Japan Times

The Japan Times

Sample page 1 of The Japan Times
Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Owner(s)	Nifco
Publisher	Unknown
President	Takeharu Tsutsumi
Managing editors	Takashi Kitazume
Staff writers	Approx. 160
Founded	1897
Language	English
Headquarters	Tokyo and Osaka, Japan
ISSN	0447-5763
OCLC number	21225620
Website	www.japantimes.co.jp

The Japan Times is Japan's largest English-language newspaper. It is published by The Japan Times, Ltd. (株式会社 ジャパン タイムズ, Kabushiki gaisha Japan Taimuzu^?), a subsidiary of Nifco, a leading manufacturer of plastic fasteners for the automotive and home design industries. It is headquartered in the Japan Times Nifco Building (ジャパンタイムズ・ニフコビル, Japan Taimuzu Nifuko Biru^?) in Shibaura, Minato, Tokyo.

The Japan Times was launched by Motosada Zumoto on March 22, 1897, with the goal of giving Japanese an opportunity to read and discuss news and current events in English to help Japan to participate in the international community. The paper was independent of government control, but from 1931 onward, the Japanese government was mounting pressure on the paper's editors to submit to its policies. In 1933, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs managed to appoint Hitoshi Ashida, former Ministry official, as chief editor. During World War II, the newspaper served as an outlet for Imperial Japanese government propaganda and editorial opinion. The paper's circulation at that time was about 825,000. It was successively renamed The Japan Times and Mail (1918–1940) following its merger with The Japan Mail, The Japan Times and Advertiser (1940–1943) following its merger with The Japan Advertiser, and Nippon Times (1943–1956) before reverting to the Japan Times title in 1956. The temporary change to Nippon Times occurred during ban of English language sentiment during World War II era Japan. Shintaro Fukushima (- ) became the president in 1956. He exchanged each companiey's stock with Toshiaki Ogasawara (小笠原 敏晶 Ogasawara Toshiaki) and renounce the managing rights in 1983.