What Kobe Shimbun does

Kobe Shimbun Co., Ltd. (神戸新聞社) is a privately held regional daily newspaper publisher headquartered in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, founded in 1898. The company publishes the Kobe Shimbun newspaper across 12 regional editions spanning the entirety of Hyogo Prefecture (Kobe, Hanshin, Sanda, Akashi, Miki, Awaji, Toban, Hokuban, Himeji, Seiban, Tanba, and Tajima), complemented by the digital platform Kobe Shimbun NEXT (神戸新聞NEXT) which offers online article access, a paper viewer, personalized My News, and tiered digital subscriptions (Free, Value, Premium, Reader Course for print subscribers). The technology stack combines content management across multiple news categories with a cloud-based educational app (ことまど) and an AI-powered voice news product (AIボイスNews), though the company does not disclose proprietary AI models or APIs.

The company's business model spans five primary revenue streams: print newspaper subscriptions, digital subscriptions, advertising (print and digital), e-commerce via the いいモノがたり marketplace for local Hyogo products, and event organization including the Kobe Marathon (approximately 20,000 runners), Himeji Castle Marathon, and the Oi Sen, Women's Oi Sen, and Tengen shogi title tournaments. Ancillary revenue lines come from a wholly-owned travel agency (神戸新聞旅行社), a printing subsidiary (神戸新聞総合印刷), a radio station (ラジオ関西), cultural education center (KCC), and an innovation hub (Anchor Kobe) supporting startups. GTM is sales-led via direct subscription and home delivery, with multi-channel distribution across print, web, mobile, social media (X, Facebook, LINE, YouTube, Instagram, Voicy), and email newsletters.

The company operates a sprawling ecosystem of 15+ wholly-owned subsidiaries across media, printing, travel, cultural services, and information services, and is a member of the 47NEWS regional newspaper consortium. Strategic partnerships include title sponsorship of the Oi Sen shogi tournament by Ito En, co-organization of shogi titles with the Japan Shogi Association, and a civic partnership with Kobe City Government on the Kobe Marathon and disaster prevention initiatives. Customer segments are distributed horizontally across general public readers (primary), business professionals, and students/educators, with no enterprise anchor concentration identified.

Name

Kobe Shimbun

Legal name

神戸新聞社

Website

https://kobe-np.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Kobe Shimbun is a privately held regional Japanese newspaper publisher founded in 1898, serving Hyogo Prefecture readers through print editions, the Kobe Shimbun NEXT digital platform, e-commerce, cultural events, and a diversified subsidiary ecosystem spanning travel, printing, and education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kobe

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Newspaper Subscriptions: Physical newspaper subscriptions including morning (朝刊), evening (夕刊), and regional editions delivered to households
2. Digital Subscriptions: Online access to Kobe Shimbun NEXT with tiered membership levels (free, value course, premium course, reader course)
3. E-commerce Sales: Sales of local Hyogo products through the iimonogatari e-commerce platform
4. Event Organization: Organization of marathons (Kobe Marathon, Himeji Castle Marathon), shogi tournaments, and cultural events that generate revenue through participation fees and sponsorships
5. Advertising: Print and digital advertising services for businesses targeting Hyogo Prefecture readers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Kobe Shimbun publishes a regional daily newspaper headquartered in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, and operates the digital subscription platform Kobe Shimbun NEXT for online news access. The company also runs adjacent media services including a curated e-commerce site, photo sales portal, travel agency, education platforms, and events such as the Kobe Marathon and cultural awards focused on the Hyogo region.

Product overview

Kobe Shimbun operates primarily as a regional newspaper company offering both print and digital subscription services through its core platform Kobe Shimbun NEXT. The product portfolio includes complementary digital services such as the e-commerce marketplace 'いいモノがたり' for local Hyogo products, the digital photo sales platform '神戸新聞images' for sports and event photography, and the AI-powered voice news 'AIボイスNews'. Additional services include educational tools like 'ことまど' (newspaper production experience app), 'まなびープラス' (digital education news), and the job matching service 'Mラボ'. The company also organizes major sports events including the Kobe Marathon and Himeji Castle Marathon, hosts cultural competitions like the national Western dance competition, and sponsors prestigious shogi tournaments including the 王位戦 and 女流王位戦. Cultural initiatives include the SDGs project and various community celebrations. Business information services are provided through the Kobe Shimbun Database + Nikkei Telecom integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 神戸新聞NEXT: Digital edition and online news platform of Kobe Shimbun, offering web articles, e-paper viewing, and premium subscription services.
• いいモノがたり
• 神戸新聞images
• アンカー神戸
• ひょうごSDGsプロジェクト
• Ｍラボ就活ガイド
• 神戸新聞カルチャーセンター（KCC）
• スクープラボ
• ひょうご防災新聞
• 神戸マラソン
• 世界遺産姫路城マラソン
• 松方ホール音楽賞
• こうべ全国洋舞コンクール
• 兵庫県学生ピアノコンクール
• 金婚夫婦祝福式典
• アイボイスNews

Products and services

• Kobe Shimbun Newspaper (神戸新聞) Regional daily newspaper published by Kobe Shimbun, available in morning and evening editions, delivering local Hyogo/Kobe news, sports, weather, and cultural coverage to household subscribers via home delivery.
• Kobe Shimbun NEXT (神戸新聞NEXT) Digital subscription news platform operated by Kobe Shimbun, providing online access to news articles for individual subscribers and digital readers, with an article-key (記事キー) system for premium content.
• いいモノがたり (Ii Monogatari) Curated e-commerce platform operated by Kobe Shimbun selling regional products and gifts from Hyogo Prefecture to consumers seeking local specialties.
• 神戸新聞images (Kobe Shimbun Images) Photo sales service operated by Kobe Shimbun allowing individuals and organizations to purchase photographic images produced by the newspaper for editorial or personal use.
• 神戸新聞データベース+日経テレコン Searchable news archive database service combining Kobe Shimbun's article database with Nikkei Telecom, provided to corporate and institutional users for research and reference purposes.
• 神戸新聞旅行 (Kobe Shimbun Travel) Travel agency operated by Kobe Shimbun offering packaged tours and travel services to consumers interested in regional and domestic Japan travel.
• ことまど (Kotomado) Educational tool/platform for children offered by Kobe Shimbun, combining news content with learning materials for students.
• まなびープラス (Manabi Plus) Digital learning service operated by Kobe Shimbun for students and lifelong learners.
• 神戸新聞NEWS聡 (NEWS Sō) Curated news digest service delivered to subscribers, focused on essential local and regional stories.
• アンカー神戸 (Anchor Kobe) Innovation hub and startup support program operated by Kobe Shimbun to foster entrepreneurship in the Hyogo/Kobe region.
• 神戸マラソン (Kobe Marathon) Annual marathon event organized and operated by Kobe Shimbun, with paid runner registration and event sponsorship, serving runners and spectators in the Kobe region.
• AIボイスNews (AI Voice News) Audio news product using AI-generated voice to deliver Kobe Shimbun news content to listeners via compatible platforms.
• スクープラボ (Scoop Lab) Investigative journalism initiative operated by Kobe Shimbun producing in-depth reporting for readers.
• Mラボ就活ガイド (M Lab Job Hunting Guide) Career and job-hunting guide service for students and job seekers using Kobe Shimbun's recruitment content platform.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 伊藤園 (Ito En)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of the Oi Sen shogi tournament (伊藤園お～いお茶杯王位戦). Ito En provides sponsorship for one of Japan's major shogi title competitions organized by Kobe Shimbun.
• 日本将棋連盟 (Japan Shogi Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes major shogi tournaments including the Oi Sen and Women's Oi Sen title matches. Kobe Shimbun serves as the organizer while the association manages professional shogi player participation.
• 神戸市 (Kobe City Government)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Kobe Marathon event and various civic information campaigns. The city collaborates with Kobe Shimbun on disaster prevention (ぼうさい委員会) and community initiatives.
• ひょうごSDGsプロジェクト partnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative partnering with businesses, local governments, and educational institutions in Hyogo Prefecture to promote Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) awareness and activities.
• 日本将棋联盟 (Nihon Shogi Kyokai)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors the 女流王位戦 (Women's Oi Sen) tournament, promoting women's shogi competition.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chugoku Shimbun: Regional newspaper serving the neighboring Chugoku region (Hiroshima and surrounding prefectures). Closely comparable business model: print+digital subscriptions, regional editions, event hosting, and cultural content. Directly comparable scale and structure to Kobe Shimbun within the Japanese regional newspaper segment.
• Kyoto Shimbun: Regional daily serving Kyoto Prefecture in the same broader Kansai media market as Kobe Shimbun. Comparable hybrid print/digital subscription model, regional editions, and cultural content focus (Kyoto cultural heritage parallels Kobe's cultural positioning).
• Chunichi Shimbun: One of Japan's largest regional newspaper groups, headquartered in Nagoya with extensive operations across the Chubu region. Comparable business in print publishing, digital subscriptions, event organization (including sports and cultural events), and diversified subsidiary holdings.
• Hokkaido Shimbun: Major regional newspaper covering Hokkaido, the largest Japanese prefecture by area. Comparable print+digital subscription model with regional editions, event hosting, and an integrated subsidiary ecosystem spanning media, printing, and cultural services.
• Shizuoka Shimbun: Regional daily serving Shizuoka Prefecture with print and digital editions. Similar business model covering local news, sports, and cultural content with a comparable scale of operations within a single prefecture footprint.
• Nishinippon Shimbun: Regional newspaper serving the Kyushu region. Comparable in print+digital subscription structure, regional editions, and diversification into events and adjacent media businesses.

Broad incumbents

• Asahi Shimbun: National newspaper with significant regional and digital operations competing for the same Hyogo readership and advertising budgets. Larger scale and national reach, but overlapping content categories (news, sports, culture, digital subscriptions via Asahi Shimbun Digital).
• Mainichi Shimbun: National incumbent competing with Kobe Shimbun for readers and advertisers in Hyogo. Comparable print-to-digital transition challenges and content categories, but with national distribution and significantly larger scale.
• Yomiuri Shimbun: Japan's largest-circulation national newspaper, competing in Hyogo Prefecture. National scale advantages, but overlapping news, sports, and digital subscription offerings create direct local competitive overlap with Kobe Shimbun.
• Nikkei: National business-focused newspaper with strong digital subscription franchise. Competitor for premium subscriber dollars and business advertising in Hyogo, and a strategic partner via Kobe Shimbun's Nikkei Telecom integration product.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kobeshinbun
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVJEQtHfgk2zn-BLlLpk9VA
• Facebookfacebook.com/KobeShimbun
• Instagraminstagram.com/kobeshinbun

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kobe Shimbun