Japan has one of the highest newspaper readerships in the world
The national dailies total circulation in Japan is among the highest in any country, and the home delivery rate is more than 94%. Japan also has the largest number of newspapers per 1,000 adults among the major industrialized countries and regions. These facts make the newspaper the most credible and supported medium in Japan.
Reasons for Subscribing to Newspapers in Japan
More newspapers are read in Japan than anywhere else in the world. With 67 million copies sold daily (about 1.4 papers per household), the figures on Japan's newspaper readership far surpass those of other countries. In addition, Japan's newspapers outshine major titles from around the world in sales as well: the world's top two sellers are both Japanese national newspapers.
Circulation of morning newspapers and copies per household
(Comparison between Japan, U.K. and France)
| Sales copies (Unit: 1,000) |
Copies per household (Unit: copy) |
Households (Unit: 1,000) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 67,206 | 1.37 | 49,063 |
| U.K. | 14,995 | 0.31 | 48,792 |
| France | 7,600 | 0.15 | 49,958 |
Paid-For Dailies: Circulation per 1,000 adults in major countries and regions (Unit: copy)
Japan is the world's leading country in terms of daily newspaper sales per 1,000 adults.
WAN "World Press Trends 2010"
Circulation of major newspapers in Japan and other countries (Unit: copy)
In a worldwide comparison of newspapers with large circulations, Japan's major newspapers are the leaders.
They represent a powerful medium from a global perspective.
| Title | Country | Language | Circulation |
| The Yomiuri Shimbun | Japan | Japanese | 10,020,584 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Asahi Shimbun | Japan | Japanese | 7,903,473 |
| The Times of India | India | English | 3,556,000 |
| The Mainichi Shimbun | Japan | Japanese | 3,509,021 |
| Cankao Xiaoxi | China | Chinese | 3,254,000 |
| The Nikkei | Japan | Japanese | 3,015,485 |
| People's Daily | China | Chinese | 2,523,000 |
| The Chosun Ilbo | Korea | Korean | 2,300,000 |
| The Wall Street Journal | United States of America | English | 2,024,000 |
| USA Today | United States of America | English | 1,900,000 |
| The New York Times | United States of America | English | 928,000 |
| The Daily Telegraph | United Kingdom | English | 703,000 |
| The Times | United Kingdom | English | 522,000 |
| The Straits Times | Singapore | English | 381,000 |
| Sin Chew Daily | Malaysia | Chinese | 396,000 |
| Le Figaro | France | French | 331,000 |
Japanese newspapers circulation source: Japan ABC (average Jul.-Dec.2010) WAN "World Press Trends 2010"
Note: Circulation of weekday edition.