Shimbun Akahata
Template:Short description Template:Use Oxford spelling Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox newspaper
Shimbun Akahata (Template:Langx) is a daily newspaper published by the Japanese Communist Party (JCP). It was founded in 1928 and currently has both daily and weekly editions. Revenue raised from selling the paper is used to fund the party's activities.
Background
The newspaper was founded in 1928, six years after the establishment of the JCP. It was banned in Japan because it was viewed as subversive, forcing it to operate underground. The newspaper was legalized along with the JCP during the American occupation of Japan.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> Both daily and weekly Sunday editions are printed.<ref name=dsds3>Template:Cite book</ref> A weekly English edition, the Japan Press Weekly, has been published since November 1956.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> As of 2018, Akahata has six permanent correspondents in Washington, London, Beijing, Hanoi, New Delhi and Cairo, and previously had many more in other cities throughout the world.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Akahata is the centrepiece of a broader publishing enterprise used by the JCP to raise funds for its political activities.<ref name=dsds3/> 90% of the party's income comes from publications such as Akahata.<ref name=dsds4>Template:Cite book</ref> Akahata reporters are excluded from the kisha club system because the paper is a political party organ.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2011, a decline in sales caused a financial crisis for the party, causing a monthly deficit of 200 million yen. The JCP held a meeting on 3–4 July 2011 to discuss this problem. It was decided to raise the price of the newspaper and to appeal to all party members to purchase a subscription. As a result, the party returned to profitability for 2011.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Circulation over time
The JCP uses Akahata circulation to evaluate its level of public support.<ref name=dsds3/>
In 1959, Akahata had a daily circulation of around 40,000.<ref name="Kapur 130">Template:Cite book</ref> By the end of 1960, as a result of recruitment drives conducted in conjunction with the 1960 Anpo Protests, circulation soared to around 100,000.<ref name="Kapur 130"/> By 1970, the newspaper had over 400,000 subscribers to its daily edition, and more than 1 million subscribers to its Sunday edition.<ref name="Kapur 130"/> In the early 1990s, daily subscribers were over 3 million. However, by 2007, daily circulation had fallen to around 1.6 million, and fell further to around 1.0 million by 2019. Template:As of, it has a circulation of 850,000.<ref name=":0" />
See also
References
Further reading
External links
Template:Japanese Newspapers Template:Communism in Japan Template:Authority control