The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun

What The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun does

The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun is a 110-year-old Japanese specialty publishing company founded in 1915, headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, and led by President Masahiro Idei. The company publishes technical and industrial content for Japanese engineers, manufacturing professionals, and students, operating a catalog of 3,484 physical books and 388 e-books across 16 engineering genres, five flagship monthly/quarterly magazines (Press Technology, Machine Design, Mold Technology, Factory Management, Mechanical Technology), and a flagship 350+ title beginner-friendly book series called 'Tokoton' celebrating its 25th anniversary. Its core technology is conventional editorial content production for industrial/engineering domains, delivered through both print and digital formats.

The company generates revenue from four streams: (1) one-time book sales (physical and e-book) ranging from ¥1,650 to ¥7,920 per title; (2) recurring magazine subscriptions, with 12-issue and newly introduced 24-issue annual courses priced at ¥23,760 and ¥42,720 respectively, following an April 2026 price increase; (3) online webinars and seminars on industrial topics with external speakers; and (4) educational card games (Genjara, Parts wo Atsumero) distributed via Makuake crowdfunding and hobbyist channels. Distribution is multi-channel: proprietary Nikkan Book Store e-commerce, major Japanese online marketplaces (Amazon Japan, Rakuten, Yodobashi, e-hon, Honya Club), physical bookstore chains (Kinokuniya, Maruzen, Junkudo), and direct mail-order subscriptions. Marketing relies on the company's e-commerce platform, an email newsletter ('Haguruma Tsushin'), nationwide bookstore fairs, engineering influencer partnerships, and PR via PR Times and the Newswitch platform.

The company's primary customer segment is Japanese working engineers and students in manufacturing, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and related industrial fields seeking authoritative reference material, certification exam preparation, and professional development. In 2026 the company expanded beyond pure publishing with 'School Career Search', a video recruitment platform introducing companies to industrial high school students.

Name

The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun

Legal name

THE NIKKAN KOGYO SHIMBUN,LTD.

Website

https://pub.nikkan.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun is a 110-year-old Japanese specialty publishing company that produces technical books, engineering magazines, and digital content for Japanese engineers, manufacturing professionals, and students, operating the Nikkan Book Store e-commerce platform and five flagship technical journals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nihombashi-hamacho

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Publishing and Sales: Sale of technical books (both physical and e-book formats) targeting engineers, students, and professionals in manufacturing industries. Books range from entry-level introductions to advanced technical references. Revenue is generated through direct bookstore sales, online marketplace sales, and physical bookstore distribution.
2. Magazine Subscriptions and Sales: Sale of monthly and quarterly magazines (Press Technology, Mechanical Design, Mold Technology, Factory Management, Mechanical Technology) through single-copy purchases and subscription plans. Subscriptions available in 12-issue and 24-issue bundles. E-commerce magazine sales also available.
3. Online Events and Seminars: Hosting of online webinars and seminars on manufacturing and industrial topics, often featuring external industry speakers and partners. Revenue generation through event participation and associated content.
4. Card Games and Merchandise: Development and sale of educational card games related to manufacturing themes (e.g., 'Genjara' combining chemical elements, 'Parts wo Atsumero' about production lines). Sold via Makuake crowdfunding, Game Market events, and Bodoge hobbyist platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun is a Japanese specialist publishing company that produces and sells technical books, five monthly/quarterly engineering magazines, e-books, and educational card games targeting engineers, technical professionals, and students in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Distribution is conducted through its own Nikkan Book Store e-commerce platform, major Japanese online retailers, physical bookstore chains, and direct mail-order subscriptions.

Product overview

The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun is a publishing company that operates primarily as a B2B media and educational content provider. Its core offerings include a portfolio of five technical magazines (Press Technology, Machine Design, Mold Technology, Factory Management, and Mechanical Technology), the Nikkan Book Store e-commerce platform for technical books and publications, the Factory Magazine Rack web platform for online article access, and the 今日からモノ知りシリーズ (Tokoton Series) of beginner-friendly technical books now celebrating 25 years with 355+ titles. The company also offers niche products including the School Career Search recruitment service for industrial schools, membership programs with email newsletters, and educational card games (ゲンジャラ and パーツヲアツメルト) that teach chemistry and manufacturing concepts. The company recently launched a 24-book subscription course and operates a 110th anniversary commemorative campaign.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 今日からモノ知りシリーズ (Kyokara Mono Shirisoochirai Series / Tokoton Series): A popular beginner-friendly technical book series covering machinery, electrical, chemical, energy, and production management topics, launched in 2001.
• 技術大全シリーズ (Gijutsu Taisen Series)
• TREK!
• 工場マガジンラック (Kojo Magazine Rack)

Products and services

• Nikkan Book Store (日刊工業新聞社 公式オンラインショップ) The company's proprietary e-commerce storefront selling technical books, magazines, e-books, and publications focused on manufacturing, engineering, and industrial technology topics. Built on Shopify infrastructure with member registration benefits.
• Press Technology Magazine (プレス技術) Monthly technical magazine covering press processing technology for automotive, electrical, and other core industries. Covers materials, processing, and die technology across the broad domain of press processing.
• Machine Design Magazine (機械設計) Practical monthly magazine for designing mechatronics-based machines and equipment. Provides latest information on mechanical components, mechanisms, control technology, and CAD/CAM for design work.
• Mold Technology Magazine (型技術) Japan's only comprehensive technical journal for mold technology. Collaborates with the Mold Technology Association to provide wide-ranging technical information on plastic, press, and die-casting mold design and processing.
• Factory Management Magazine (工場管理) Practical business magazine for managers, supervisors, and executives. Features practical improvement techniques, production systems, and management methods with abundant case studies.
• Mechanical Technology Magazine (機械技術) Quarterly magazine covering machine tools, tools, measurement equipment trends and latest processing techniques from a practical perspective. Focuses on FA (Factory Automation), FMS (Flexible Manufacturing Systems), and production technology/systems.
• Factory Magazine Rack (工場マガジンラック) Website that publishes selected articles from the five company magazines (Press Technology, Machine Design, Mold Technology, Factory Management, Mechanical Technology) in their entirety online, providing free access to curated technical content.
• Nikkan Book Store Membership (お得な会員特典) Membership program offering email notifications about recommended books and magazines, with the 'Haguruma Tsushin' (はぐるま通信) newsletter delivering information about new publications.
• Genjara Card Game (ゲンジャラ) Chemistry-themed card game where players combine four elements to create compounds. Achieved 400%+ funding on Makuake crowdfunding. Designed for 3-4 players, ages 8+, play time 5-15 minutes.
• Parts wo Atsumero Card Game (パーツヲアツメルト) Manufacturing-themed card game where players connect production lines to collect parts and complete products. Achieved 270%+ funding on Makuake crowdfunding. Designed for 3-4 players, ages 6+, play time 5-15 minutes.
• School Career Search (スクールキャリアサーチ) Video and online platform service that introduces companies to industrial high school students, providing comprehensive company information through videos to reduce teacher workload and promote student-led research.
• Tokoton Series (今日からモノ知りシリーズ) Beginner-friendly technical book series launched in 2001 covering machinery, electricity, chemistry, energy, production management and other topics. Has published 350+ titles over 25 years and is the standard entry-level reference for Japanese engineers.
• Technology Comprehensive Series (技術大全シリーズ) Comprehensive technical book series covering specific technologies in depth, including titles such as Lithium-Ion Battery Technology, Molding Technology, and Copper/Copper Alloy Technology.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• eve autonomyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026eve autonomy's Head of Sales & Marketing, Kenta Ryuu, spoke at the online webinar 'New Approaches to Solving Logistics Challenges in Manufacturing - Logistics DX Solutions' hosted by Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun on March 24, 2026. The seminar addressed on-site logistics challenges in manufacturing amid deepening labor shortages, with eve autonomy presenting on their 'Eve Auto' outdoor-compatible unmanned transport service that connects equipment, people, and logistics to improve factory productivity.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ohmsha: Long-established Japanese publisher of technical and scientific books and magazines covering engineering, computing, electronics, and natural sciences. Direct peer to Nikkan given near-identical product mix of technical books, professional magazines, and engineering exam preparation materials in the Japanese market.
• Sangyo-Tosho Publishing: Japanese B2B publisher producing books and magazines on industrial technology, manufacturing, and business management. Comparable to Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun in format (technical books + magazines) and audience (Japanese engineers and managers).
• Kogyo Chosakai Publishing Co. Japanese technical publisher producing industrial, chemical, and engineering books and references. Direct peer to Nikkan in the Japanese industrial/engineering publishing category, with overlapping coverage of professional engineering content and exam preparation.
• CQ Publishing: Japanese publisher specializing in electronics, radio, computing, and amateur-technical magazines and books. Comparable to Nikkan as a Japanese specialty B2B technical publisher with both magazine subscriptions and a deep book backlist targeting engineering professionals and hobbyists.

Emerging players

• Packt Publishing: Technical book publisher specializing in programming, engineering, and data-related professional content with strong digital subscription model. Comparable to Nikkan in the technical book subscription and B2B professional learning category, though focused on software and computing.
• Manning Publications: Independent publisher of technical books for software developers and engineers with print and digital formats. Analogous to Nikkan as a specialty technical book publisher combining one-time book sales with subscription and learning products, but in English-language software/engineering.
• O'Reilly Media: Global technical book and learning platform publisher known for computing and engineering titles. Comparable business model to Nikkan (paid technical books, digital content, events/training) but operating globally and serving English-language audiences including software and systems engineers.

Broad incumbents

• Nikkei BP (Nikkei Business Publications): Larger Japanese B2B publisher covering technology, manufacturing, healthcare, and business. Highly comparable to Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun as a Japanese specialist business publisher serving professional audiences, though Nikkei BP operates at significantly larger scale and broader category scope.

Others

• Maruzen (Maruzen-Yushodo Co., Ltd.): Major Japanese academic and technical book distributor and retailer. Listed as a distribution channel for Nikkan's publications and comparable in the Japanese technical book supply chain, serving the same engineering and academic professional market.

Regional players

• Nikkei Inc. Parent of Nikkei BP and operator of Japan's flagship business newspaper. Comparable to Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun as a major Japanese newspaper and media publisher serving professional readers, though Nikkei operates at much larger scale across general business news rather than industrial engineering specialty.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pubnikkan
• YouTubetwitter.com/Uttan_ZasshiNK
• Facebookfacebook.com/nikkankogyo.zasshi

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 The Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun