(株)白水社
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1915
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
(株)白水社 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- (株)白水社
- Legal name
- 株式会社白水社
- Website
- https://hakusuisha.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1915
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
(株)白水社 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Higher Education Textbook Publishing (MPAJABAB)
Keywords
Where (株)白水社 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
(株)白水社 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
Revenue model
- Book Sales (General): Sales of general books including literature, philosophy, history, social sciences, and translated foreign works through bookstores and direct channels.
- Language Learning Materials: Sales of language textbooks and reference materials for French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and other languages, including audio downloads and e-books.
- Magazine『ふらんす』: Publication and sales of『ふらんす』magazine, a French language learning magazine celebrating 100th anniversary in 2025.
- E-book Sales: Digital publication and sales of e-books across their catalog.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Physical Books |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
(株)白水社 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hakusuisha is a Japanese publishing house that publishes general trade books (literature, philosophy, history, social sciences, translated works), comprehensive language learning materials covering more than a dozen languages (French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, etc.), academic textbooks, e-books, and magazines including the long-running French-language magazine 『ふらんす』 (France). It also operates the Kishida Kunio Drama Award program.
Product overview
Hakusuisha Publishing Co., Ltd. is a Japanese publishing company that produces a diversified portfolio of books and magazines. The company operates three main product lines: general trade books (一般書) covering literature, philosophy, history, and social sciences; comprehensive language learning books (語学書) spanning over a dozen languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and others; and educational textbooks (教科書). The company also publishes e-books (電子書籍) and maintains magazines including the long-running French language magazine 'ふらんす' (celebrating 100 years in 2025) and the PR magazine '白水社の本棚'. Key book sub-brands include 白水Uブックス for foreign literature and essays, エクス・リブリス for literary fiction, and the ボラーニョ・コレクション for complete works of Roberto Bolaño. The popular ニューエクスプレスプラス language learning series and its online platform webふらんす serve language learners. The company also operates the prestigious 岸田國士戯曲賞 (Kishida Kunio Drama Award), currently in its 70th edition, recognizing outstanding Japanese plays.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 白水Uブックス: 海外文学・翻訳小説を中心とした書籍シリーズ
- エクス・リブリス
- 文庫クセジュ
- ニューエクスプレスプラス
- ふらんす
Products and services
- 一般書 (General Books) General trade books covering literature, philosophy, history, social sciences, arts, and essays in Japanese and translated works for general readers and literary enthusiasts in Japan.
Quantifiable outcome
- 『ふらんす』magazine celebrating 100th anniversary in 2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use (株)白水社
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
(株)白水社 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
(株)白水社 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- 書物復権2026参加出版社10社minorJoint initiative with approximately 10 other publishers to reissue out-of-print books. The 10社共同復刊27 initiative is an industry collaboration to make rare and out-of-print works available again to readers. 白水社 participates as one of the founding members of this ongoing restoration project.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
(株)白水社 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kawade Shobo Shinsha: Japanese publisher with strong literary translation and essay programs. Comparable to Hakusuisha in its emphasis on foreign literature, essays, and curated translated titles for the Japanese market.
- Shinchosha: Established Japanese literary publisher with strong translated fiction catalog and prestigious literary awards (e.g., Akutagawa Prize). Comparable to Hakusuisha in literary publishing and translated work.
- Iwanami Shoten: One of Japan's most established academic and humanities publishers, founded in 1913. Directly comparable to Hakusuisha in its century-long heritage, focus on humanities/philosophy/translations, and role as a cultural institution.
- Heibonsha: Mid-sized Japanese publisher with substantial humanities, encyclopedic, and reference publishing. Comparable to Hakusuisha in its broad humanities portfolio and cultural-institution positioning.
- Misuzu Shobo: Independent Japanese publisher specializing in academic and humanities translations, similar in scale and editorial niche to Hakusuisha. Strong overlap in translated philosophy, social sciences, and European thought.
- Chikuma Shobo: Long-running Japanese publisher with deep strength in literary translations and humanities classics, including the Chikuma Bunko series. Highly comparable editorial focus on translated literature and humanities scholarship.
Broad incumbents
- Shogakukan: Large Japanese publisher with broad trade, educational, and dictionary publishing. Overlaps with Hakusuisha in textbook and reference publishing, though Shogakukan operates at far greater scale.
- Kodansha: One of Japan's largest mass-market publishers across books, manga, and magazines. Overlaps with Hakusuisha in general trade publishing but serves a much wider audience and product portfolio.
- Bungeishunju: Major Japanese publisher with general trade, literary, and magazine publishing operations. Overlaps with Hakusuisha in literary publishing but operates at significantly greater scale and broader scope.
Regional players
- NHK Publishing: Japanese publisher with strengths in language learning and educational content. Comparable to Hakusuisha's language-learning line (e.g., New Express Plus series) and educational textbook segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
(株)白水社 social profiles
Digital presence(株)白水社 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
(株)白水社 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
(株)白水社 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
(株)白水社 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 (株)白水社
What does (株)白水社 do?
Hakusuisha is a Japanese publishing house that publishes general trade books (literature, philosophy, history, social sciences, translated works), comprehensive language learning materials covering more than a dozen languages (French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Korean, etc.), academic textbooks, e-books, and magazines including the long-running French-language magazine 『ふらんす』 (France). It also operates the Kishida Kunio Drama Award program.
Is (株)白水社 a public or private company?
(株)白水社 is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was (株)白水社 founded?
(株)白水社 was founded in 1915. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is (株)白水社 based?
(株)白水社 is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does (株)白水社 make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (General) is the primary driver. The others are language Learning Materials, magazine『ふらんす』 and E-book Sales.
Who are (株)白水社's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kawade Shobo Shinsha, Shinchosha, Iwanami Shoten, Heibonsha, Misuzu Shobo and Chikuma Shobo. Broad incumbents are Shogakukan, Kodansha and Bungeishunju. NHK Publishing is listed as a regional player.
Does (株)白水社 have an API?
No public API is recorded for (株)白水社.
What industry is (株)白水社 in?
(株)白水社's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAJ, Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJABAB, Higher Education Textbook Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.