party The was a major socialist and progressive political party in Japan which existed from 1945 to 1996. The party was the primary representative of the Japanese left and main opponent of the right-wing Liberal Democratic Party for most of its ex ...

, in September 2005, and by Tetsuzo Fuwa, the chairman of the secretariat of the JCP, when the Soviet Union collapsed. In 1974 ''Bungei Shunjū'' published an article concerning bribery allegations regarding the then

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Kakuei Tanaka was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan, prime minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974. Known for his background in construction and earthy and tenacious political style, Tanaka is the only modern Japanese prime minister who ...

. Following the event he was arrested in 1976. The magazine grants literary awards every year. The February issues announces recipients of . In the March and September issues the

Akutagawa Prize The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes. History Th ...

, established in 1935, recipients are announced; in June issues the Ohya non-fiction prize; in July issues the recipients of the Matsumoto Seichō prize; and the December issues announce recipients of the Kikuchi Kan prize which was started by the magazine in 1939. The prize is named for Kikuchi Kan who is the founder of the magazine. In 2006 ''Bungei Shunjū'' sold 620,850 copies.

References

External links

Official site
(Japanese) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bungei Shunju 1923 establishments in Japan Conservative media in Japan Conservative magazines Literary magazines published in Japan Magazines established in 1923 Magazines published in Tokyo Monthly magazines published in Japan Political magazines published in Japan