Akita Shoten

What Akita Shoten does

Akita Shoten (株式会社秋田書店) is a privately held Japanese manga publishing company founded in 1948 and headquartered in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, with 101-250 employees. The company publishes more than 20 magazine titles spanning the shonen, shojo, ladies', and seinen demographics — including Weekly Shonen Champion (週刊少年チャンピオン), Young Champion (ヤングチャンピオン), Champion RED, Princess (プリンセス), For Mrs. (フォアミセス), Petit Princess, Mystery Bonita, LoveMAX, and Champion BUZZ — at cover prices ranging from ¥290 to ¥750 per issue. It also owns and operates digital manga reading platforms (Manga Cross, Yanchyan Web, Souffle, ARK) and the Akitashoten Direct e-commerce storefront for special editions, art books, photobooks, and merchandise, with tankōbon volumes typically priced between ¥600 and ¥900.

Its content library includes multi-decade franchises such as 'Cyborg 009', 'Black Jack', 'The Story of the Royal Family', 'Inochi no Utsuwa' (100+ volumes), and newer hits such as 'Katainaka no Ossan, Kensei ni Naru' (cumulative sales above 10 million copies at volume 9 in June 2026). Distribution spans physical retail and convenience stores in Japan, third-party e-bookstores including BookWalker, LINE Manga, Piccoma, and Amazon Kindle, and — as of 2026 — an official English-licensing channel through a partnership with Orange Inc./emaqi. The ABJ Mark (registration no. 6091713) is used to certify legitimate, copyright-cleared digital distribution.

Revenue is generated through magazine subscriptions and single-issue sales, tankōbon (collected volume) sales, direct e-commerce on company-operated storefronts, and licensing royalties from international and media adaptations. Anime and film adaptations of company IP (e.g., 'Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia' on TV Asahi from July 2026, and the announced 'Umi ga Hashiru End Roll' film) extend monetization beyond print and digital reading into broadcast, theatrical, and festival (Annecy 2026) channels. Customer segments are four long-tail reader personas — young male, young female, adult female, and (via English licensing) global English-speaking readers — with no named enterprise customers and no disclosed institutional advertising client base.

Name

Akita Shoten

Legal name

株式会社秋田書店

Website

https://akitashoten.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Akita Shoten is a privately held Japanese manga publisher (founded 1948, Tokyo) that issues 20+ magazine titles across shonen, shojo, ladies', and seinen demographics, and distributes a deep content library through physical retail, owned digital platforms, and a new English-language licensing channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Manga & Comic Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Manga Publishing (Japanese & Global) (MPAJAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAJ)

Keywords

• Manga publishing
• Comic magazines
• Tankōbon releases
• Digital manga platforms
• Shonen seinen

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

Revenue model

1. Manga and Comic Book Sales: Akita Shoten generates revenue primarily through publishing and selling manga tankōbon (comic books), with series like '王家の紋章' (The Story of the Royal Family), 'いのちの器' (The Vessel of Life), and '光とともに…' (With the Light) spanning hundreds of volumes. The company publishes both physical print editions and digital versions.
2. Magazine Subscriptions and Sales: The company publishes approximately 20 magazine titles including '週刊少年チャンピオン' (Weekly Shonen Champion), 'ヤングチャンピオン' (Young Champion), 'プリンセス' (Princess), and 'フォアミセス' (For Mrs.), with titles priced between 440円 and 750円 per issue. Magazines are available in both physical and digital formats.
3. E-commerce Direct Sales: Akita Shoten operates its own online store '秋田書店ダイレクト' (Akitashoten Direct) selling special edition comics, photobooks, art books, and merchandise directly to consumers.
4. Licensing and International Distribution: Akita Shoten licenses manga titles to international platforms and publishers, such as partnering with Orange Inc./emaqi for English-language releases including 'The Gene of AI', making titles available to global audiences for the first time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Akita Shoten is a Japanese publishing company that primarily publishes and sells manga through approximately 20 serialized magazines (e.g., Weekly Shonen Champion, Young Champion, Princess, Champion RED) and tankōbon (collected comic) volumes. The company also operates proprietary digital manga reading platforms (Champion Cross, Yanchyan Web, Souffle, ARK), runs a direct-to-consumer online store for special editions and merchandise, and licenses titles internationally for English-language distribution through partners such as Orange Inc./emaqi.

Product overview

Akita Shoten is a Japanese manga publishing company established in 1948, operating a portfolio of magazine publications and digital platforms. The core products include multiple manga magazine titles (週刊少年チャンピオン, 月刊少年チャンピオン, ヤングチャンピオン, チャンピオンRED, プリンセス, フォアミセス, プチプリンセス, ミステリーボニータ, 恋愛LoveMAX, チャンピオンBUZZ) and digital reading platforms (チャンピオンクロス, ヤンチャンWeb, スーフル, ARK). The company distributes through its online shop 秋田書店ダイレクト, and maintains editorial partnerships with publishers like Kodansha and Shonengahosha for international distribution. Notable series include いのちの器 (100+ volumes), 王家の紋章, and newer titles like 天幕のジャードゥーガル (adapted to anime in 2026).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 週刊少年チャンピオン (Weekly Shonen Champion): Weekly manga magazine featuring shonen series
• ヤングチャンピオン (Young Champion)
• チャンピオンRED (Champion RED)
• プリンセス (Princess)
• フォアミセス (For Misses)
• Champion Cross
• ヤンチャンWeb
• マンガクロス (Manga Cross)

Products and services

• Weekly Shonen Champion (週刊少年チャンピオン) Weekly manga magazine featuring shonen manga series targeting teen male readers, published every Thursday in print and digital.
• Monthly Shonen Champion (月刊少年チャンピオン) Monthly manga magazine for shonen readers, complementing the weekly edition with longer-form serialized series.
• Young Champion (ヤングチャンピオン) Bi-monthly seinen manga magazine targeting young adult male readers with action, drama, and adventure series.
• Champion RED (チャンピオンRED) Monthly manga magazine published for seinen readers featuring a variety of genres.
• Young Champion RETSU (ヤングチャンピオン烈) Monthly seinen manga magazine published as a sister title to Young Champion.
• Princess (プリンセス) Monthly shōjo manga magazine targeting female readers with romance and drama series, published on the 6th.
• For Mrs. (フォアミセス) Monthly manga magazine for adult female readers focusing on family drama, healthcare, and life stories, published on the 3rd.
• Petit Princess (プチプリンセス) Monthly electronic manga magazine for young female readers, published digitally on the 1st.
• Mystery Bonita (ミステリーボニータ) Mystery and suspense manga magazine for female readers.
• Renai LoveMAX (恋愛LoveMAX) Romance manga magazine for adult female readers, published on the 6th, integrating former Cheriipink title.
• Champion BUZZ (チャンピオンBUZZ) Monthly manga magazine published on the first Tuesday of each month as part of the Champion line.
• Elegance Eve (Eleganceイヴ) Monthly manga magazine for adult women covering lifestyle and romance themes, published on the 26th.
• Gravure Champion (グラビアチャンピオン) Quarterly gravure idol photo magazine published as part of the Champion brand line.
• Bessatsu Shonen Champion (別冊少年チャンピオン) Companion shonen manga magazine published alongside Weekly Shonen Champion.
• Bessatsu Young Champion (別冊ヤングチャンピオン) Companion seinen manga magazine published alongside Young Champion.
• Champion Cross (チャンピオンクロス) Digital manga reading platform operated by Akita Shoten featuring serialized series from its Champion-family magazines.
• Yanchyan Web (ヤンチャンWeb) Digital manga reading platform operated by Akita Shoten for Young Champion and related seinen series.
• Souffle (スーフル) Digital manga reading service operated by Akita Shoten for shōjo and women's demographic titles.
• ARK (Akita Shoten Reading Communicator) Digital manga reading and sharing platform operated by Akita Shoten that allows manga to be embedded on external sites.
• Akita Shoten Direct (秋田書店ダイレクト) Company-operated e-commerce store selling special edition comics, art books, photobooks, and Akita Shoten merchandise directly to consumers.
• Akita Shoten New Releases Catalog (秋田書店 新刊情報) Catalog page listing new manga tankōbon releases and upcoming publications from Akita Shoten.

Quantifiable outcome

• Series '片田舎のおっさん' achieved 10+ million cumulative copies sold, demonstrating strong reader demand
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Orange Inc. / emaqicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2026Orange Inc., led by CEO Shoko Ugaki, partners with Akita Shoten to bring manga titles like 'The Gene of AI' to English audiences for the first time through the emaqi platform. The partnership aims to combat manga piracy by providing officially licensed translations as a creator-friendly alternative to unauthorized translations. Akita Shoten titles are featured alongside Kodansha USA and Shonengahosha on the platform offering 400+ series and 2,000+ volumes.
• Science SARUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Science SARU, led by director Naoko Yamada, produces anime adaptations of Akita Shoten serialized manga. The studio is producing 'Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia' (天幕のジャードゥーガル) based on Tomato Soup's manga serialized in Akita Shoten's publications, scheduled to premiere July 2026 on TV Asahi. The anime was selected for the Official Competition's TV Films category at Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2026.
• TV AsahicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTV Asahi broadcasts anime adaptations of Akita Shoten manga, including 'Jaadugar: A Witch in Mongolia' scheduled to air from July 4, 2026. The partnership enables Akita Shoten content to reach broadcast television audiences in Japan.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shogakukan: Major manga and book publisher behind Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Coro Coro Comic, and Big Comic; co-owns VIZ Media with Shueisha. Overlaps with Akita Shoten in shōnen and seinen magazine publishing and tankōbon distribution.
• Kodansha: Japan's largest manga publisher, publishing flagship magazines Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Morning, and Afternoon, plus Kodansha USA for English distribution. Direct overlap in serialized manga across shōnen, shōjo, and seinen demographics; co-listed on emaqi platform with Akita Shoten.
• Shueisha: Publisher of Weekly Shōnen Jump, Jump Square, Margaret, and Ribon; operates VIZ Media for English distribution. Direct competitor in shōnen manga magazines (Weekly Shōnen Champion vs Weekly Shōnen Jump) and tankōbon publishing.
• Kadokawa (Media Factory / Enterbrain): Publishing conglomerate behind Monthly Comic Alive, ComicWalker platform, and Enterbrain's Famitsu brand. Competes in digital manga platforms (similar to Champion Cross/Yanchyan Web) and tankōbon publishing.

Direct peers

• Tokuma Shoten: Established Japanese publisher of Comic RYU, Comic Zenon, and Monthly Comic Tom; similar legacy publisher profile with multi-decade catalog. Comparable in seinen manga positioning against Akita Shoten's Young Champion and Champion RED.
• Hakusensha: Mid-size manga publisher of Hana to Yume, LaLa, and Young Animal magazines; similar scale and portfolio breadth to Akita Shoten across shōjo, josei, and seinen demographics. Closest direct peer in size and editorial positioning.
• Square Enix (Manga Division): Publishes Monthly Gangan Joker, Big Gangan, and Young Gangan manga magazines alongside its video game business. Directly comparable in shōnen/seinen magazine portfolio structure and tankōbon output.
• Ichijinsha: Manga publisher behind Comic Zero Sum, Monthly Comic Rex, and Comic Yuri Hime. Similar mid-tier scale with focus on fantasy, seinen, and yuri titles; competing directly with Akita Shoten's Champion RED and Princess magazines.
• Shonengahosha: Mid-size manga publisher of Young King, Business Jump, and Manga Goraku; featured alongside Akita Shoten on the emaqi international platform. Closely comparable in seinen magazine portfolio and English-language expansion strategy.

Others

• Orange Inc. (emaqi): Strategic partner and English-language manga distribution platform that currently hosts Akita Shoten's international titles. While not a direct competitor, Orange Inc./emaqi is the primary vehicle through which Akita Shoten accesses English-speaking readers globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/akitashoten/lists/akitashoten-official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Akita Shoten