Japanese manga has attracted not only domestic but also foreign popularity. However, the market has deteriorated and shrunk by 6% compared to last year’s number; the worst ever decreasing. That’s because reportedly the last year’s big economic recession has influenced consumers’ mind, besides, so many hit mangas did not come up this year.

According to the survey conducted by the Publication Science Institution of Tokyo, the joint sales of mangas and magazines of last year amount to ￥418.7 billion, plummeting by 6.6% from previous year; the worst depreciation ever. In this bad situation, the sales of the comic books have especially fallen down, by 9.4% to ￥191.3 billion from previous year. It ended up being under ￥200 billion for the first time in 18 years.

The sales of manga related issues had peaked in Heisei 7 (1995) and after that the amount has kept gradually decreasing. The institute reported that the ground of shrinking market would be attributed to recent economic recession and as the result, consumers has stopped purchasing the issues at book stores, instead they would likely to go to Manga Kissa (Internet Café which has a lot of manga) to read these stuffs without buying. In addition, only a few successful mangas would emerge one of these days.


日本の漫画は海外からも高い人気を集めていますが、国内の漫画の雑誌や単行本の売り上げは、景気の低迷で漫画ファンの間にも買い控えが広がっていることや、ヒット作が少なかったことなどで、去年は前の年より６％余り減って過去最大の落ち込みになりました。

東京の出版科学研究所のまとめによりますと、去年１年間の漫画の雑誌と単行本の売り上げはあわせて４１８７億円で、前の年に比べて６．６％減少し、過去最大の落ち込みになりました。このうち、特に漫画雑誌の売り上げの減少が著しく、全体では１９１３億円と前の年に比べて９．４％減少し、１８年ぶりに２０００億円を下回りました。

漫画の出版物の売り上げは平成７年をピークに減少する傾向が続いており、その背景として、出版科学研究所では、▽景気の低迷で漫画ファンの間にも買い控えが広がり、書店で漫画を買わずに漫画喫茶などで読む傾向が続いていることや、▽大ヒットといえる作品が少なかったことなどがあるとみています。

News Source: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/k10013248411000.html#


OPINION by FuangPing
Actually, I can't believe this... I know and read a lot of comtenporary masterpieces of Manga, many, really. But on the other hand, I also can't deny that I sometimes go to Manga Kissa to read Manga without buying as exactly the article say.
But after considering this fact, I get to think that I have to pay money with respects to Manga and it's author as the investment on the industry for Japanese subcultural future!!!! Everyone, just follow me!!