A study of newspaper circulation in Japan.

Japanese newspapers can be divided into two major groups: national papers and local papers. One of the special characteristics of Japanese newspapers is the high circulation of national papers distributed mainly from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kita Kyushu-Fukuoka. These national papers dominate 50% of the circulation within an area of 100 to 150 km of these cities. This distance represents the limit to which morning and evening papers can be delivered by mail and truck within 5 hours. Beyond these areas local papers, only widely distributed within the Ken (prefecture) in which they are published take over. Local paper circulation drops sharply near the Ken border, while larger Ken capitals with many central functions have high national paper circulation.- Richard Louis Edmonds