Categories Literary magazine Company Chūōkōron Shinsha Based in Tokyo | Frequency Monthly Country Japan | |
First issue 1 January 1887; 130 years ago (1887-01-01) | ||
Chūōkōron (中央公論, Central Review) is a monthly Japanese literary magazine (sōgō-zasshi (総合雑誌, literally general magazine)), first established during the Meiji period and continuing to this day. It is published by Chūōkōron Shinsha. The headquarters is in Tokyo.
History and profile
The magazine was first published in January 1887 under the title Hanseikai Zasshi (反省会雑誌) in Kyoto by the Hanseikai (反省会, Review society), a literary group of professors and students of Ryukoku University. In 1899, the magazine changed its name to Chūōkōron.
It soon became one of Japan's foremost general-interest magazines, and has been cited as having a profound influence on several Japanese intellectuals. The noted author Ryōtarō Shiba once stated that the magazine's history corresponded to the history of modern Japan itself.
The magazine publishes a wide variety of material, including novels, photographs and reports based on various philosophical, economic, political, cultural and social topics.
From 1985 to 1988 Motohiro Kondo served as the editor-in-chief of the magazine.
There have been numerous famous contributors to the magazine, including Princess Takamatsu, Tama Morita, Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, Tōson Shimazaki, Shōfu Muramatsu, his grandson Tomomi Muramatsu, Yaeko Nogami, Tomoyoshi Murayama, Motojirō Kajii, Sakuzō Yoshino, Nanami Shiono, Shichirō Fukazawa, and Masao Horino.
In 2006 the circulation of Chūōkōron was 40,975 copies.