Japan's newspaper crisis: Losing readers, relevance and the next generation
Circulation is dropping. Trust is fading. And Japan's major newspapers are struggling to connect with younger readers who now get their headlines from platforms like Line, YouTube and even TikTok.
In this edition of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how Japan's once-powerful dailies — including the Yomiuri, Asahi and Mainichi — are facing a slow decline. From outdated digital strategies to an aging subscriber base, the print giants are falling behind in a media world that now runs on swipes and scrolls.
We also revisit past Spotlight episodes that exposed deeper problems in the industry, including the Fuji TV–Masahiro Nakai scandal and how major outlets ignored Shiori Ito's story until it gained global attention.
What do you think — is there still a place for Japan's legacy media, or has the news already moved on?
Chapters:
0:00 Topic overview
0:49 The fall
3:16 Old habits, aging audience
5:34 The trust gap
6:58 So, what now?
7:58 Outro
Japan Today sources:
See the Japan Today Spotlight series:
Join the conversation!
Japan's newspapers are losing readers fast — but the appetite for information hasn't disappeared. Where are you getting your headlines in 2025? Let us know in the comments.
Don't forget to like, subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an update on Japan's biggest news stories on our YouTube channel:
If you found this episode thought-provoking, check out our other deep dives into Japan's media landscape and our past coverage of:
Follow us for more updates:
The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of GPlusMedia, Inc.
© Japan Today
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
5 hours ago
- Japan Today
High-risk, low-return YouTuber keeps running red lights
"I'm on YouTube because I want the people who watch my videos to think, they learned about an unfamiliar world. I'm not obsessed with making money from videos that I myself don't find interesting." So says "Muteki (Invincible) Leo," the handle of 28-year-old Japanese YouTuber who has made a name for himself by traveling around the world and posting videos about the local sex industry and dangerous places he visits. Many of his videos have obtained millions of hits. "Before I became a YouTuber, I had hardly ever traveled," Leo admits to Bunshun Online (June 29). Born and raised in rural Gifu Prefecture, Leo recalls that the nearest station to his house was practically unmanned, with only two trains per hour, and located about a 30-minute walk from his house. "In the countryside there was almost no entertainment," he said. "So I spent my middle and high school years watching YouTube all the time, particularly travel videos. In that sense, YouTube sort of offered me a small ray hope to escape my mundane existence." His first trip abroad, while a university sophomore, was to India. "From the moment we arrived, I was shocked at how different everything was from Japan," he recalls. "There were crowds of people, the air was polluted, and there were a lot of pickpockets and con artists. The buses and trains didn't run on time, so my plans were constantly messed up. On top of that, I suffered serious gastrointestinal problems for most of the trip. Still, I found it exciting." After graduating from university, Leo moved to Tokyo and worked in sales at an IT company, and then moved to a startup business where he worked as a writer and video editor. "Then the COVID pandemic hit and for a while I couldn't even travel domestically, let alone overseas. Eventually I traveled to Thailand, and posted my first video on YouTube." Back in India again, Leo visited "GB Road" the red-light district of New Delhi, and that was where he got the scare his life. "Even the locals warn you not to go there," he remarked. "But at the time, I had little travel experience, so I completely underestimated it, thinking, 'Even if it's dangerous, it's only pickpockets and rip-offs.' "As soon as I stepped into the district, hands reached out from all over and pulled my clothes. I suppose they were trying to drag me into a shop. I should have turned back then, but I gave in to curiosity and entered a shop. Then I heard the door slam shut and the lock click. "In a tiny room, mostly occupied by a bed, an extremely large man and an extremely small man were waiting for me, resembling the Toguro brothers demon team from the manga 'YuYu Hakusho.' The big guy was stomping around the room, ranting at me in what sounded like Hindi, and I thought, 'Oh god, maybe I'm done for.'" One of Leo's more memorable encounters was at a house in Bangkok, where a woman told him, "We're not selling our bodies. We're buying the future of our families." "The weight of those words was something I couldn't fully comprehend, as I had been living a safe and secure life in Japan, and it got me to thinking," he said. "I was also impressed by a young Hungarian woman I met at FKK, a mixed-gender sauna in Germany where you bathe naked. She was incredibly intelligent, and could speak five languages. She told me, 'I want to work for an international organization in the future, so I came to Germany, where the salary is better than in Hungary, to earn money for tuition.' Then I asked her, 'Don't you feel embarrassed to be seen naked by a man you don't know?' and she replied, 'What's embarrassing is giving up on your dreams.' That reply left me speechless." Leo's video of his visit to Greece received nearly 10 million unique views but earned him little money. "That video showed too much about the local sex industry, which may have been in violation of the guidelines, so it received almost no ads," he reflects, adding "YouTube determines compensation based on the number of ad views in the video, and it was hardly monetized. "But I post on YouTube because I want the people who watch my videos to think, 'I learned something about a world I didn't know.' That's why I feel it's wrong to miss experiencing things. I'm not obsessed with remuneration and don't make videos that I myself don't find interesting. "Every country has its own values and systems surrounding sex, which reveal the true face of that country," said Leo. "In other words, I think you can learn about a country's real culture and values through its sex industry." Winding up, the interviewer asked Leo about the first thing he does when he returns to Japan. "As soon as I arrive at the airport, I head for a restroom," he smiled. "Japanese heated toilet seats are the best. They are almost never available overseas, even in high-end hotels. For someone like me who gets sick often, this can be a matter of life and death. With just paper, you always end up feeling a little tired. It's a simple thing, but it's mentally taxing to endure that kind of discomfort day after day." © Japan Today
Japan Today
19 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan's newspaper crisis: Losing readers, relevance and the next generation
By Jeff W. Richards Circulation is dropping. Trust is fading. And Japan's major newspapers are struggling to connect with younger readers who now get their headlines from platforms like Line, YouTube and even TikTok. In this edition of Japan Today Spotlight, we look at how Japan's once-powerful dailies — including the Yomiuri, Asahi and Mainichi — are facing a slow decline. From outdated digital strategies to an aging subscriber base, the print giants are falling behind in a media world that now runs on swipes and scrolls. We also revisit past Spotlight episodes that exposed deeper problems in the industry, including the Fuji TV–Masahiro Nakai scandal and how major outlets ignored Shiori Ito's story until it gained global attention. What do you think — is there still a place for Japan's legacy media, or has the news already moved on? Chapters: 0:00 Topic overview 0:49 The fall 3:16 Old habits, aging audience 5:34 The trust gap 6:58 So, what now? 7:58 Outro Japan Today sources: See the Japan Today Spotlight series: Join the conversation! Japan's newspapers are losing readers fast — but the appetite for information hasn't disappeared. Where are you getting your headlines in 2025? Let us know in the comments. Don't forget to like, subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an update on Japan's biggest news stories on our YouTube channel: If you found this episode thought-provoking, check out our other deep dives into Japan's media landscape and our past coverage of: Follow us for more updates: The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of GPlusMedia, Inc. © Japan Today
Tokyo Weekender
6 days ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Iconic City Pop Songs Covered or Sampled by Overseas Artists
With it being Retro Week at Tokyo Weekender, we are focusing on city pop for our latest List of 7 . Considered more of a vibe associated with the 1970s and 1980s in Japan than a strict musical genre, it experienced a revival in the late 2010s. Its popularity also spread overseas, influencing foreign musicians. Here's a look at some of the most iconic city pop hits that have been covered or sampled by overseas artists. List of Contents: Tatsuro Yamashita: Christmas Eve Miki Matsubara: Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me) Tomoko Aran: Midnight Pretenders Anri: Last Summer Whisper Kingo Hamada: Machi no Dorufin Hi-Fi Set: Sky Restaurant Mai Yamane: Tasogare More From This Series Tatsuro Yamashita: Christmas Eve Covered by the Commodores and Pentatonix The best place to start is with the man known as the 'King of City Pop.' Tatsuro Yamashita, who will make his Fuji Rock debut this July, has released 13 original studio albums, five cover CDs and two live records. His most successful track, 'Christmas Eve' (1983), was Japan's best-selling single of the 1980s. It also holds the record for the most consecutive years — 39 and counting — to appear on the Oricon Chart Top 100. Given its popularity, it's no surprise that several artists have covered the song, including overseas acts. American funk and soul group, the Commodores, included it on the Japanese edition of the band's 1992 album, Commodores Christmas . Cappella group Pentatonix did likewise on their 2014 LP That's Christmas To Me . Miki Matsubara: Mayonaka no Door (Stay With Me) Covered by Rainych, Sampled by 1nonly A domestic hit in 1979, Miki Matsubara's debut single, 'Mayonaka no Door (Stay with Me),' became an international one four decades later due to platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. Written by famed composers Tetsuji Hayashi and Tokuko Miura, it's a sad song about lost love, yet has an upbeat sound and catchy chorus. Matsubara, who was also known for singles such as 'Neat na gogo san-ji' and 'The Winner,' sadly passed away in 2004 at the age of just 44. Sixteen years after Matsubara's death, Indonesian YouTuber Rainych uploaded a cover of her most famous track to her YouTube channel, which garnered millions of views. 'Stay With Me,' the breakout single from Korean-American rapper 1nonly (Nathan Scott Fuller), also sampled the song. Tomoko Aran: Midnight Pretenders Sampled by the Weeknd Embodying the spirit of the 80s, Tomoko Aran — birth name Tomoko Yamaguchi — is known for her distinctive vocals and catchy melodies. Between 1981 and 1990, she released nine albums, including More Relax (1984) and Last Good-bye (1986). Her most celebrated album, though, is the 1983 LP, Fuyu Kukan , meaning 'floating space.' A synth-heavy record, it features two standout tracks: 'I'm in Love' and 'Midnight Pretenders.' The latter, in particular, has garnered a lot of attention in recent years due to the rising popularity of city pop. A laid-back track with a seductive, dream-like quality, 'Midnight Pretenders' was heavily sampled by four-time Grammy Award-winning Canadian artist the Weeknd (Abel Makkonen Tesfaye) for his song 'Out of Time' from the album Dawn FM. Anri: Last Summer Whisper Sampled by Jenevieve Mariya Takeuchi is widely referred to as the 'Queen of City Pop,' though for many, Anri — birth name Eiko Kawashima — is just as deserving of that title. During her career, which has spanned more than four decades, she has released over 40 albums. Her most successful LP, Timely , released in 1983, featured 'Cat's Eye.' Used as the opening track for the anime series of the same name, it topped the charts for four weeks. The previous year, Anri worked with Toshiki Kadomatsu for the first time on her fourth studio album, Heaven Beach . Kadomatsu wrote and composed 'Last Summer Whisper,' a bittersweet song about a fleeting summer fling. The catchy hit was sampled by American R&B artist Jenevieve Johnson — known professionally as Jenevieve — for her song, 'Baby Powder.' Kingo Hamada: Machi no Dorufin Sampled by Engelwood A violinist as a child, Kingo Hamada switched to the guitar as he got older and then joined the folk band Craft in 1974. When the group disbanded, he launched his solo career, releasing his debut album Manhattan in the Rain in 1980. Over the next five years, he recorded another six original LPs. The one that garnered the most attention was Midnight Cruisin' , which is known for its smooth and funky sound. Highlights include the title track, 'Yokogao no Taxi Driver' (A Taxi Driver's Profile) and 'Machi no Dorufin' (City Dolphin), which is his most famous song. Matt Engels, known by his stage name Engelwood, sampled Hamada's track for his popular future-funk song 'Crystal Dolphin.' The electronic music producer also sampled Yamashita's hit 'Sparkle' on another track. Hi-Fi Set: Sky Restaurant Sampled by J. Cole and Chris Brown In 1974, the folk group Akai Tori disbanded due to musical differences. Three of its members — Junko Yamamoto, Toshihiko Yamamoto and Shigeru Okawa — subsequently formed a new group called Hi-Fi Set. The name was suggested by the influential musician Haruomi Hosono. Performing as a trio for two decades, many of the group's biggest hits came in their first 10 years, including 'Sotsugyo Shashin' (Graduation Photo), 'Tsumetai Ame' (Cold Rain) and 'Sunao ni Naritai' (I Want to Be Honest). The group's catchiest tune is arguably 'Sky Restaurant' (1975), written by legendary artist Yuming (birth name Yumi Arai). Jermaine Lamarr Cole, known professionally as J. Cole, sampled the intro for his track 'January 28th' in 2014, as did Chris Brown for his song 'Moonlight' on his 2023 album 11:11 . Mai Yamane: Tasogare Sampled by Playboi Carti and Young Nudy A talented performer with a husky voice, Mai Yamane is most well-known for her collaborations with Yoko Kanno on various soundtracks for the Cowboy Bebop anime series, including the first ending theme, 'The Real Folk Blues,' released in 1998. Yamane launched her music career almost two decades earlier with her debut album, Tasogare (1980), meaning 'twilight.' Produced by Makoto Matsushita, it's considered a city pop masterpiece, especially the title track, which incorporates elements of funk. 'Tasogare' garnered global attention in the late 2010s after Playboi Carti and Young Nudy utilized the intro of the song for the recording of their track 'Pissy Pamper.' Leaked in 2019, it proved very popular online, but as the sample wasn't cleared, it was never officially released. More From This Series Japanese Films That Influenced Quentin Tarantino Legendary Figures From Osaka Recommended Japanese Documentaries
