Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Publishing industry in Japan - statistics and facts
The size of the publishing market in Japan amounted to 1.6 trillion Japanese yen in 2023, which made it one of the largest publishing markets in the world. One factor underpinning the popularity of products such as books and comics is the country鈥檚 high literacy rate, which is partly a result of the emphasis on rote learning and the acquisition of Japan鈥檚 unique writing system in compulsory school education. Although print continues to make up the lion鈥檚 share of the market, the sales value of printed publications has declined steadily for many years, while digital publications have expanded their market share. This divergence between the growth trajectories of traditional media and internet-based media can also be observed in other parts of the media industry as well as in the advertising industry.
