丸善出版（株）

What 丸善出版（株） does

Maruzen Publishing Co., Ltd. (丸善出版（株）) is a Japan-based specialist academic and professional book publisher, operating as a subsidiary within the Maruzen CHI Holdings (丸善CHIホールディングス) diversified group. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, the company publishes print and digital books across science, engineering, medicine, and humanities/social sciences, with notable depth in civil engineering (627+ titles), road and traffic engineering (273+ titles), chemistry, architecture, and nursing. Its product portfolio extends beyond books to include educational video content (including BBC productions), molecular structure model kits (HGS) for chemistry education, the KABC-II psychological assessment tool, and a small set of online services such as the Rikanenpyo Premium (a digital version of Japan's authoritative scientific reference published annually since 1925) and web-based chemistry reference databases. Core technology consists of a publishing and e-commerce platform (maruzen-publishing.co.jp) with e-book delivery and online subscription services, without disclosed API or developer-facing infrastructure.

The company monetizes primarily through one-time sales of physical books (typically 2,000-11,000+ JPY per title) and digital equivalents, supplemented by hardware (HGS models), video, and online subscriptions. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via its own website and through major Japanese e-commerce platforms (Amazon Japan, Rakuten, Kinokuniya), physical retail via affiliated bookstore chain Maruzen Junkudo and other chains (Sanseido, Yurindo, Kumazawa), and B2B via the academic distributor Knowledge Worker and a university textbook adoption program. Primary customer segments are academic and educational institutions and professional practitioners (engineers, medical professionals, certification candidates), with secondary segments of research libraries and students. The company's most strategically significant relationships are co-publishing alliances with major Japanese professional societies including the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE), Japan Road Association, Japanese Geotechnical Society, Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME), and Institute of Traffic Engineers, which produce the technical standards and reference series that anchor the catalog.

Name

丸善出版（株）

Legal name

Maruzen Publishing Co., Ltd.

Website

https://maruzen-publishing.co.jp

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Maruzen Publishing is a Tokyo-based specialist academic and professional book publisher, operating as a subsidiary of Maruzen CHI Holdings, publishing print and digital books plus videos and online reference services in science, engineering, medicine, and humanities for universities and professional practitioners in Japan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic & Professional Book Publishing

NAICS

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

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Reference Publishing (Handbooks, Specifications) (MPAJACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Manufacturing, Quality & Industrial Operations Reference (Lean, Six Sigma, QA/QC) (EDAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Academic book publishing
• Professional reference books
• Technical standards publishing
• Educational video materials
• Scientific reference publications

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Book Sales: Sale of printed academic and professional books across science, engineering, medicine, and humanities disciplines through bookstores and online retail channels
2. E-book/Digital Sales: Digital versions of publications sold through the company's online platform and partnered e-book retailers
3. Video Educational Materials: Sale of educational video content including BBC productions and academic instructional videos
4. Molecular Structure Models (HGS): Sale of physical molecular structure models for chemistry education

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Maruzen Publishing is a Japanese academic and specialized book publisher that produces and sells authoritative print and digital books in science, technology, medicine, and humanities/social sciences. Beyond books, it offers educational video materials (including BBC titles), molecular structure models (HGS) for chemistry education, psychological assessment tools (KABC-II), and web-based online reference databases such as Rikanenpyo Premium and Chemistry Library. The catalog features hundreds of academic series and technical standards published in partnership with major Japanese professional societies and universities.

Product overview

丸善出版 is a Japanese academic and specialized book publisher offering a multi-format publishing portfolio. The core offering consists of print and digital books across science, technology, medicine, and humanities. Supporting products include educational video materials (映像教材), molecular structure models (分子構造模型/HGS), and the KABC-II psychological assessment tool. Online services include 理科年表プレミアム for scientific reference data, 化学書資料館 for chemistry resources, Educational Video Online, and 有機化学 Plus on Web. The company also publishes e-books and maintains a presence across major online retail channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maruzen Publishing: Primary publishing brand for science, engineering, medicine, and humanities publications

Products and services

• Academic and Professional Book Publishing (書籍出版) Print academic and professional books across science, engineering, medicine, and humanities disciplines, published through numerous academic series and in partnership with major Japanese professional societies and universities. Targeted at universities, libraries, engineers, medical professionals, and students.
• E-books (電子書籍) Digital e-book versions of Maruzen Publishing's titles covering science, technology, medicine, and humanities, available for online purchase and reading.
• Educational Video Materials (映像教材) Educational video content including BBC documentaries and original productions covering science, nursing, engineering, and humanities topics, with labeled series such as BBC and オリジナル for academic and professional audiences.
• Molecular Structure Models - HGS (分子構造模型) Physical molecular structure model kits for chemistry education, with recommended usage guides and textbook adoption programs for organic chemistry instruction at universities and schools.
• KABC-II (Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition) Psychological assessment tool for cognitive ability testing in children, with examination materials and related products available for professional clinical use by psychologists and educators.
• Rikanenpyo Premium (理科年表プレミアム) Online premium subscription service providing digital access to the 理科年表 (Rikanenpyo), Japan's authoritative scientific reference data annually published since 1925, for researchers, educators, and students.
• Chemistry Library Online (化学書資料館) Online database subscription service for chemistry reference materials and literature, providing searchable digital access to chemistry resources for academic and professional users.
• Organic Chemistry Plus on Web (有機化学Plus on Web) Web-based subscription service for organic chemistry reference and learning, providing digital educational resources for chemistry students and researchers.
• Educational Video Online Online subscription platform for educational video content distribution, complementing the company's physical DVD/video materials catalog with streaming access to academic instructional videos.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered parent, group and core.

• 丸善CHIホールディングス株式会社 (Maruzen CHI Holdings Co., Ltd.)parentOthersParent company of Maruzen Publishing within the Maruzen CHI Holdings group of companies
• Maruzen-YushodogroupOthersGroup company within Maruzen CHI Holdings - exporter of Japanese books and publications
• Maruzen JunkudogroupChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated bookstore chain - physical retail distribution channel for books
• TRC (Technical Resources Center)groupOthersGroup company providing library services and information solutions
• 丸善リサーチ (Maruzen Research)groupOthersGroup company providing tax and research consulting services
• 丸善プラネット (Maruzen Planet)groupOthersGroup company - publishing platform and digital content distribution
• サイオ出版 (Scio Publishing)groupOthersGroup company - specialized publishing
• 日本道路協会 (Japan Road Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaruzen Publishing distributes road and bridge technical standards and guidelines published by the Japan Road Association
• 土木学会 (Japan Society of Civil Engineers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaruzen Publishing publishes civil engineering standards, guidelines, and technical series in partnership with JSCE, including Concrete Standard Specifications, Tunnel Library series, and Steel Structure series
• 地盤工学会 (Japanese Geotechnical Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing partnership for geotechnical engineering standards and guidelines
• 日本機械学会 (Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing mechanical engineering standards and technical reference materials
• 交通工学研究会 (Institute of Traffic Engineers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing traffic engineering guidelines and handbooks

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• 朝倉書店 (Asakura Publishing): Japanese academic publisher covering science, engineering, medicine, and humanities. Comparable catalog breadth and institutional/university adoption channel.
• 共立出版 (Kyoritsu Shuppan): Long-established Japanese academic publisher specializing in mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering textbooks and references. Directly comparable in subject-matter focus and institutional adoption model.
• コロナ社 (Corona Publishing): Specialist Japanese engineering and science publisher focused on electrical, electronic, and information engineering textbooks and references. Closely comparable niche positioning in academic STEM publishing.
• オーム社 (Ohmsha): Japanese technical publisher serving engineering, IT, and science markets. Overlaps with Maruzen in engineering, electronics, and IT professional references and textbooks.
• 東京化学同人 (Tokyo Kagaku Dojin): Specialist Japanese publisher for chemistry and life sciences textbooks and references. Comparable in subject depth and academic adoption.
• 森北出版 (Morikita Publishing): Japanese academic publisher focused on engineering, computer science, and applied mathematics textbooks. Comparable on engineering textbook adoption and professional reference.
• 技報堂出版 (Gihodo Shuppan): Japanese technical publisher with deep coverage in architecture, civil engineering, and applied science — directly overlapping Maruzen's strength in engineering standards and technical references.

Others

• 丸善 (Maruzen main company, bookselling/library services): Historic Maruzen bookselling and library services arm within the same Maruzen CHI Holdings group. Not a direct competitor but a closely related entity sharing the Maruzen brand heritage and overlapping distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Elsevier: Largest global academic publisher covering science, engineering, medicine, and social sciences. Comparable on subject scope but operates primarily through English-language journals and global institutional channels.
• Springer Nature: Global academic and scientific publisher with established presence in Japan. Comparable on STEM and engineering reference publishing, but at far broader scale and primarily English-language.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maruzenpub
• Facebookfacebook.com/maruzenpub
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%E4%B8%B8%E5%96%84%E5%87%BA%E7%89%88%EF%BC%88%E6%A0%AA%EF%BC%89

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 丸善出版（株）