What Kyoto Shimbun does

Kyoto Shimbun (京都新聞) is a privately held regional newspaper company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, serving readers and advertisers across Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. The company is the dominant regional daily in its coverage area, distributing content through home delivery via the Kyoto Newspaper Sales Federation, its own digital platform (京都新聞 DIGITAL / kyoto-np.co.jp), a mobile application (ことめくり, Kotomokuri), a video service (京都新聞TV), and an aggregated presence on SmartNews. It also operates a joint database subscription (京都新聞DB + 日経テレコン) with Nikkei for corporate research users, and distributes via the 47NEWS national consortium of 47 regional newspapers.

The company's revenue is generated through four primary streams: home-delivery print subscriptions available in tiered Standard, Premium, and Value plans; digital-only and bundled subscriptions on kyoto-np.co.jp; advertising sold across both print and digital channels (including Smart Online Advertising starting from 20,000 yen); and event sponsorships such as the long-running Cerema Cup Kyoto Junior Soccer Championship co-organized with Sera Co., the Kyoto Football Association, and KBS Kyoto, plus cultural and educational events. Adjacent monetization includes the KYO-POINT loyalty program, Kyopon local coupons, an online photo sales platform and gallery, the Kyoto Proficiency Test certification, and a publishing center producing books and educational materials. The company maintains three wholly-owned operating subsidiaries: Kyoto Shimbun Printing (印刷), the Kyoto Shimbun Social Welfare Foundation, and the Kyoto Shimbun Sales Federation (販売連合会).

Beyond news publishing, Kyoto Shimbun functions as a regional civic and community infrastructure provider, with reported editorial and operational relationships with Kyoto and Shiga prefectural governments, multiple regional shinkin banks (Kyoto Chuo, Kyoto, Kyoto Hokuto, Shiga Bank), local soccer clubs (Kyoto Purple Sanga), and cultural institutions (Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Kyoto Ballet Company). The firm reports no M&A activity, no external funding, no public listing, and no disclosed AI or ML capability stack, indicating an operationally mature but technologically traditional media business concentrated in the Kansai region.

Name

Kyoto Shimbun

Legal name

The Kyoto Shimbun Co.,Ltd.

Website

https://kyoto-np.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kyoto Shimbun is a privately held regional daily newspaper headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, delivering print and digital news coverage across all 26 municipalities of Kyoto and Shiga prefectures to local residents, businesses, advertisers, and government subscribers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Newspaper Subscriptions: Home delivery of the print edition of Kyoto Shimbun, the regional daily covering Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. Subscription is available through a tiered plan system (スタンダードプラン, プレミアム plan, バリュープラン).
2. Digital Subscriptions: Digital-only subscriptions for the 京都新聞DIGITAL online platform, including premium content and exclusive articles.
3. Advertising: The company sells newspaper advertising (新聞広告案内) and digital advertising (デジタル広告案内, スマートオンライン広告) across its print and digital platforms.
4. Event Sponsorships: Kyoto Shimbun organizes and sponsors community events including the セレマカップ京都ジュニアサッカー and other sports/cultural programs, generating revenue and community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kyoto Shimbun publishes and distributes a regional daily newspaper covering Kyoto and Shiga prefectures through print home delivery, a paid digital news platform (Kyoto Shimbun DIGITAL), and a mobile application. The company monetizes via tiered subscription plans (Standard, Premium, Value/bundle), print and digital advertising, sponsored community events (e.g., Cerema Cup youth soccer), and ancillary services such as a Nikkei co-branded database subscription, photo sales, and a loyalty coupon program.

Product overview

Kyoto Shimbun is a regional newspaper company operating primarily as a media organization with a digital-first strategy. The core product is the 京都新聞 DIGITAL (Kyoto Shimbun DIGITAL) online news platform offering local news for Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. The company provides supplementary digital services including mobile apps (ことめくり), video content (京都新聞TV), database subscriptions (京都新聞DB+), e-commerce photo services, and the KYO-POINT loyalty program. Beyond digital media, Kyoto Shimbun organizes community events including youth sports tournaments (セレマカップ京都ジュニアサッカー, 中信杯学童軟式野球), educational events (京都私立中学・高校展), and publishes books through its publishing center. The company also operates specialty services like the Kyoto Go board game platform and the Kyoto Proficiency Test certification program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ことめくり: Mobile application for news consumption

Products and services

• Kyoto Shimbun Print Newspaper Subscription Home-delivered daily print edition of Kyoto Shimbun, the regional newspaper covering Kyoto and Shiga prefectures. Sold via tiered subscription plans (Standard, Premium, Value) through the Kyoto Newspaper Sales Federation.
• Kyoto Shimbun DIGITAL (京都新聞DIGITAL) Online paid subscription platform offering Kyoto and Shiga news, weather, video, premium articles, and archive access at kyoto-np.co.jp.
• Kotomokuri Mobile App (ことめくり) Smartphone and tablet application for daily news reading and notifications from Kyoto Shimbun DIGITAL.
• Kyoto Shimbun DB+ 日経テレコン (Nikkei Telecom) Subscription database service that combines Kyoto Shimbun's news archive with Nikkei Telecom content, offered to corporate subscribers for research and business intelligence.
• Newspaper and Digital Advertising (新聞広告 / デジタル広告 / スマートオンライン広告) Advertising inventory sales across Kyoto Shimbun print editions, the Kyoto Shimbun DIGITAL site, and a smart online ad booking platform targeted at local Kyoto/Shiga businesses.
• Corporate Subscription Plan (デジタル法人プラン) Business subscription tier providing corporate news, database access, and PR distribution services through Kyoto Shimbun and ON BUSINESS.
• Cerema Cup Kyoto Junior Soccer Championship (セレマカップ京都ジュニアサッカー) Annual community-organized youth soccer tournament sponsored by Sera Co., Ltd. and operated by Kyoto Shimbun in partnership with the Kyoto Football Association and KBS Kyoto.
• KYO-POINT Loyalty Program Point accumulation and reward system for Kyoto Shimbun subscribers and readers engaging with the company's content and services.
• Kyopon (キョーポン) Coupon Platform Digital coupon and discount platform connecting local Kyoto merchants with readers for promotional offers.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Election.comminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026Election.com collaborated with Kyoto Shimbun to publish voting matching information for the Kyoto Prefectural Governor Election 2026 (April 5, 2026 voting date). Kyoto Shimbun provided editorial coverage and the platform for publishing the election-related content.
• 京都中央信用金庫 (Kyoto Chuo Shinkin Bank)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKyoto Chuo Shinkin Bank publishes press releases through Kyoto Shimbun's ON BUSINESS section. The bank has also invested in local companies (e.g., RegenerFlow) and sponsored local projects like the Kyoto-machiya revitalization initiative.
• 滋賀銀行 (Shiga Bank)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerShiga Bank's financial results and news are published through Kyoto Shimbun's business coverage section.
• 47NEWS ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKyoto Shimbun is a participating publisher in the 47NEWS (ヨンマルナンス) national news consortium, a cooperative network of 47 regional newspapers covering all of Japan. The consortium shares news content across prefectures and enables national distribution of regional stories.
• 京都信用金庫 (Kyoto Shinkin Bank)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKyoto Shinkin Bank's personnel announcements and news are published through Kyoto Shimbun's business news section.
• 京都北都信用金庫 (Kyoto Hokuto Shinkin Bank)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKyoto Hokuto Shinkin Bank's corporate and personnel news is published through Kyoto Shimbun's regional news coverage.
• 株式会社セレマ (Sera Co., Ltd.)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSera Co., Ltd. is the title sponsor of the セレマカップ第59回京都ジュニアサッカー選手権大会 (Sera Ma Cup 59th Kyoto Junior Football Championship), organized by Kyoto Shimbun together with the Kyoto Football Association and KBS Kyoto. The tournament runs from April 5 to late December with approximately 130 teams from across Kyoto Prefecture.
• （一社）京都府サッカー協会 (Kyoto Football Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the セレマカップ京都ジュニアサッカー together with Kyoto Shimbun and KBS Kyoto.
• KBS京都 (KBS Kyoto Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the セレマカップ京都ジュニアサッカー championship, co-hosting the youth sports tournament alongside Kyoto Shimbun.
• 京都府・(公財)京都府スポーツ協会 (Kyoto Prefecture/Kyoto Sports Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a co-sponsor/backer (後援) of the セレマカップ京都ジュニアサッカー championship.
• 株式会社京都パープルサンガ (Kyoto Purple Sanga Co., Ltd.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter (協力) of the セレマ컵京都ジュニアサッカー championship. Kyoto Purple Sanga is the professional football (soccer) club based in Kyoto.
• 日本フィルハーモニー交響楽団 (Japan Philharmonic Orchestra)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKyoto Shimbun sponsors and promotes the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra's 'Summer Concert 2026' event, offering 5 pairs of tickets to readers as part of the orchestra's 70th anniversary celebrations.
• 京都バレエ団 (Kyoto Ballet Company)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKyoto Shimbun sponsored and promoted the Kyoto Ballet Company's 'Triple Bill' performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of Kyoto Ballet School, offering reader ticket giveaways.
• 京都新聞販売連合会 (Kyoto Newspaper Sales Federation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Kyoto Newspaper Sales Federation manages the network of newspaper delivery and sales agents that handle home delivery and retail distribution of Kyoto Shimbun newspapers across Kyoto and Shiga prefectures.
• SmartNewsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKyoto Shimbun provides its news content through the SmartNews aggregation platform, extending its digital reach to SmartNews users in the Kyoto region.
• 京都私立中学・高校展 consortiumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKyoto Shimbun organizes the annual '京都私立中学・高校展' (Kyoto Private Middle and High School Exhibition), a community event helping students and parents learn about private educational institutions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• SmartNews: SmartNews is a digital news aggregation platform that distributes Kyoto Shimbun's content and competes indirectly for digital reader attention and ad spend. It is an ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but materially shapes the regional digital news market.

Direct peers

• Chugoku Shimbun: Chugoku Shimbun is a regional daily serving the Chugoku region (Hiroshima area). It shares the same regional newspaper operating model as Kyoto Shimbun, including print delivery, digital platforms, and partnerships within the 47NEWS national consortium.
• Kobe Shimbun: Kobe Shimbun is a regional daily newspaper serving the Hyogo Prefecture area in the Kansai region of Japan. It is the most geographically and operationally comparable regional daily to Kyoto Shimbun, with similar print/digital subscription models, local advertising focus, and community event sponsorships.
• Tokyo Shimbun: Tokyo Shimbun is a regional daily serving the Tokyo metropolitan area. While based in a larger market than Kyoto Shimbun, it shares a regional (non-national) newspaper identity and similar digital subscription and advertising business model.
• Hokkaido Shimbun: Hokkaido Shimbun is a major regional daily serving Hokkaido, with a similar business model of print+digital subscriptions, regional advertising, and diversified content products. As a top-tier block paper in Japan, it is a useful scale and operational comparable for Kyoto Shimbun.
• Nishinippon Shimbun: Nishinippon Shimbun is a regional daily serving the Kyushu region, particularly Fukuoka. It operates a similar digital-plus-print subscription model, local event sponsorships, and regional B2B content services, making it a structurally comparable peer in the regional Japanese newspaper landscape.
• Chunichi Shimbun: Chunichi Shimbun is one of Japan's largest regional daily newspapers, serving the Chubu region (especially Aichi and surrounding prefectures). Comparable to Kyoto Shimbun as a block-level regional daily with digital subscription tiers, multi-platform content delivery, and significant local event sponsorship business.
• Kahoku Shimpo: Kahoku Shimpo is the regional daily for the Tohoku region (Miyagi and surrounding prefectures). It is comparable as a regional daily newspaper with similar subscription, advertising, and community event revenue streams, and is also a 47NEWS consortium member.

Broad incumbents

• Nikkei: Nikkei is Japan's largest business-focused daily newspaper and an existing strategic partner of Kyoto Shimbun (joint database service). It is a broad incumbent in the Japanese news industry and a relevant comparable for Kyoto Shimbun's digital/database subscription strategy.
• Asahi Shimbun: Asahi Shimbun is one of Japan's major national newspapers with Kansai bureau presence. While a broad national incumbent rather than a regional specialist, it competes for the same regional advertising and digital subscribers in Kyoto and Shiga, making it a relevant market-context comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kyoto_np
• Facebookfacebook.com/kyotoshimbun
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kyoto-shimbun

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kyoto Shimbun