Amazon Japan: Rankings of Individual Publishers Released for the First Time

Amazon Japan has released 2006 and 2007 rankings for the top 100 publishers of Japanese books based on individual sales. Other information such as total sales and number of copies sold was not made public. According to a bulletin, the decision to make these rankings public for the first time was based on "numerous requests from publishers over the past."

"Irrespective of changes in ranking, almost all publishers saw an increase in sales over the previous year," at Amazon Japan, indicating that the present market for the Japanese books division is favorable. Shogakukan's move from third in 2006, surpassing Shûeisha to capture second in 2007, provides a good example of "product availability based on comprehensive partnership and improved marketing." Among the top 100 companies of 2007, 59 participated in "Search Inside!" which was said to be "connected to raising overall sales."

Publishers of business book were particularly prominent in the top ranks. The top ten included Diamond Co., Nikkei BP Co., Soft Bank Creative, and PHP Kenkyusho. Among the top twenty were Nihon Keizai Shinbun Publishers and Toyo Keizai Shinpo Co. It is noteworthy that among publishers listed were names which have ranked below 100 in other bookstore lists.

Compared to 2006, the company which moved up the furthest was 99-ranked Libre Publishing (up from a ranking of 164). However, this disparity can be accounted for by the fact that in 2006 Libre Publishing acquired Biblos, which had gone bankrupt. In July of the same year, Libre then launched Animate Co., which bought up "b-boy," a related enterprise of Biblos. In addition, Discover 21 (no. 82) and Random House Kodansha (no. 91) both moved up more than 60 ranks.

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