Introduction to the Publishing Industry in Japan

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Introduction to the Publishing Industry in Japan
Publishing Slump and the Role of Libraries

• Yoko Kudo
• LIS 615 Collection Management

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Outline of Publishing Industry in Japan
Shuppan Nenkan 2001 (Tokyo Shuppan Nyususha,
2001) The Bowker Annual of library and book trade
information, 48ed. (New York R.R. Bowker, 2003)
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Outline of Publishing Industry in Japan

• Number of new titles published increases.
• Sales decrease.

• More titles published to increase sales.
• Sales continue to decrease.
• High return rate of books to publishers
  

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Possible Cause of Publishing Slump

• Two Traditional Book Distribution Systems
• Consignment- and Return Basis
• List Price Maintenance

Shinichi Sano, Dare ga Hon wo Korosunoka Who is
Killing the Books? (Tokyo Purejidentosha, 2001)
Shinichi Sano, Publishing Industrys Sorry
Chapter Japan Quarterly 48, no. 3 (Jul-Sep
2001) 84.
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Consignment and Return System

• Booksellers receive rather than buy from
  publishers

Return unsold items within a period.
Short selling period and less effort to sell.
6
List Price Maintenance

• Strict Adhesion to the fixed list prices of all
  kinds of books throughout the distribution process

Protect the interests of publishers, vendors and
retailers
???
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Library Related Issues

• Limited number of public libraries.
• Excessive acquisition of best- selling books.

Shinichi Sano, Dare ga Hon wo Korosunoka Who is
Killing the Books? (Tokyo Purejidentosha, 2001)
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Limited Number of Public Libraries

• Only half of all cities, towns and villages have
  a library.
• almost one-thirteenth of the number in the U.K.
• (number of hub librariesJapan 1950, U.K.
  24,869)
• Low percentage of books purchased by libraries.
• Japan only 3 of all sales
• U.S. 20
• Sweden 50

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Acquisition of Best-selling Books

• Hundreds of copies acquired by libraries.

Publishers lose opportunities to sell.

• Should libraries buy many duplicate copies?
• Is acquiring best-selling books a real need of
  users?
• Dont libraries need to consider contributing to
  publishing industry?

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• Thank you very much.
• Any questions and comments to
• Yoko Kudo
• yokokudo_at_hawaii.edu