What Magazine House does

Magazine House Co., Ltd. (株式会社マガジンハウス) is a privately held Japanese publishing company founded in 1945 and headquartered in Ginza, Tokyo, with 101–250 employees. It operates a portfolio of 10+ lifestyle magazine brands spanning women's fashion (anan, GINZA, Hanako), men's fashion and culture (POPEYE, BRUTUS), design and architecture (Casa BRUTUS), food and living (Croissant, ku:nel), and health and fitness (Tarzan), plus &Premium as a lifestyle guide. Most titles have decades of heritage, with the most recent launch being &Premium in 2013; POPEYE marked its 50th anniversary in 2026. Each magazine is supported by a dedicated web magazine, social media presence, and (for several titles) a mobile subscription app.

The company's core technology stack is a multi-platform publishing infrastructure that delivers each title in print, on dedicated title-specific mobile apps (GINZA, &Premium, Croissant, POPEYE), and via electronic editions distributed through Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Rakuten Books, eBookJapan, BookWalker, Honto, and NTT docomo dmagazine. Subscription management is operated in-house through the Magazine House Reader Service Center (telephone, fax, email) and My Page portal. The company also operates two e-commerce properties — Croissant no Mise (lifestyle goods since 1981) and magazinehouseshop.jp (back issues) — and publishes books, mooks, and special editions derived from its magazine editorial content.

Magazine House's business model is diversified across six revenue streams: magazine subscriptions (annual/multi-year, 10–33% off cover price, with subscriber gift incentives), single-copy print and digital sales through major Japanese retailers (Amazon Japan, Rakuten, Kinokuniya, Yodobashi, HMV, Tower Records, 7net), books and mooks (¥620–¥25,000 per title), e-commerce (Croissant no Mise lifestyle goods), digital subscriptions via NTT docomo dmagazine and Rakuten, and B2B corporate services under Magazine Communication Services (MCS) covering advertising, content licensing, branded publishing, and archive services. Customer segments are organized by editorial persona — urban women, urban men/city boys, health/fitness enthusiasts, food/home living readers, and design/culture enthusiasts — each served by a dedicated magazine brand. The company is privately held with no disclosed parent company, investors, or ownership structure beyond representative director 鉄尾周一 as President and CEO.

Name

Magazine House

Legal name

株式会社マガジンハウス

Website

https://magazineworld.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Magazine House is a privately held Japanese publishing company founded in 1945 in Tokyo, operating 10+ lifestyle magazine brands (POPEYE, anan, GINZA, BRUTUS, Croissant, Tarzan, Casa BRUTUS, &Premium, Hanako, ku:nel) across print, dedicated mobile apps, web magazines, e-commerce, books/mooks, and B2B corporate services for Japanese consumer and enterprise audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health, Fitness & Wellness Magazines (MPAJAEAD), Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF), Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN), Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Magazine publishing
• Lifestyle media
• Book publishing
• Digital subscriptions
• Editorial content

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales (Print): Sale of physical magazine copies through retail bookstores, convenience stores, and the company's own shops. Magazines are published on varying schedules: weekly (anan), bi-monthly (twice monthly for anan, Brutus, Croissant, Tarzan; monthly for GINZA, Popeye, &Premium, Hanako, Casa Brutus, ku:nel). Single copy prices range from ¥730 to ¥980.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Annual and multi-year subscription plans for all major magazine titles offered at significant discounts (16-33% off cover price) with free delivery and special gifts for subscribers. Billing is annual or bi-annual (multi-year for &Premium and Casa BRUTUS).
3. Books and Mooks: Sale of books and mooks (special edition publications) derived from magazine editorial content, spanning genres including health/fitness (Tarzan), fashion/lifestyle (GINZA, &Premium), food/living (Croissant), travel, manga, and general non-fiction. Prices range from approximately ¥620 to ¥25,000.
4. Digital/Electronic Editions: Electronic versions of all magazines and books sold through Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Rakuten Books, eBookJapan, BookWalker, and Honto. Digital subscriptions also available through docomo dmagazine and Rakuten.
5. E-commerce — Merchandise and Goods: The company operates Croissant no Mise (クロワッサンの店), a lifestyle goods mail-order business launched in 1981, selling original daily goods and sundries alongside branded merchandise. Back issues and related products are sold through magazinehouseshop.jp.
6. Corporate/B2B Services: Magazine Communication Services (MCS) provides business clients with advertising, editorial content solutions, and branded publishing services. The company also offers ad server services, archive services, and Hinode book publishing for corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Magazine House publishes a portfolio of more than ten lifestyle magazine brands in Japan — including POPEYE, GINZA, anan, BRUTUS, Casa BRUTUS, Croissant, Tarzan, Hanako, ku:nel, and &Premium — in print and electronic editions, alongside books and mooks derived from magazine editorial content, dedicated web magazines, mobile subscription apps, lifestyle goods e-commerce (Croissant no Mise), the magazine back-issue shop, the SHURO manga editorial platform, and B2B corporate publishing services (Magazine Communication Services). Revenue is generated through single-copy sales, annual and multi-year subscriptions, digital subscriptions, advertising, e-commerce, and corporate content solutions.

Product overview

Magazine House (株式会社マガジンハウス) is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Tokyo's Ginza district, operating as a portfolio of distinct magazine brands and digital platforms rather than a single unified product. The portfolio consists of print magazines (including GINZA, &Premium, croissant, Tarzan, anan, BRUTUS, Casa BRUTUS, Hanako, ku:nel, and POPEYE), their corresponding web magazines (ananweb, brutus.jp, クロワッサン Online, tarzanweb.jp, hanako.tokyo, casabrutus.com, andpremium.jp, ginzamag.com, popeyemagazine.jp, クウネル・Salon, コロカル, 猫村.jp, こここ), e-commerce operations (クロワッサンの店 Online Shop, 雑誌バックナンバー Online Shop), book/mook publishing, and digital subscription apps for GINZA, &Premium, Croissant, and POPEYE. The company also offers corporate services and maintains SHURO as a manga editorial web platform. All magazines are available in both print and electronic (digital) formats, with subscription services offering 25-33% discounts off cover price.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magazine World (マガジンワールド): The company's main portal website for all its magazine brands, books, and services.
• anan (アンアン)
• BRUTUS (ブルータス)
• Casa BRUTUS (カストーリ Brumutus)
• Croissant (クロワッサン)
• GINZA (ギンザ)
• Hanako (ハナコ)
• ku:nel (クウネル)
• POPEYE (ポパイ)
• &Premium (アンドプレミアム)
• Tarzan (ターザン)

Products and services

• POPEYE (ポパイ) Men's fashion and city lifestyle magazine for 'city boys' covering fashion, culture, travel, and city living. Published monthly in print, available as electronic edition via POPEYE Digital Subscription App (English-language version also available), Kindle, and Apple Books.
• Croissant (クロワッサン) Lifestyle magazine covering daily living, health, food, and wellness with practical wisdom for readers. Published twice monthly on the 10th and 25th in print, available as electronic edition via Croissant Digital Subscription App, Kindle, and Apple Books.
• Tarzan (ターザン) Health and fitness magazine with the tagline 'Move your body, organize your mind, be active every day.' Focuses on exercise, stretching, health, and well-being. Published on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month in print, available as electronic edition via Kindle and Apple Books.
• GINZA (ギンザ) Women's fashion magazine covering fashion, beauty, culture, and lifestyle with a focus on stylish women seeking mode (sophisticated fashion) trends. Published on the 12th of each month in print, available as electronic edition via GINZA Digital Subscription App, Kindle, and Apple Books.
• &Premium (アンド プレミアム) Lifestyle guide magazine featuring travel, books, living spaces, food, and culture. Published on the 20th of each month in print, available as electronic edition via &Premium Digital Subscription App, Kindle, and Apple Books.
• anan (アンアン) Weekly women's fashion and lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, love, and lifestyle trends. Published weekly on Wednesdays in print, available as electronic edition. Annual subscription ¥31,000 for 49 issues (~16% discount off cover price).
• BRUTUS (ブルータス) General culture magazine covering diverse cultural topics, interviews, and lifestyle features. Published on the 1st and 15th of each month in print. Annual subscription ¥16,300 for 23 issues (~19% discount off cover price) including an original T-shirt gift.
• Casa BRUTUS (カーサ ブルータス) Interior design and lifestyle magazine covering architecture, interior design, and beautiful living spaces. Published on the 9th of each month. Annual subscription ¥10,900 for 12 issues (~18% discount); 2-year plan ¥20,900 with original tote bag gift.
• Hanako (ハナコ) Tokyo lifestyle magazine featuring the latest Tokyo information, restaurant listings, and original articles. Published on the 28th of each month. Annual subscription ¥8,800 for 12 issues (~24% discount off cover price).
• ku:nel (クウネル) Lifestyle magazine covering living spaces, design, and 'words of power for living.' Published on the 20th of odd-numbered months. Annual subscription ¥5,400 for 6 issues (10% discount) including a foldable eco bag gift.
• Books & Mooks (書籍・ムック) Magazine House's book and mook (special magazine-format book) publishing line derived from its magazine editorial content. Genres include health/fitness (Tarzan), fashion/lifestyle (GINZA, &Premium), food/living (Croissant), travel, manga, and general non-fiction. Prices range from approximately ¥620 to ¥25,000. Includes notable titles such as 'つかめ！理科ダマン' (Science Danman) educational manga series with 2.6 million copies sold in Japan, and 'Casa BRUTUS By NIGO ENGLISH VERSION' mook.
• Croissant no Mise Online Shop (クロワッサンの店) Online shop derived from Croissant magazine selling editor-curated lifestyle goods, original daily products, and branded merchandise. Operated since 1981 with a focus on functional, practical, and simple items.
• Magazine Back Number Online Shop (雑誌バックナンバー Online Shop) Direct-to-consumer online shop operated via magazinehouseshop.jp for purchasing back issues of all Magazine House magazines and subscribing to periodical publications.
• Web Magazine Network (ananweb, brutus.jp, Croissant Online, Tarzan Web, Hanako Tokyo, Casa BRUTUS, &Premium, GINZA Magazine, POPEYE Magazine, ku:nel Salon, Colocal, Nekomura.jp, co-coco.jp) Network of 14+ dedicated title-specific web magazines and satellite digital publications that extend Magazine House's print brands into daily-updated digital content destinations. Includes ananweb, brutus.jp, Croissant Online, tarzanweb.jp, hanako.tokyo, casabrutus.com, andpremium.jp, ginzamag.com, popeyemagazine.jp, ku:nel Salon, colocal.jp, nekomura.jp, and co-coco.jp.
• SHURO (シュロ) — Manga Editorial Web Platform Manga editorial web platform by Magazine House featuring manga content and books. Distinct from the company's lifestyle magazine portfolio, SHURO represents the publisher's dedicated manga editorial business online.
• Corporate Services (Magazine Communication Services / MCS) Business-to-business division of Magazine House providing corporate clients with advertising placement across Magazine House's print titles, web magazines, and digital properties, plus editorial content solutions, branded publishing services, ad server services, archive services, and Hinode book publishing for corporate clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 'つかめ！理科ダマン' (Science Danman) educational manga series achieved 2.6 million copies sold in Japan

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• NTT docomo (dmagazine)moderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNTT docomo's dmagazine digital subscription platform carries Magazine House titles, making electronic editions available to docomo's mobile subscriber base in Japan. The partnership provides Magazine House with access to docomo's large mobile customer base for digital magazine distribution.
• RakutenmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRakuten distributes Magazine House print and digital magazine editions through its Rakuten Books platform and operates a Rakuten-branded digital magazine subscription service carrying Magazine House titles. Rakuten Books offers both purchase and subscription options for digital editions.
• Amazon JapancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon Japan is a primary distribution partner for both print and Kindle digital editions of all Magazine House titles. All magazine titles and books are listed and sold through Amazon Japan's marketplace, including Kindle ebook versions.
• Apple BooksmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorApple Books distributes electronic editions of all Magazine House magazine titles and books for reading on iOS devices through the Apple Books platform.
• IHP Inc./WDS Trading (434-magazineworld.com)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA separate US-incorporated entity operates an international (non-Japanese) magazine distribution service (434-magazineworld.com) that is mutually linked from Magazine House's Japanese website. Note: This entity is a separate legal corporation from Magazine House.
• 〈ヤエカ〉(Yaeka) / Book Pocket CollaborationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner&Premium partnered with clothing brand 〈ヤエカ〉 to create a double-name 'Book Pocket' product — a branded book storage item sold as a set with &Premium subscriptions in a limited-quantity special plan.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shufunotomo (主婦と生活社): Japanese mid-sized publisher of lifestyle and women's interest magazines including Saita, Leon, etc. Most directly comparable to Magazine House as a similar-sized, multi-title Japanese lifestyle magazine publisher with comparable revenue scale, brand heritage, and digital transformation challenges.
• Takarajimasha (宝島社): Japanese publisher of lifestyle magazines (SPRiNG, InRed, GLOW) and books/mooks with strong brand-merchandise integration. Comparable in mid-tier lifestyle magazine focus and book/mook publishing business model.
• Tokuma Shoten (徳間書店): Japanese publisher of lifestyle, music (Rockin'on), and culture magazines plus books. Comparable diversified Japanese publisher with multi-format output and similar audience targeting.
• Fusosha (扶桑社): Japanese publisher of lifestyle magazines (SPA!,週刊SPA!, living magazines) and books/mooks. Comparable mid-tier Japanese publishing house with overlapping categories in lifestyle, entertainment, and general interest magazines.

Broad incumbents

• Hearst Japan (ハースト婦人画報社): Japanese arm of Hearst publishing Elle, Marie Claire, Harper's Bazaar, etc. Comparable in women's fashion/lifestyle magazine publishing but operates as international incumbent with broader portfolio and global content pipeline.
• Shogakukan (小学館): One of Japan's largest publishers with broad magazine portfolio (CanCam, Oggi, Big Comic, etc.) and book publishing. Operates in overlapping lifestyle/fashion/culture categories but at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Magazine House.
• Shueisha (集英社): Major Japanese publisher of lifestyle and fashion magazines (non-no, MORE, MAQUIA, MEN'S NON-NO) alongside manga. Overlaps with Magazine House in women's and men's lifestyle/fashion verticals but operates at a much larger scale with a manga-anchored business model.
• Kodansha (講談社): Japan's largest publisher with massive lifestyle, fashion, manga, and literary portfolio (ViVi, FRIDAY, with, Kiss, etc.). Comparable in lifestyle editorial but operates at significantly larger scale and broader portfolio across manga, books, and magazines.
• Condé Nast Japan: Japanese edition of Condé Nast publishing Vogue Japan, GQ Japan, Wired Japan, etc. Comparable in premium lifestyle/fashion/culture positioning but operates as international incumbent with global content licensing and significantly higher advertiser pricing.

Regional players

• World Co., Ltd. (Begin magazine): Japanese apparel and publishing company that publishes Begin, men's fashion/lifestyle magazine. Comparable in men's fashion/lifestyle vertical with integrated apparel-publishing business model similar to Magazine House's editorial-merchandise integration via Croissant no Mise.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/magazinehouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/magazinehouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/and_premium
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magazine-house-co.-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Magazine House