Jomo Shimbun

What Jomo Shimbun does

Jomo Shimbun (株式会社上毛新聞社) is a privately held regional newspaper publisher headquartered in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, operating under the corporate name established in 1946 with the Jomo Shinbun newspaper brand dating to 1887. The company serves the Gunma Prefecture readership (~1.93M population) through a print newspaper with home delivery and a digital electronic edition (電子版) accessible via web and mobile apps, covering local news, high school and regional sports (notably high school baseball), politics, economy, society, weather, job listings, and exam information. Its proprietary '#gぱす' member account system gates paid-member exclusive content, and the mobile app integrates V Point loyalty rewards to drive digital subscription adoption.

The company operates three wholly-owned subsidiaries (上毛新聞TR, 上毛新聞アドシステム, and どりじぇい) supporting advertising, distribution, and publishing functions, and monetizes through five distinct streams: newspaper subscriptions (print + bundled digital), standalone digital electronic-edition subscriptions, advertising across print and web, book publishing and sales (including the Maebashi local studies booklet series and commemorative graph editions), and personal/contract publishing services. Additional revenue is generated from JOMO Hall and JOMO Square venue rentals at the Maebashi headquarters, with weekday full-day pricing at ¥28,000 and weekend full-day pricing at ¥35,000.

Distribution is concentrated in Japan (Kanto Region) via direct home delivery for print and self-serve digital subscriptions for the electronic edition. Marketing and audience engagement are executed across multiple channels — Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, LINE Official Account, an email newsletter, and the 'Umagamau' (うまがまう) podcast — supplemented by a Wall Street Journal Japan content partnership announced June 2026 and an NIE (Newspaper in Education) program targeting schools. Leadership is led by President and Representative Director Masahiro Sekiguchi.

Name

Jomo Shimbun

Legal name

株式会社上毛新聞社

Website

https://jomo-news.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Jomo Shimbun (上毛新聞社) is a privately held regional newspaper publisher serving Gunma Prefecture, Japan, with print and digital editions, book publishing, venue rentals, and a Wall Street Journal Japan content partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Maebashi

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Newspaper subscription (print + digital): Home delivery of the print newspaper combined with digital access to the electronic edition (電子版). The electronic edition offers tiered access including free limited content and paid premium/subscription content.
2. Electronic edition (電子版) digital subscription: Paid digital-only subscriptions for the electronic newspaper edition, including premium paid-member exclusive content (有料会員限定コンテンツ). V Point rewards are offered through the app.
3. Personal publishing services (個人出版): Custom book and self-publishing services supporting individual authors, companies, schools, and local government commemorative publications. Revenue is generated per-book based on specifications including page count, format, printing method, binding style, and print run quantity.
4. Venue rental (上毛ホール/JOMO Square): Rental of company-owned event venues including JOMO Hall at headquarters (1st floor) and JOMO Square. Revenue is generated through hourly or block rental fees, with different weekday and weekend pricing structures. Company-sponsored events receive free access.
5. Advertising (紙面・WEB): Advertising placements across both the print newspaper and web platform. The site also carries co-branded content such as Wall Street Journal Japan articles.
6. Book publishing and sales: Sale of books and publications through the 上毛新聞 book catalog, including special commemorative graph editions (記念グラフ), Maebashi Local Studies Booklets (前橋学ブックレット), and various titles covering local history, culture, and sports. Revenue from book sales.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Jomo Shimbun publishes the Jomo Shinbun, a regional daily newspaper serving Gunma Prefecture, Japan, with both home-delivered print editions and a digital electronic edition (電子版). Beyond core news publishing, the company operates book publishing (local history, culture, commemorative editions), a self-publishing service for individuals and organizations, podcast content, advertising sales across print and web, and JOMO Hall event venue rental at its Maebashi headquarters.

Product overview

Jomo Shimbun operates primarily as a regional newspaper company serving Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The core offering is the Jomo Shinbun newspaper and its digital edition (上毛新聞電子版), providing local news, sports coverage, and regional content. The company extends its media services through a Wall Street Journal Japan partnership, book publishing operations, podcast content, venue rental services, and personal publishing support. The digital platform features specialized sections for high school baseball, exam information, and local events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 上毛かるたを歩く: Book publication series on local culture and karuta traditions.
• 前橋学ブックレット

Products and services

• Jomo News Digital Edition (上毛新聞電子版) Digital newspaper edition providing online news, sports coverage (including high school baseball, soccer), regional news, weather forecasts, and exclusive paid-member content for Gunma Prefecture residents and subscribers. Includes a mobile app offering V Point rewards.
• Jomo Shinbun Book Publishing (上毛新聞書籍出版) Publishing and sale of books covering regional history, local culture, karuta traditions, sports commemorative editions, and academic publications about Gunma Prefecture.
• Self-Publishing Service (個人出版サービス) Personal publishing support service for individuals, companies, schools, and local government entities wanting to publish books, memoirs, photo collections, or commemorative records, with per-book pricing based on specifications.
• JOMO Hall Venue Rental (上毛ホール貸出) On-site rental of the company-owned JOMO Hall event venue (headquarters 1st floor) for lectures, concerts, and events. Weekday blocks at 6,000-10,000 yen and weekend/holiday full-day rate of 35,000 yen. Company-sponsored events receive free access.
• Podcast 'Umagamau' (うまがまう) Podcast channel featuring discussions on local topics and regional content from Jomo Shimbun, distributed via the website and social media platforms.
• Wall Street Journal Japan Edition Content Licensed international news content from the Wall Street Journal Japan edition made available to Jomo Shimbun electronic edition subscribers through a content partnership, expanding international business and financial news offerings.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Niigata Nippo (新潟日報): Regional daily newspaper serving Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Closely comparable in scale, structure, and business model: print+digital subscriptions, local sports focus (high school baseball), book publishing, and similar reliance on home delivery in a single prefecture.
• Chunichi Shimbun (中日新聞): Major regional newspaper group covering the Chubu region (Aichi, Gifu, Mie, Nagano, Fukui, Toyama, Ishikawa) with print+digital editions and book publishing. Comparable as a multi-prefecture regional publisher, but larger in scale than Jomo Shimbun.
• Hokkaido Shimbun (北海道新聞): Largest regional newspaper in Hokkaido with print+digital editions, book publishing, and event operations. Comparable as a regional powerhouse with a similar diversified publishing business model, though serving a much larger geography.
• Shizuoka Shimbun (静岡新聞): Regional daily newspaper serving Shizuoka Prefecture with a strong electronic edition (AT-S) and digital subscription model. Highly comparable in operating geography (single prefecture), product mix (print+digital+books+events), and reliance on local sports coverage.
• Tohoku Shimbun (河北新報): Tohoku region's leading regional daily newspaper based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture. Comparable as a single-region dominant local newspaper with print+digital subscriptions, book publishing, and event/community programs.
• Kobe Shimbun (神戸新聞): Regional daily newspaper serving the Hyogo/Kobe area. Similar regional print+digital model, local high school baseball focus, and book publishing operations. Comparable in editorial positioning and audience scale.
• Shikoku Shimbun (四国新聞): Regional daily newspaper serving Kagawa and the Shikoku region with print+digital edition, high school baseball coverage, and book publishing. Closely comparable in scale and structure to Jomo Shimbun as a single-region dominant local title.

Broad incumbents

• Asahi Shimbun (朝日新聞): Major national daily newspaper with digital edition (Asahi Shimbun Digital) competing for paid digital subscribers nationally and in Gunma. Comparable as a broad incumbent in paid digital news subscriptions.
• Yomiuri Shimbun (読売新聞): Japan's largest national newspaper by circulation with national and international news reach. Competes for Gunma readers and advertisers through home delivery and digital edition; relevant as the broad incumbent regional subscription competitor.
• Nikkei (日本経済新聞社): Japan's leading business and economic newspaper with a strong digital subscription business (Nikkei Digital). Competes for paid digital readers and the WSJ-style business news audience that Jomo Shimbun now serves via its WSJ Japan partnership.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jomo_news
• YouTubejomo-news.co.jp/list/service/podcast
• Facebookfacebook.com/jomoshinbun
• Instagraminstagram.com/jomo_shinbun

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Jomo Shimbun