Sales of domestic publications this year decreased by about 2% from last year, for the 16th consecutive year, although demand for comics and other products increased due to the influence of the new coronavirus, but due to a sharp drop in magazine sales. It is expected to be lower than the previous year.
According to a summary of the Institute of Publishing Science, which conducts research and research on the publishing industry, sales of books and magazines published in Japan are estimated based on sales results from January to November, from last year. It is expected to be in the 1.21 trillion yen range, which is about 2% less.
Although the time spent at home increased due to the influence of the new coronavirus and the demand for comics and children's books increased, it is expected to fall below the previous year's level for 16 consecutive years due to the sharp drop in magazines.
Of these, sales of books are expected to be about 660 billion yen, down about 1% from the previous year, due to a large drop in sales of travel guides due to continued travel restrictions, while sales of children's books and reference books were strong. is.
As for magazine sales, while comics sales increased due to the explosive hit of the manga "Kimetsu no Yaiba," regular magazines reduced their circulation or were suspended, resulting in a significant drop in sales. It is expected to be about 550 billion yen, which is about 2% lower than the previous year.
On the other hand, the market size of electronic publishing, for which the survey results are not summarized, is expected to continue expanding.
According to the Institute of Publishing Science, "If you look at paper publications alone, the numbers are falling, but if you include electronics, sales are rising, and I realized that the demand for publications is strong due to the corona sickness."