is a Japanese

publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

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

Meiji era The was an Japanese era name, era of History of Japan, 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 feu ...

. Hakubunkan entered the publishing arena by printing a

nationalist Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation,Anthony D. Smith, Smith, A ...

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 ...

advertising Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a Product (business), product or Service (economics), service. Advertising aims to present a product or service in terms of utility, advantages, and qualities of int ...

, 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 school teaching materials company Hakubun.

History

In 1887, founded the company in Yumi, Hongō,

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 ...

(now part of Hongō,

Bunkyō is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as ...

, Tokyo). The company was named after

Itō Hirobumi Kazoku, Prince , born , was a Japanese statesman who served as the first prime minister of Japan from 1885 to 1888, and later from 1892 to 1896, in 1898, and from 1900 to 1901. He was a leading member of the ''genrō'', a group of senior state ...

, 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 f ...

. 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 sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The curre ...

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 ma ...

. 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 was a Japanese novelist of the Meiji era. His real name was Akira Kawakami (川上亮, ''Kawakami Akira''). Born in Osaka Prefecture, he dropped out of the school of liberal arts in Tokyo University and joined Ken'yusha. After struggling with ...

Hirotsu Ryurō Hirotsu Naoto (15 July 1861 - 15 October 1928), known by his pen name , was a Japanese novelist during the Meiji period. He is credited with the creation of the genre in Japanese literature. Early life Hirotsu was born in Nagasaki, Buzen provin ...

Kosugi Tengai Kosugi Tamezō (小杉為蔵, November 7, 1865 – September 1, 1952), known by his pen name , was a Japanese novelist of the Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa eras. He is considered the founder of the naturalism movement in modern Japanese literature ...

, Izumi Kyoka 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 ...

. To celebrate its fifteenth

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded. Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the List of national independence days, date of independen ...

, 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 recorded ...

(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 pop ...

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 (bo ...

in 1923, the building which housed the headquarters of Hakubunkan was destroyed by fire, and the company relocated to the Tozaki area of

Koishikawa is a district of Bunkyo, Tokyo. It consists of five sub-areas, . In Koishikawa are located two well regarded gardens: the Koishikawa Botanical Garden (operated by the University of Tokyo) in Hakusan, and the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden in Kōr ...

, 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 ''Bōken sekai'' (Japanese: ''Adventure World'') was a boys' adventure magazine which was started during the late Meiji period in Japan. It was headquartered in Tokyo and existed between 1908 and 1920. History and profile ''Bōken sekai'' was e ...

'' ( 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 is a style of traditional oral Japanese storytelling. The form evolved out of lectures on historical or literary topics given to high-ranking nobles of the Heian period, changing over the centuries to be adopted by the general samurai class and e ...

'' ( 講談雑誌, April 1915 - 1954) was later changed its publisher to Kōdanzasshisha to Bunyūkan then to Hakuyūsha. *''

Nihon Taika Ronshū Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea in th ...

'' ( 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 Tibia#Structure, 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 ...

'' ( 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 Japanese '' shōjo'' magazines. It was published by Hakubunkan from 1906 to 1931 and specializing in children's literature. The magazine focused primarily on shōjo shōsetsu (lit. "girls' novel", a term for illustrated nov ...

'' (September 1906 - October 1931) *'' Shōnen Sekai'' (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

Kotobank is a Japanese-language online encyclopedia which allows users to search across dictionaries, encyclopedias, and databases provided by publishers and others. It is operated by Voyage Marketing Co. At launch, the service's name was in rōmaji, but ...

(in Japanese)
Japanese Game Boards
in the Cotsen Children’s Library (

Princeton University Library Princeton University Library is the main library system of Princeton University. With holdings of more than 7 million books, 6 million microforms, and 48,000 linear feet of manuscripts, it is among the largest libraries in the world by number of ...