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Sankei Shimbun

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The Sankei Shimbun is a major daily national newspaper in Japan.

Sankei Building
Sankei Building

It ranks among the top five most widely circulated newspapers in the country. The company is a central part of the Fujisankei Communications Group. Within this group, Fuji Media Holdings holds a 40% ownership stake. The Sankei Shimbun also owns the Osaka Broadcasting Corporation, known as OBC. This is an AM radio station located in Osaka. Through these various media outlets, the company reaches a wide audience across Japan.

The newspaper's history is a long chain of mergers between different publications. It began with the merger of Jiji News and Nihon Kogyo Shimbun. Jiji News was founded in 1882 by the journalist and author Fukuzawa Yukichi. He is also well known for founding Keio University. Nihon Kogyo Shimbun was founded in 1933 by Hisakichi Maeda. This paper specialized in business news and was published by the Minami-Osaka Shimbun. Over several decades, these papers merged with others, such as the Jiji Shimpō in 1955.

Significant changes occurred in the company's leadership and political direction during the 1950s. In 1958, the Sankei was acquired by Shigeo Mizuno and Nobutaka Shikanai. Following some financial difficulties, the newspaper underwent a process called Tenkō. This term describes its shift from a liberal direction to a conservative one. Interestingly, both Mizuno and Shikanai went on to found Fuji Television just one year later. This connection shows how closely the newspaper is linked to other major Japanese media companies.

The Sankei Shimbun is known for its conservative and nationalist political stance. Some media outlets and books describe it as a far-right newspaper. This political identity has led to controversy regarding its historical reporting. For instance, the paper has previously published materials that downplay or deny Japanese war crimes. In July 2015, it published a book titled History Wars: Japan – False Indictment of the Century. This book questioned the truth of claims regarding Japanese war crimes during World War II. In September 2015, copies of this book were sent to hundreds of academics and journalists.

Legal challenges have also shaped the newspaper's reputation in international relations. In August 2014, the South Korean government filed a lawsuit against the Sankei. The suit involved articles that were considered insults against President Park Geun-hye. The newspaper's head of the Seoul Bureau, Tatsuya Kato, was targeted in this legal action. Kato faced prosecution for defamation for a period of fourteen months. However, he was acquitted of these charges in December 2015. The South Korean court noted that press freedoms were a factor in his acquittal.

As technology has evolved, the Sankei Shimbun has expanded its digital presence. In 1996, the company launched two online services: Sankei Web and E-NEWS. In 2001, it introduced an electronic newspaper delivery edition called NEWSVUE. By 2005, the company added video content to its digital edition, renamed Sankei NetView. In 2017, it launched Japan Forward, which is an English-language online website. This allows the newspaper to communicate its views to a global audience. The company also rebranded its online news as Sankei News in 2014.

The Sankei Shimbun is part of a much larger ecosystem of media and culture. The Fujisankei Communications Group includes major television stations like Fuji Television. These stations are part of the Fuji News Network and the Fuji Network System. The group also manages several radio stations, including FM 802 and FM COCOLO. Beyond news, the company is connected to various awards, such as the Sankei Award. This is an international art prize founded in 1989. It is awarded by the Japan Art Association to recognize excellence in fields like painting and music.

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