15 Best Japanese Book Publishers (Manga to Picture Books)

Despite the remarkable technological advancement, the Japanese publishing industry is as steeped in tradition as the nation itself.

Many of Japan’s leading publishers have been around for a century or close to it, and they publish everything from manga and light novels to literary fiction, picture books, and medical textbooks. This guide introduces 15 of the most important, with what each is known for, the titles you’ll recognize, and the official site to visit for more. If you’re a creator, note that most of them work in Japanese and find new talent through prizes, magazines, and their own online platforms. After reading this guide, you can also explore my comprehensive list of over 2,000 publishing companies.

Submission policies change without notice, so check the publisher’s own page before you send anything, and never pay a reading fee. Last verified: October 2, 2026.

15 of the Best Japanese Book Publishing Companies:

1. Shueisha

Shueisha began in 1925 as the entertainment division of Shogakukan and became an independent company in 1926. It is one of Japan’s largest manga publishers, home to Weekly Shonen Jump series such as One Piece, Naruto, and Dragon Ball, and it also publishes literature, nonfiction, and children’s books. Outside Japan you can read its manga in English, free and on the day of release, through its MANGA Plus app, which also runs international manga contests for new creators.

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2. Kodansha Ltd.

Kodansha, founded in 1909, is one of Japan’s largest publishers of books, magazines, and manga, including Attack on Titan and Sailor Moon, as well as fiction such as Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood and children’s books. For aspiring manga artists, Kodansha’s creator guide describes three routes: its editorial awards, taking your work to an editorial department in person in Japan, and posting on its DAYS NEO platform, where editors scout new talent. Most awards still require entries in Japanese.

3. Shogakukan Inc.

Shogakukan, founded in Tokyo on August 8, 1922, publishes magazines, books, and comics for every age, from learning magazines for schoolchildren to some of the best-known manga in the world. Its hits include Doraemon, Detective Conan, and Inuyasha. Shogakukan also founded Shueisha, and together they form one of Japan’s largest publishing groups.

4. Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co.

KADOKAWA is a multimedia company that publishes more than 5,500 new titles a year across literature, comics, light novels, and children’s books, with an archive of over 130,000 titles feeding its anime, film, and game adaptations. It is one of the most influential publishers in Japan, behind series such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya and Sword Art Online. Writers can post fiction on Kakuyomu, KADOKAWA’s online novel platform, where many light novels are first discovered.

5. Discover 21, Inc.

Discover 21, established in Tokyo in 1985, has published more than 2,400 titles in popular Buddhism, business, personal growth, lifestyle, essays, fiction, reference, and picture books. It sells through about 5,000 bookstores, and its authors include the contemporary Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto. Its English site lists rights-ready titles for foreign publishers.

6. Hakusensha Inc.

Hakusensha, founded in Tokyo in 1973, is famous for shojo manga magazines such as Hana to Yume and LaLa, which gave the world Fruits Basket and Vampire Knight, along with the boys’ magazine Young Animal and the picture-book magazine MOE. If you’ve written a picture book, Hakusensha’s FAQ points you to the MOE Original Picture Book Grand Prize: winning books are published by Hakusensha, and you enter with a dummy, not your original artwork.

7. Bungeishunju Ltd.

Bungeishunju, founded in 1923 by the writer Kikuchi Kan, is one of Japan’s most influential literary publishers. Its magazines include the monthly Bungeishunju, the news weekly Shukan Bunshun, the literary journals Bungakukai and All Yomimono, the sports magazine Number, and CREA. It also publishes fiction and nonfiction books by many of Japan’s prize-winning authors.

8. Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers, Inc.

Fukuinkan Shoten, founded in 1952, has specialized in children’s books for more than 70 years. Its monthly picture-book series Kodomo no Tomo introduced classics such as Guri and Gura, and its science series Kagaku no Tomo gave the world Taro Gomi’s Everyone Poops. It also brings world classics to Japanese children, from Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit to My Father’s Dragon, alongside picture books and board books by Japanese authors.

9. Gakken Co. Ltd.

Gakken, founded in Tokyo in 1946, is an education group whose publishing business produces children’s books, study-aid books, and practical books, alongside ebooks, learning materials, stationery, and educational toys. The wider group also runs tutoring, schools, and care services across Japan and Asia, so its books sit inside one of the country’s largest education companies.

10. Poplar Publishing Co. Ltd.

Poplar, a leading independent publisher of children’s books in Japan for more than 70 years, is known for best-selling picture-book series such as Kaiketsu Zorori and for adult fiction such as the Midnight Bakery series. It publishes hundreds of titles a year and runs several literary prizes for new writers, including the Poplar Novel Prize, which is one of the main ways it finds new authors.

11. Igaku-Shoin Ltd.

Igaku-Shoin specializes in medical and nursing books and journals, publishing textbooks, clinical manuals, and practice guidelines along with dozens of journals such as BRAIN and NERVE. Its titles are written for doctors, nurses, therapists, and students, and it also runs medical education seminars and the newspaper Igaku-Kai Shinbun.

12. Doshinsha Publishing Co., Ltd.

Doshinsha, based in Tokyo, specializes in picture books and kamishibai, the Japanese paper theater in which a storyteller shows illustrated cards to a group of children. Its list ranges from baby picture books to read-aloud story series, and it runs a Kamishibai Academy for teachers and storytellers.

13. Iwasaki Shoten Co., Ltd.

Iwasaki Shoten, based in Tokyo, publishes picture books, children’s fiction, illustrated encyclopedias, and translated picture books for young readers, with new titles every month. Its Japanese site has pages for manuscript calls and for bringing in your own work, so check those if you write or illustrate for children in Japanese.

14. Nankodo Co., Ltd.

Nankodo is one of Japan’s leading academic publishers in medicine, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacology, with textbooks, reference books, and journals for students and practitioners. It also imports and distributes international medical journals and textbooks in Japan.

15. Graphic-Sha Publishing Co., Ltd.

Graphic-sha is a leading Japanese publisher of design, art, craft, and practical books with a strong visual focus. Its catalog covers drawing and illustration techniques, including popular manga-drawing guides, as well as knitting, papercutting, gardening, and tea, and it actively licenses its books to publishers abroad.

Wrap Up

These are some of the best publishing companies in Japan, known for their high-quality content and diverse range of titles. Whether you love manga, light novels, or picture books, their official sites are the best place to explore their catalogs. If you’re a creator, look for the prizes and platforms each publisher runs, since that is how most of them find new talent. Next up, you may want to explore a guide to the top publishing companies in China.