Net Nihonkai

What Net Nihonkai does

Net Nihonkai (日本海新聞), operated by The Shin Nihonkai Shimbun Co., Ltd., is a privately held regional newspaper headquartered in Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Founded in 1976 and now in its 50th year, the company produces the Nihonkai Shimbun print newspaper and a parallel digital edition (nnn.co.jp), with editorial coverage centered on Tottori Prefecture and the broader San'in region (extending into Shimane and parts of Hyogo). Content spans local news, regional sports (notably Gainare Tottori soccer and high school baseball), government affairs, disaster information, obituaries, culture, and lifestyle sections.

The business operates a multi-stream revenue model combining recurring print home-delivery subscriptions, digital-only subscriptions (with a first-month free trial), and a Home Delivery Plus Plan bundling print and digital access. Advertising revenue is generated through web, print, and insert/folder (折込) channels targeting local SMBs in the Tottori market. Beyond core publishing, the company runs an ecosystem of wholly-owned subsidiaries and divisions: a folding/insert center (日本海折込センター), an economics salon (日本海政経懇話会), a study service for students (日本海新聞 for スタディ), a travel tour division (日本海新聞旅行部 ふみあいの旅), a photo sales service, real estate information listings, and the SEA BLOOM branded local idol sub-brand with its own Instagram presence. Distribution extends across the company website, a YouTube channel, X (Twitter), LINE, and Instagram. The company employs 251–500 staff and operates as a founder/management-controlled private entity with no disclosed external investors.

Name

Net Nihonkai

Legal name

The Shin Nihonkai Shimbun Co., Ltd.

Website

https://nnn.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Net Nihonkai (日本海新聞) is a privately held regional Japanese newspaper publisher headquartered in Tottori City, operating print and digital editions covering Tottori Prefecture and the San'in region, monetized through subscriptions, advertising, and ancillary travel, education, and photo services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tottori

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscription Services: Provides digital-only subscription plans (デジタル単独プラン) and combined home delivery plus digital plans (宅配プラスプラン) for access to online news content and exclusive serial novels.
2. Print Newspaper Subscriptions: Traditional home delivery subscription service for physical newspaper copies, available as standalone or bundled with digital access.
3. Advertising Revenue: Web advertising, print advertising, and insert/advertorial advertising services for businesses targeting local Tottori and San'in region readership.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Net Nihonkai is a regional newspaper publisher headquartered in Tottori City, operating the Nihonkai Shimbun title. It sells print and digital newspaper subscriptions covering Tottori Prefecture and the broader San'in region, and monetizes its readership through web, print, and insert advertising for local and regional businesses.

Product overview

Net Nihonkai (日本海新聞 Net Nihonkai) is the digital platform of Shin Nihonkai Shimbun, a regional newspaper headquartered in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. The company operates a multi-platform news service consisting of the core 日本海新聞 (Nihonkai Shimbun) paper and digital newspaper, supplemented by the デジタル版 (Digital Edition) accessible via website and app. Subscription options include the 宅配プラスプラン (Home Delivery Plus Plan) combining paper and digital access, and the デジタル単独プラン (Digital Only Plan) for standalone digital subscribers. The product portfolio extends to educational services (日本海新聞 for スタディ), a travel service (日本海新聞旅行部), photo services, and branded sub-properties including the SEA BLOOM idol group. Recent offerings include original serialized fiction content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nihonkai Shimbun (日本海新聞) Print Edition Physical regional newspaper covering Tottori Prefecture, including local news, sports (e.g., Gainare Tottori soccer), national news, lifestyle, and cultural features. Distributed to individual readers and businesses in the San'in region.
• Digital Edition (デジタル版) Online and mobile-app-based digital access to Nihonkai Shimbun news content, including back issues, video content, and exclusive articles. Targeted at readers who prefer digital consumption of regional news.
• Nihonkai Shimbun for Study (日本海新聞 for スタディ) Educational study service bundled with the newspaper subscription, designed for student readers and learning use cases in the Tottori region.
• Photo Service (フォトサービス) Photo sales service offered by Nihonkai Shimbun, allowing customers to purchase published photographs from the newspaper's archives and coverage.
• Nihonkai Shimbun Travel (日本海新聞旅行部 ふみあいの旅) Travel package and tour service operated by the newspaper's travel division, offering reader-oriented tour packages tied to the Nihonkai Shimbun brand.
• Usagimimi (うさぎの耳) Companion reader-oriented website operated by Nihonkai Shimbun, linked from the main navigation and serving as a community/lifestyle sub-brand.
• SEA BLOOM Local idol group branded under Nihonkai Shimbun with an official Instagram account, covering debut and ongoing activities through the newspaper.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chugoku Shimbun: Chugoku Shimbun is a regional newspaper serving the Chugoku region (Hiroshima, Okayama, Yamaguchi). Like Net Nihonkai, it is a regional print+digital newspaper with home delivery subscriptions, local advertising, and web/digital editions targeting a specific Japanese prefecture-level audience.
• Shimane Shimbun (San-in Chuo Shimpo): San'in Chuo Shimpo is the primary regional newspaper of Shimane Prefecture, directly within Net Nihonkai's San'in coverage area. Same regional newspaper model with print, digital edition, and local advertising serving overlapping Tottori/Shimane readership.
• Niigata Nippo: Niigata Nippo is a regional newspaper serving Niigata Prefecture with a print and digital subscription model. Comparable mid-size regional Japanese newspaper with similar revenue mix of subscriptions, advertising, and web portal operations.
• Kobe Shimbun: Kobe Shimbun is a regional newspaper serving the Kobe/Hyogo area, which overlaps with Net Nihonkai's coverage of parts of Hyogo Prefecture. Same business model: regional print subscription, digital edition, local advertising, and web portal serving a defined Japanese geographic market.
• Shikoku Shimbun: Shikoku Shimbun is a regional newspaper serving the Shikoku region with print and digital editions, local advertising, and original content. Similar profile to Net Nihonkai: privately held, multi-decade regional newspaper operator with bundled print/digital subscription offerings.
• Hokuriku Chunichi Shimbun: Hokuriku Chunichi Shimbun is a regional Japanese newspaper serving the Hokuriku region with print subscriptions, digital edition, and local advertising. Closely comparable in scale and business model to Net Nihonkai as a regional multi-platform news publisher outside the major metros.
• Yamaguchi Shimbun: Yamaguchi Shimbun serves the San'in-adjacent Yamaguchi Prefecture with a print+digital regional newspaper model. Directly comparable regional Japanese newspaper competing in overlapping San'in/Chugoku geographic territory with similar subscription and advertising revenue streams.
• Akita Sakigake Shimpo: Akita Sakigake Shimpo is a regional newspaper serving Akita Prefecture in northern Japan, with print, digital, and web advertising revenue streams. Comparable to Net Nihonkai in serving a low-population, rural-leaning prefecture with subscription-driven regional journalism.
• Ehime Shimbun: Ehime Shimbun is a regional newspaper serving Ehime Prefecture in Shikoku, operating a print subscription, digital edition, and web advertising model. Comparable regional Japanese newspaper with similar scale and audience-centric operations.

Broad incumbents

• Asahi Shimbun: Asahi Shimbun is one of Japan's largest national newspapers, also operating the Tottori edition that competes in Net Nihonkai's home market. A broad incumbent whose regional editions directly overlap with Net Nihonkai's coverage, but with much larger scale and digital reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.nnn.co.jp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NetNihonkai
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?src=bm&u=https://www.nnn.co.jp
• Instagraminstagram.com/nihonkai_idol

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries7 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 Net Nihonkai