The North American Post
The North American Post is a bilingual English-Japanese community newspaper, founded in 1902, serving Japanese Americans in the Greater Seattle area with monthly print and digital editions, advertising, and cultural tour programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1902
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The North American Post does
The North American Post is a community newspaper serving the Japanese American community in the Greater Seattle area. Founded in 1902 by first-generation Japanese-Americans and operating under the legal entity North American Post Publishing Company, Inc., it is one of the oldest continuously operating minority-owned newspapers in the Pacific Northwest. The publication was previously known as the North American Times. Content is produced bilingually in English and Japanese via napost.com and napost.com/ja, covering local news, cultural events, restaurant reviews, community profiles, politics, business, art, and Nikkei history preservation.
The business generates revenue through print and digital subscriptions, advertising (including New Year greeting ads, general advertising, and classifieds), and ancillary service offerings such as Japan tour programs and Vancouver, BC cultural trips. As of May 2025, the publication transitioned from a weekly to a monthly cadence, with new issues released on the fourth Friday of each month. The company maintains core institutional partnerships with the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington (JCCCW), the Consulate General of Japan in Seattle, and the University of Washington Libraries (hosting the Nikkei Newspapers Digital Archive).
The company employs 51-100 staff and operates from a P.O. Box headquarters address in Seattle, Washington. Distribution spans monthly print publication in the regional Seattle market and global digital access through its bilingual websites and social media channels on Facebook, X, and YouTube. Leadership includes Misa Murohashi (Editor-in-Chief and General Manager since 2017), Barbara Mizoguchi (currently identified as NAP Editor-in-Chief on the publication's own website), and David Yamaguchi (Development Manager for cultural tours). No external funding, parent company, or institutional ownership has been disclosed.
The North American Post firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The North American Post
- Legal name
- North American Post Publishing Company, Inc.
- Website
- https://napost.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1902
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The North American Post is a bilingual English-Japanese community newspaper, founded in 1902, serving Japanese Americans in the Greater Seattle area with monthly print and digital editions, advertising, and cultural tour programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The North American Post industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Newspaper
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where The North American Post is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The North American Post business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Print and Digital Subscriptions: Monthly print publication subscription model; transitioned from weekly to monthly publication in May 2025
- Advertising: New Year greeting advertisements, general advertising in publication, classifieds section
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The North American Post product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The North American Post publishes a bilingual (English/Japanese) monthly community newspaper covering local news, events, culture, food, and history for the Japanese American community in the Greater Seattle area. It also operates a digital news portal, classifieds, event calendar, and organizes cultural tours to Japan and Vancouver, BC. Founded in 1902 by first-generation Japanese Americans, it is one of the oldest minority-owned newspapers in the Pacific Northwest.
Product overview
The North American Post is a community newspaper serving Seattle's Japanese American community, founded in 1902 by first-generation Japanese-Americans. The publication operates primarily in English with a Japanese-language version available. From May 2025, it became a monthly publication. The product portfolio includes the core newspaper (print and digital), the Japanese-language site, event calendar services, classifieds, Japan tour programs, and a Vancouver cultural trip service. The newspaper also maintains partnerships with the Nikkei Newspapers Digital Archive at the University of Washington and supports community programs like the JCCCW Omoide writing group. Content categories include news, community, people, politics, business, history, food, art, and events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The North American Post (English Edition) A monthly community newspaper (print and digital) providing local news, event calendars, restaurant reviews, community interviews, and cultural content for the Greater Seattle Japanese American community.
- NAP Japanese Language Site Japanese-language version of The North American Post website, providing the same community news content in Japanese for bilingual readers and Japanese-speaking residents.
- Subscription Service Print and/or digital subscription to The North American Post newspaper, offered on a recurring basis (now monthly cadence since May 2025).
- Classifieds Online community classifieds section for the Japanese American community in the Seattle area, enabling individuals and businesses to post listings.
- Event Calendar Online calendar of Seattle Japanese community events and activities, including cultural festivals, community gatherings, and educational programs.
- Japan Tour Program Organized group travel programs to Japan offered by NAP, providing cultural tourism experiences that complement the newspaper's community coverage.
- NAP Vancouver Cultural Trip Five-day, four-night group trip exploring Japanese Canadian community history in Vancouver, BC, including visits to the Nikkei Museum, Britannia Shipyards, and the Powell Street Festival.
- Nikkei Newspapers Digital Archive (NNDA) Digital archive of historical Nikkei newspapers, maintained in partnership with University of Washington Libraries, preserving Japanese American history for research and community access.
Companies that use The North American Post
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The North American Post technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The North American Post partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Hokubei Hochi FoundationcoreCo-organizer of Vancouver BC cultural trips exploring Japanese Canadian history and community. Partnership for fundraising initiatives supporting Japanese community journalism and cultural preservation programs.
- Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Washington (JCCCW)coreOngoing content partnership featuring JCCCW Omoide writing program stories documenting Nikkei heritage. Supports intergenerational storytelling and community memory preservation initiatives.
- Consulate General of Japan in SeattlecoreHigh-level diplomatic partnership; Consulate General participated in 120th anniversary celebration of the publication. Collaborative on cultural programming and community recognition initiatives.
- Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (Burnaby, BC)minorPartner destination in NAP/Hokubei Hochi Foundation Vancouver BC cultural tour program. Joint cultural education initiatives exploring Nikkei history.
- University of Washington LibrariescoreDigital archive partnership hosting the Nikkei Newspapers Digital Archive (NNDA), preserving historical Japanese American newspaper content for research and community access.
- Japan Fair Organizing CommitteeminorAnnual Japan Fair event coverage and promotional partnership. NAP promotes Japan Fair 10th anniversary celebration at Meydenbauer Center.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The North American Post competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Northwest Asian Weekly: Seattle-based Asian American community newspaper (sister publication to Seattle Chinese Post) covering the broader Asian American community in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable as a regional ethnic community newspaper competing for the same local advertising dollars.
- The Rafu Shimpo: The largest Japanese American newspaper in the U.S., based in Los Angeles. Directly comparable to NAP as a bilingual English/Japanese community newspaper serving a Japanese American diaspora with print, digital, and cultural programming. Differences: significantly larger scale, multi-generational brand, and broader geographic reach.
- Pacific Citizen: Publication of the Japanese American Citizens League, covering news, civil rights, and community issues for the Japanese American community. Directly comparable in mission, audience, and bilingual-adjacent coverage of Nikkei topics.
- International Examiner: Seattle-based Asian American community newspaper covering Pacific Islander and broader Asian American communities in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable as a Seattle-based ethnic community newspaper with bilingual/multilingual content and nonprofit-style community programming.
- Hokubei Hochi Foundation: New York-based Japanese American newspaper publisher and a documented NAP partner on the Vancouver cultural tours. Closely comparable as a Japanese American community newspaper operating in print and digital, with cultural programming.
Broad incumbents
- KOMO News: Major Seattle television news station. Broad incumbent in Seattle local news; competes for general local advertising and audience attention but does not serve the Japanese American niche.
- The Seattle Times: The dominant general-interest daily newspaper in the Seattle market. Overlaps with NAP on regional news coverage and competes for a portion of the same local advertising base, but does not specialize in the Japanese American niche.
Regional players
- South Seattle Emerald: Seattle-based nonprofit community news outlet focused on South Seattle's diverse neighborhoods. Comparable as a hyperlocal community-led newsroom with bilingual/multicultural content and community partnerships in the same metro area.
- Crosscut: Seattle-based nonprofit local news outlet covering the Pacific Northwest. Comparable as a regional digital-first news organization serving the same geography, though with general-interest rather than ethnic-community focus.
Emerging players
- Discover Nikkei: Digital project of the Japanese American National Museum connecting Nikkei communities worldwide through user-submitted stories and historical content. Comparable as a Japanese American heritage platform with archival and community storytelling, intersecting with NAP's archive and bilingual content work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The North American Post social profiles
Digital presenceThe North American Post financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The North American Post leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The North American Post funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The North American Post M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The North American Post
What does The North American Post do?
The North American Post publishes a bilingual (English/Japanese) monthly community newspaper covering local news, events, culture, food, and history for the Japanese American community in the Greater Seattle area. It also operates a digital news portal, classifieds, event calendar, and organizes cultural tours to Japan and Vancouver, BC. Founded in 1902 by first-generation Japanese Americans, it is one of the oldest minority-owned newspapers in the Pacific Northwest.
Is The North American Post a public or private company?
The North American Post is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The North American Post founded?
The North American Post was founded in 1902. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The North American Post based?
The North American Post is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does The North American Post make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Print and Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising.
Who are The North American Post's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Northwest Asian Weekly, The Rafu Shimpo, Pacific Citizen, International Examiner and Hokubei Hochi Foundation. Broad incumbents are KOMO News and The Seattle Times. Regional players are South Seattle Emerald and Crosscut. Discover Nikkei is listed as an emerging player.
Does The North American Post have an API?
No public API is recorded for The North American Post.
What industry is The North American Post in?
The North American Post's product category is Community Newspaper. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAG, Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers, with a secondary code of MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.