Tokuma Shoten

Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd. (株式会社徳間書店, Kabushiki gaisha Tokuma Shoten) is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo.[2] The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, manga and books.

Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd.
Native name
株式会社徳間書店
Kabushiki gaisha Tokuma Shoten
FormerlyEast-West Entertainment Publishing (1954-1958)
Asahi Performing Arts Publishing (1958-1967)
TypeKabushiki gaisha
IndustryPublishing
FoundedMarch 19, 1954 (1954-03-19) in Minato, Tokyo.
FounderYasuyoshi Tokuma
Headquarters,
Area served
Japan
Key people
Kenichi Hirano (President and Representative Director)
ProductsMagazines
Number of employees
114[1] (2018)
ParentCulture Convenience Club
DivisionsTokuma Bunko
Websitewww.tokuma.jp

Companies that were part of Tokuma Shoten include Studio Ghibli, Daiei Film and the record label Tokuma Japan Communications. After the founder of the company, Yasuyoshi Tokuma died on September 20, 2000, an asset management occurred. Tokuma Shoten executed a corporate spin-off with Studio Ghibli, turning the company’s anime division as a separate company again in 2005. Tokuma Shoten sold off Tokuma Japan Communications to Daiichi Kosho in October 2001, and Daiei Films was purchased by Kadokawa Corporation in November 2002.

Since 2005, the company has streamlined itself to focus solely on the publication of print media and the airing of its adapted properties to TV and feature film. On 17 March 2017, the company was acquired by Culture Convenience Club. The deal was completed at the end of March.

History

In March 1954, Tokuma was established as East-West Entertainment Publishing in Shimbashi 3-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo with a capital of 1,000,000 yen. The company took over the publishing rights for Weekly Asahi Performing Arts, a publication which dated back from January 1951. The Osaka branch office opened in the same year. In September 1958, the company’s name was changed to Asahi Performing Arts Publishing. In April 1961, Asahi Performing Arts Publishing spun off their book publishing business as Tokuma Shoten. In October 1967, Asahi Performing Arts Publishing and Tokuma Publishing merged and became known as Tokuma Shoten Company. In the same month, the monthly issue of Problem Novel was launched.

In July 1978, the monthly publication Animage was launched, and in October 1980, the Tokuma Bunko brand was launched. In March 1984, the company co-produced with Hakuhodo Inc. on a project commemorating the company’s 30th Anniversary. The company also funded films by Studio Ghibli, starting with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. In February 1988, the company released the anime series Legend of the Galactic Heroes by Yoshiki Tanaka. On April of the same year, My Neighbour Totoro was released, and in September 1988, the monthly publication GoodsPress was launched.

On 1989, Tokuma Shoten hired Streamline Pictures to produce the English-language version of the 1986 film Laputa: Castle in the Sky directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and its 1992 English dubbing of The Castle of Cagliostro. In 1988, Streamline also dubbed My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, both dubbed under the supervision of Gregory Snegoff for Tokuma Shoten, although this collaboration was only used as in-flight films by Japan Airlines who, at the time, licensed them from Tokuma Shoten. The airline showed the movies during their flights between Japan and the United States. In May 1994, the company launched a children’s picture and literature book as a 40th anniversary commemoration project.

In August 1996, Disney and Tokuma Shoten formed a partnership in which Buena Vista Pictures would be the sole international distributor for Tokuma Shoten's Studio Ghibli animated films. Since then, all three afore-mentioned films by Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli that were previously dubbed by Streamline have been re-dubbed by Disney.[3] On June 1, 1997, Tokuma Shoten Publishing consolidated its media operations by merging Studio Ghibli, Tokuma Shoten Intermedia software and Tokuma International under one location.[4] In February 1999, the 30th anniversary commemorative prize issue novel, was held at the 19th Japan SF award, with a presentation award ceremony of a short novel labelled as Tokuma literary award. In July 2001, Spirited Away was released. It would go on to break numerous records and became the most successful film during that era in Japanese history, grossing over $289,000,000 worldwide. In November 2004, Howl's Moving Castle was released. Along with the movie, the original book of the same name was a success. Between 1999 and 2005, Studio Ghibli was a subsidiary brand of Tokuma Shoten, however, that partnership ended in April 2005, when Studio Ghibli was spun off from Tokuma Shoten and was re-established as an independent company with a relocated headquarters.

In September 2006, the monthly publication Comic Ryu was launched. In October 2006, Weekly Asahi Performing Arts celebrated its 50th anniversary. In May 2007, the animated TV series Dennou coli was in production, and in May 2011, Rongu Blessing’s Long Blessed Diet (Ryosuke Miki series) produced a cumulative total of 1.16 million views. In January 2012, the monthly publication Volt was launched, and in September 2012, Sweet Girly Artbook Larme launched. In April 2013, the TV drama Tokimeki Deka Tachibana, which was based on Tokuma Comics Sakado by Sadako original, and Torii Tori Drawing was broadcast on TV Tokyo as a series. In June 2013, Tokuma Bunko’s drama Traffic by Shibata Yoshiki is broadcast on NHK. In May 2014, the company released the movie Wood Job! ~ Original God of Dreams nationwide. God's Honorable Emotional Daily by Miura Shin was also released. In July 2015, the Comic Ryo TV animated series Monster Musume no daily life was broadcast.

In January 2017, Tokuma Bunko launched the drama Today is a good day by Maha Harada which was broadcast at WOWOW. In March 2017, Tokuma Shoten became a subsidiary of Culture Convenience Club through an acquisition exchange of shares. In April 2017, Comic Ruy’s original TV animated series, Alice and Kura Six by Tetsuya Imai was broadcast. In July 2017, Tokuma Bunko’s drama Akira and Akira by Ike Well Jun was broadcast at WOWOW. Comic Ryu’s original TV animated series Centaur’s Trouble by Kei Murayama was broadcast.

Magazines

  • Animage (アニメージュ, Animēju)
  • BestGear
  • Chara
  • Chara Selection
  • Famimaga (ファミリーコンピュータマガジン, Family Computer Magazine)
  • Famimaga 64
  • Famimaga Weekly
  • Goods Press
  • Hyper Hobby
  • LoveBerry (ラブベリー, RabuBerī)
  • Mega Drive Fan
  • Mondai Shōsetsu (問題小説)
  • Monthly Asahi Geinō Entame (月刊アサヒ芸能エンタメ!, Gekkan Asahi Geinō Entame!)
  • Monthly Comic Ryū (月刊COMICリュウ, Gekkan COMIC Ryū)
  • Monthly Comic Zenon (月刊コミックゼノン, Gekkan Komikku Zenon)
  • Monthly Manga Voice (月刊マンガボーイズ, Gekkan Manga Bōizu)
  • Monthly Shōnen Captain (月刊少年キャプテン, Gekkan Shōnen Kyaputen)
  • MSX Fan
  • PC Engine Fan
  • SF Adventure (SFアドベンチャー, Esuefu Adobenchā)
  • SF Fantasy Ryū (SF・ファンタジー リュウ, Esuefo Fantajī Ryū)
  • Shokuraku (食楽)
  • TV Land (テレビランド, Terebi Rando)
  • Weekly Asahi Geinō (週刊アサヒ芸能, Shūkan Asahi Geinō)

Movies

Video games published

Year Title Platform(s)
1985 Lot Lot MSX, Nintendo Entertainment System
1985 Exed Exes Nintendo Entertainment System
1987 Labyrinth Nintendo Entertainment System
1988 Captain Silver Nintendo Entertainment System
1990 Guerrière Lyewärd Sharp X68000
1990 Power Soccer Nintendo Entertainment System
1990 Ayumi PC-88
1991 Kimi Dake ni Ai o... MSX, PC-98, Sharp X68000
1991 Dragon Eyes MSX, PC-88, PC-98, Sharp X68000
1991 Gorby no Pipeline Daisakusen FM Towns, MSX, Nintendo Entertainment System
1991 Puyo Puyo Family Computer Disk System
1992 Continental MSX, PC-98, Sharp X68000
1993 Himitsu no Hanazono PC-98, TurboGrafx CD
1993 Yadamon: Wonderland Dream Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1994 Hatsukoi Monogatari TurboGrafx CD
1994 Dennō Tenshi: Digital Angel TurboGrafx CD
1995 Eternal Filena Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1995 Love Quest Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1995 ClockWerx Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
1996 Madō Monogatari: Hanamaru Daiyōchienji Super Nintendo Entertainment System
1996 Virgin Dream TurboGrafx CD
1996 Fire Woman: Matoi-gumi PC-FX, PlayStation
1997 Motteke Tamago TurboGrafx CD
1998 Zoku Hatsukoi Monogatari: Shūgaku Ryokō PC-FX, PlayStation, Sega Saturn
1999 Incredible Crisis Arcade, PlayStation

See also

  • List of record labels

References

  1. "お探しのページが見つかりません - 徳間書店".
  2. "会社概要." (Archive) Tokuma Shoten. Retrieved on November 29, 2013. "所在地 〒105-8055 東京都港区芝大門2丁目2番1号"
  3. "August Issue News Section:Disney Will Distribute Japanese Animation". Animation World Magazine. August 1996. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  4. Karrfalt, Wayne (May 27, 1997). "Tokuma looks to merge film, media distribution". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
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