Categories General interest Founder Seiji Noma First issue January 1925 | Frequency Monthly Year founded December 1924 Final issue 1957 | |
Kingu (キング, meaning King in English) was a Japanese monthly general interest and entertainment magazine published in Tokyo, Japan. The magazine existed between 1925 and 1957. It was the first popular best-selling Japanese magazine. It was also one of two most significant magazines in mid-twentieth century Japan, the other one being Ie no Hikari.
Contents
History and profile
Kingu was established in December 1924. The first issue appeared in January 1925. It was the eighth magazine launched by Seiji Noma (1878-1938), the founder of the publishing company Kodansha. It was modeled on Saturday Evening Post. The magazine was published by Kodansha on a monthly basis.
Kingu covered moralistic stories and featured articles about samurai heroics, sentimental romance and melodramatic events. The magazine was read by urban and rural men and women. Major contributors included Yoshikawa Eiji, Kikuchi Kan, Maki Itsuma, Funabashi Seiichi, Tateno Nobuyuki, and Tsunoda Kikuo. It ended publication in 1957.
Circulation
Both Kingu and Ie no Hikari were the first Japanese million-seller magazines. Kingu sold one million copies in its first year, 1925. In 1928 the monthly circulation of the magazine was nearly 300,000 copies. The same year its total circulation was 1.4 million copies.