ASCII Jp
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
ASCII Jp firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ASCII Jp
- Legal name
- 株式会社角川アスキー総合研究所
- Website
- https://ascii.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ASCII Jp industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Monetization Tools (Subscriptions, Tips, Merch) (BPAMALAH)
Keywords
Where ASCII Jp is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
ASCII Jp business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- ASCII Club Membership Subscription: Monthly paid subscription service offering unlimited access to Weekly ASCII magazine digital edition, 360+ back issues spanning 6+ years (50,000+ pages), exclusive original articles, video content, and daily editor newsletters. Includes 3-day free trial for new members.
- Display Advertising: Sponsored articles, banner advertisements, and branded content partnerships with technology companies, consumer electronics brands, and e-commerce platforms featured throughout the website.
- Affiliate Commerce: E-commerce affiliate links to products reviewed and featured on the site, including Amazon product links with affiliate commissions for PC components, gadgets, and consumer electronics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | ASCII Club Monthly Subscription - 1,080 yen/month |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
ASCII Jp product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASCII.jp is a Japanese-language technology media platform that publishes daily tech news, product reviews, and digital lifestyle content across categories such as AI, IoT, gaming, custom PCs, smartphones, and Akihabara culture. Its flagship monetized offering is the ASCII Club paid membership, which provides access to the Weekly ASCII digital magazine, more than 50,000 pages of back issues, exclusive original reviews and video content, and daily editor newsletters. Revenue is supplemented by display advertising and affiliate commerce links to reviewed products.
Product overview
ASCII Jp is a digital media publishing platform operated by KADOKAWA ASCII Research Laboratories, consisting of the main ASCII.jp news website, the paid subscription ASCII Club service, and the Weekly ASCII digital magazine. The primary ASCII.jp website serves as a comprehensive technology news portal covering AI, IoT, business technology, digital devices, gaming, and more. The ASCII Club subscription service provides exclusive access to the Weekly ASCII digital magazine, video content, daily email newsletters, and original articles and gadget reviews, while the Weekly ASCII magazine delivers weekly digital issues with deep coverage of PC components, smartphones, and Akihabara trends.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ASCII Club (ASCII倶楽部) A paid membership service at 1,080 yen/month (with 3-day free trial) that provides access to the Weekly ASCII digital magazine, more than 50,000 pages of back issues across 360+ issues, exclusive original reviews, video content, and daily editor newsletters. Payment accepted via VISA, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, or Amazon Pay. Targeted at Japanese tech consumers, PC hobbyists, and IT professionals.
- Weekly ASCII (週刊アスキー) Japan's only weekly digital technology magazine, delivered every Tuesday via dedicated smartphone and tablet apps, covering PC components, smartphones, Akihabara information, and digital gadget reviews. Back catalog includes more than 50,000 pages across 360+ issues spanning over six years. Targeted at Japanese tech enthusiasts and PC builders.
- ASCII.jp Website The primary free-access technology news and information website covering AI, IoT, business technology, TECH, digital devices, iPhone/Mac, automotive, hobbies, custom PCs, AV, Akihabara, smartphones, startups, gaming, and more. Generates revenue through display advertising, sponsored content, and affiliate commerce links. Targeted at Japanese tech consumers, PC hobbyists, and IT professionals.
- アスキーチャンネル YouTube Channel Original video content platform including the ジサトラ (自作PCトーク) series, デジデジ90 program, and live streaming events such as スマホ総研定例会, ASCIIグルメNEWS, and ASCII.jp注目ニュース Weekly. Accessible without subscription. Targeted at Japanese tech and PC-building audiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50,000+ pages of content available to subscribers
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ASCII Jp
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ASCII Jp technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ASCII Jp partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MITテクノロジーレビュー (MIT Technology Review)minorMIT Technology Review Japan edition content is featured on ASCII.jp, with sponsored article placements bringing global technology insights to Japanese readers. The partnership provides MIT Technology Review with a distribution channel for Japanese-language technology content.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ASCII Jp competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ITmedia: ITmedia is Japan's largest dedicated tech-media network, covering enterprise IT, consumer electronics, startups, and security. It directly competes with ASCII.jp in Japanese-language tech news, product reviews, and newsletter-driven engagement for a similar Japanese tech-savvy audience.
- TechCrunch Japan: TechCrunch Japan is the Japanese edition of TechCrunch covering startups, venture capital, and emerging technology. It overlaps ASCII.jp in ASCII.jp's startup category and competes for Japanese tech-savvy readers interested in new products and emerging categories.
- Impress Watch: Impress Watch is a Japanese multi-vertical tech-media network (PC Watch, AV Watch, Digital Camera Watch, etc.) owned by Impress Group. It overlaps ASCII.jp almost identically across PC components, consumer electronics, gadgets, and digital life content, making it the closest direct competitor in-house format.
- CNET Japan: CNET Japan is the Japanese edition of CNET (Red Ventures), covering consumer electronics, software, and tech reviews. It competes with ASCII.jp for product-review-driven traffic, affiliate commerce on electronics, and ad revenue from Japanese tech advertisers.
- WIRED Japan: WIRED Japan is the Japanese edition of WIRED (Condé Nast) covering technology, science, and culture for premium Japanese readers. It directly competes with ASCII.jp's Weekly ASCII magazine for the same paying, tech-engaged Japanese audience, with overlapping newsletters and subscription model.
- Engadget Japan: Engadget Japan is the Japanese edition of Yahoo/Engadget covering consumer electronics, gadgets, and tech news. It competes with ASCII.jp for the same Japanese tech enthusiast reader on consumer-electronics reviews, smartphone launches, and Akihabara-relevant tech coverage.
- Gizmodo Japan: Gizmodo Japan is the Japanese edition of Gizmodo covering technology, science, and digital culture. It overlaps ASCII.jp on consumer-tech news and reviews with a similar SEO-driven content strategy and tech-savvy Japanese audience.
- Mynavi Tech+: Mynavi Tech+ is the technology-focused arm of Mynavi News covering programming, IT, and consumer tech for Japanese professionals. It overlaps ASCII.jp on IT-industry news and enterprise technology coverage for Japanese tech professionals and developers.
Broad incumbents
- Forbes Japan: Forbes Japan is the Japanese edition of Forbes covering business, technology, and entrepreneurship. It overlaps ASCII.jp on business-technology coverage and competes for Japanese IT professional and decision-maker readers, while also serving a broader business audience.
- NIKKEI Cross Tech: NIKKEI Cross Tech is the tech-focused arm of Nikkei, Japan's largest business news brand. It overlaps ASCII.jp on enterprise and consumer technology coverage but sits within a much broader business-news conglomerate with substantially larger reach and brand authority.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ASCII Jp social profiles
Digital presenceASCII Jp financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ASCII Jp leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ASCII Jp funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ASCII Jp 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 ASCII Jp
What does ASCII Jp do?
ASCII.jp is a Japanese-language technology media platform that publishes daily tech news, product reviews, and digital lifestyle content across categories such as AI, IoT, gaming, custom PCs, smartphones, and Akihabara culture. Its flagship monetized offering is the ASCII Club paid membership, which provides access to the Weekly ASCII digital magazine, more than 50,000 pages of back issues, exclusive original reviews and video content, and daily editor newsletters. Revenue is supplemented by display advertising and affiliate commerce links to reviewed products.
Is ASCII Jp a public or private company?
ASCII Jp is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ASCII Jp founded?
ASCII Jp was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ASCII Jp based?
ASCII Jp is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does ASCII Jp make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. ASCII Club Membership Subscription is the primary driver. The others are display Advertising and affiliate Commerce.
Who are ASCII Jp's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ITmedia, TechCrunch Japan, Impress Watch, CNET Japan, WIRED Japan, Engadget Japan, Gizmodo Japan and Mynavi Tech+. Broad incumbents are Forbes Japan and NIKKEI Cross Tech.
Does ASCII Jp have an API?
No public API is recorded for ASCII Jp.
What industry is ASCII Jp in?
ASCII Jp's product category is Digital Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMALAH, Creator Monetization Tools (Subscriptions, Tips, Merch). Its NAICS code is 51621.