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Japan Studies: Newspapers in Japan: Early Japanese Newspapers

A brief history and information about newspapers published in Japan

In this guide...

English Newspapers 英字新聞 in Japan  a brief history

Kawaraban かわら版 Woodblock print newspaper during the Edo era

Nishiki-e Shinbun 錦絵新聞 Woodblock print newspaper during the Meiji period

Early Japanese Newspapers 邦字新聞 a brief history and images

Basic newspaper terms that you need to know before reading Japanese newspapers

Chronological Timeline

1862  官板バタビア新聞 (23 vlumes) Edo Shogunate's Japanese translation version of the Dutch newspaper, later changed to 官板海外新聞 (9 volumes)

1864-1865 海外新聞 (26 issues) 1st private newspaper by Joseph Heco's (Hamada Hikozo 浜田彦蔵), translation from an English newspaper

1867 萬国新聞紙 published by an Englishman, Perry.

1871 横浜毎日新聞 1st daily newspaper

1872 東京日日新聞 1st daily newspaper published in Tokyo (毎日新聞東京本社版)

1874 読売新聞 1st 小新聞(こしんぶん) for the general public

1879 大阪朝日新聞

1888 東京朝日新聞

 

Image Links

官版バタビア新聞

batabia 1  National Diet Library

海外新聞

kaigai shinbun Yokohama Archives of History

萬国新聞紙

 bankokju shinbunshi  University of Waseda Kotenseki Database

横浜毎日新聞

yokohama mainichi Time Slip Yokohama