Building a Nationwide Network through VC Agreements
First written in FY2016. 15 of 33 entries say "Advanced", first in FY2017-Q1. Latest entry: 2026-11-06.
3 other companies' latest entry also says "Advanced".
- FY2026SoftenedAnnual report
「Our flagship product in the free-media business, Happy Media® Chīki Micchaku Seikatsu Jōhōshi (Regional Lifestyle Information Magazine), had a presence in 34 prefectures through 170 publications, including those issued by VC member companies under the VC business launched in 2012, with monthly circulation of more than 11.75 million copies as of the end of March 2026.」
The network, including VC member companies, remains in place, but contracted from 34 prefectures, 180 publications and monthly circulation of 13.45 million copies at the end of the previous fiscal year to 34 prefectures, 170 publications and monthly circulation of more than 11.75 million copies. - FY2026-H1RestatedAnnual report
「The purpose of promoting VC agreements is to contribute to the revitalisation of regional economies and rapidly establish a nationwide advertising infrastructure by rolling out the free-magazine business nationwide together with companies that share our free-magazine principles: local roots, strict publication standards and accurate circulation figures.」
We continue to pursue nationwide expansion and the development of advertising infrastructure with VC member companies, based on our local focus, strict publication standards and accurate circulation figures. - FY2025RestatedAnnual report
「The purpose of promoting VC agreements is to contribute to the revitalisation of regional economies through the advertising business and rapidly establish a high-quality, nationwide free-media advertising infrastructure by rolling out the free-magazine business nationwide together with companies that share our free-magazine principles: local roots, strict publication standards, accurate circulation figures and a focus on response.」
We continue to pursue nationwide expansion through VC agreements, the revitalisation of regional economies and the development of advertising infrastructure. - FY2025-H1AdvancedAnnual report
「In addition, in September this year we entered into a VC agreement with CHIIKISHINBUNSHA CO.,LTD., adding Chīki Shimbun, a free newspaper published weekly by the company across 40 areas in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures (1,736,817 copies). As a result, as of the end of September 2024, our network had expanded to 34 prefectures, 181 publications and total monthly circulation of 13,304,442 copies, making it a free-media network reaching approximately one-quarter of households nationwide.」
Under the VC agreement with CHIIKISHINBUNSHA CO.,LTD., a media network covering 40 areas in Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures with a circulation of 1,736,817 copies was added. Including VC operations, the network expanded to 34 prefectures, 181 publications and monthly circulation of 13,304,442 copies. - FY2024-Q2SoftenedAnnual report
「Together with VC member companies*, the Company’s medium- to long-term management goal is to “deliver Happy Media® ‘Chiiki Micchaku Seikatsu Joho-shi®’ directly by posting to 50 million households nationwide.” As of the end of September this year, the regional free magazines covered 31 prefectures and 133 magazines, with total monthly circulation of 10,929,609 copies.」
The goal of distributing to 50 million households nationwide and the policy of using VCs remained in place, but the number of magazines decreased slightly from 135 in the previous quarter to 133, and total monthly circulation from 10,939,392 copies to 10,929,609 copies. - FY2024-Q1SoftenedAnnual report
「As of the end of June this year, the regional free magazines covered 31 prefectures and 135 magazines, with total monthly circulation of 10,939,392 copies.」
The free magazine network, including VC member companies, maintained coverage of 31 prefectures, but the number of magazines decreased from 140 to 135 and total monthly circulation from 11.43 million copies to 10.93 million copies. - FY2023SoftenedAnnual report
「The purpose of promoting VC agreements is to contribute to the revitalisation of regional economies through the advertising business and rapidly establish a high-quality, nationwide free-media advertising infrastructure by rolling out the free-magazine business nationwide together with companies that share our free-magazine principles: local roots, strict publication standards, accurate circulation figures and a focus on response.」
The objectives of nationwide expansion through VC agreements and development of advertising infrastructure continued, but total year-end scale was 31 prefectures, 140 magazines, and 11.43 million copies. - FY2023-Q3SoftenedAnnual report
「Together with VC member companies*, the Company’s medium- to long-term management goal is to “deliver regional free magazines directly by posting to 50 million households nationwide.” At the end of the period, regional free magazines, including VC magazines, covered 31 prefectures and 142 magazines, with monthly circulation of 11.50 million copies.」
The network, including VCs, expanded from 29 prefectures and 135 magazines in the same period of the previous year to 31 prefectures and 142 magazines, but monthly circulation decreased from 11.64 million copies in the previous filing to 11.50 million copies. - FY2023-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「Regional free magazines, including VC members*, covered 31 prefectures and 142 magazines, compared with 29 prefectures and 133 magazines in the same period of the previous year, with monthly circulation of 11.64 million copies, compared with 10.09 million copies.」
The publication network, including VC members, expanded from 29 prefectures, 133 magazines, and 10.09 million copies in the same period of the previous year to 31 prefectures, 142 magazines, and 11.64 million copies. - FY2022-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「As of the end of December 2021, the regional free magazines, including VC members, covered 29 prefectures (29 prefectures in the same period of the previous year), with monthly circulation of 10.15 million copies (8.82 million copies in the same period of the previous year),」
The network, including VC members, maintained coverage of 29 prefectures, while monthly circulation increased from 8.82 million copies in the same period of the previous year to 10.15 million copies, also expanding from 10.09 million copies in the previous quarter. - FY2022-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「In July this year, through the admission of 関西ぱど, which owns the “Pado” trademark, to the VC network, “Chiiki Micchaku Seikatsu Joho-shi®” reached monthly circulation of 10 million copies.」
関西ぱど joined the VC network, and monthly circulation through the VC network exceeded 10 million copies. As of the end of September, the network covered 29 prefectures with circulation of 10.09 million copies. - FY2022-Q1AdvancedAnnual report
「As of the end of June 2021, the regional free magazines, including VC members*, covered 30 prefectures, unchanged from 30 prefectures in the same period of the previous year, and had monthly circulation of 10.15 million copies, compared with 8.86 million copies.」
The network, including VC members, maintained coverage of 30 prefectures, while monthly circulation increased from 8.86 million copies to 10.15 million copies. - FY2021SoftenedAnnual report
「The purpose of promoting VC agreements is to contribute to the revitalisation of regional economies and rapidly establish a nationwide advertising infrastructure by rolling out the free-magazine business nationwide together with companies that share our free-magazine principles: local roots, strict publication standards and accurate circulation figures.」
Although the objective of nationwide expansion through VC agreements continued, the results including VC members contracted to 28 prefectures and monthly circulation of 8.73 million copies. - FY2021-Q3SoftenedAnnual report
「As of the end of December 2020, the regional free magazines covered 29 prefectures, with monthly circulation of 8.82 million copies,」
The free magazine network, including VC contract partners, contracted from 30 prefectures and monthly circulation of 8.90 million copies in the previous quarter to 29 prefectures and 8.82 million copies. - FY2021-Q2AdvancedAnnual report
「As of the end of September 2020, the regional free magazines covered 30 prefectures, with monthly circulation of 8.90 million copies,」
The free magazine network, including the Company and related parties, maintained coverage of 30 prefectures while monthly circulation increased from 8.86 million copies to 8.90 million copies. - FY2021-Q1SoftenedAnnual report
「For the regional free magazines published by us, our consolidated subsidiary アド通信社西部本社 and our VC contract partners, as described above, we suspended publication of certain company-operated regional free magazines by issuing combined editions. As of the end of June 2020, the magazines covered 30 prefectures, with monthly circulation of 8.86 million copies,」
The network, including the Company, consolidated subsidiaries, and VC contract partners, remained in place, but the overall publication area and circulation contracted from the end of the previous fiscal year as a result of discontinuations through combined-issue publication. - FY2020AdvancedAnnual report
「For regional free magazines published by the Company and VC contract partners, the Company continued to consolidate and discontinue existing magazines by reviewing distribution areas and circulation to improve profitability. As of the end of March 2020, the magazines covered 32 prefectures, compared with 30 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year, with total monthly circulation of 9.20 million copies, down 0.9% year on year.」
The network, including VC contract partners, expanded its publication area from 30 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year to 32 prefectures. Meanwhile, consolidation and discontinuation aimed at improving profitability reduced total monthly circulation to 9.20 million copies, down 0.9% year on year. - FY2020-Q3SoftenedAnnual report
「For the regional free magazines published by us and our VC contract partners, we continued to consolidate and discontinue existing magazines by reviewing distribution areas and circulation to improve profitability. As of the end of December, the magazines covered 31 prefectures (32 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year), with total monthly circulation of 9.05 million copies (down 3.4% year on year),」
The nationwide network, including VC contract partners, remained in place, but the publication area decreased to 31 prefectures and total monthly circulation to 9.05 million copies as a result of consolidating and discontinuing existing magazines, down from 9.19 million copies in the previous quarter. - FY2020-Q2SoftenedAnnual report
「As of the end of September, regional free magazines published by the Company and VC contract partners covered 31 prefectures, compared with 32 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year, with total monthly circulation of 9.19 million copies, down 1.5% year on year.」
The publication network, including VC contract partners, remained in place, but the publication area decreased from 32 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year to 31 prefectures, and total monthly circulation was 9.19 million copies, down 1.5% year on year. - FY2020-Q1SoftenedAnnual report
「As of the end of June, regional free magazines published by the Company and VC contract partners covered 31 prefectures, compared with 33 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year, with total monthly circulation of 9.30 million copies, down 0.5% year on year.」
The publication network, including VC agreements, remained in place, but the publication area decreased from 33 prefectures to 31 prefectures and total monthly circulation was 9.30 million copies, down 0.5% year on year. - FY2019SoftenedAnnual report
「As a result, including publications by VC member companies, the network covered 30 prefectures and 142 magazines as of the end of March 2019, with total monthly circulation of 9,289,485 copies.」
The publication network, including VC member companies, covered 30 prefectures and 142 magazines, with monthly circulation of 9,289,485 copies. Overall scale contracted from 32 prefectures, 149 magazines, and 9,369,240 copies at the end of the previous quarter, but the filing does not state that the contraction was attributable solely to VC contract partners. - FY2019-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「Meanwhile, in addition to the limited launch of new company-operated regional free magazines and increases in distribution areas and circulation, VC contract partners expanded steadily. As a result, at the end of December, the regional free magazines covered 32 prefectures and comprised 149 magazines, with total monthly circulation of 9,369,240 copies,」
While restraining company-operated expansion, the Company expanded the number of magazines and circulation in its publication network by increasing its VC contract partners. - FY2019-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「In the current fiscal year, the Company has sought to expand its regional free magazines by restraining company-operated expansion while reviewing distribution areas and increasing printing in existing publication areas, as well as continuing to enter into VC agreements with leading regional advertising companies.」
The Company continues its policy of expanding the network through increased distribution and printing of existing magazines and VC agreements with leading regional advertising companies, while restraining company-operated expansion. - FY2019-Q1AdvancedAnnual report
「As profitability temporarily deteriorated and performance fell short in the previous fiscal year due to the aggressive launch of new regional free magazines by the Company, the Company is seeking to restore profitability in the current fiscal year by restraining new launches of company-operated magazines, while continuing to strengthen its position in free media through publications by new VC contract partners and increased printing and expanded distribution areas for existing regional free magazines. As of the end of June, regional free magazines published by the Company and VC contract partners covered 33 prefectures, compared with 30 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year, with total monthly circulation of 9.35 million copies, up 29.6% year on year.」
Through new VC contract partners and increased printing and expanded distribution areas for existing magazines, the network expanded to 33 prefectures with monthly circulation of 9.35 million copies. - FY2018AdvancedAnnual report
「The regional free magazines expanded their publication area and circulation to 33 prefectures, compared with 28 prefectures at the end of the previous fiscal year, 153 magazines, compared with 123, and total monthly circulation of 9,307,544 copies, compared with 7,045,340 copies.」
The network’s publication area, number of magazines, and circulation, including VC publications, expanded, advancing the development of a nationwide network. - FY2018-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「Through the expansion of locations, new magazine launches, and new VC members, the regional free magazines covered 32 prefectures as of the end of December, compared with 26 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year, with total monthly circulation of 8.98 million copies, up 37.8% year on year.」
Through network expansion, including new VC members, the publication area expanded from 26 prefectures at the end of the same period of the previous year to 32 prefectures, and total monthly circulation reached 8.98 million copies. - FY2017RestatedAnnual report
「We will also pursue nationwide expansion of the free-magazine business through publications issued by VC agreement partners.」
The Company continues to promote nationwide expansion through publications by VC contract partners, but this filing does not provide new scale indicators such as the number of VC agreements. - FY2017-Q3AdvancedAnnual report
「The free magazines comprised 65 company-operated magazines with circulation of 3.79 million copies. Including VC publications, the total was 112 magazines with total circulation of 6.52 million copies,」
The network, including VC publications, expanded to 112 magazines with total circulation of 6.52 million copies, up from 109 magazines and 6.40 million copies in the previous quarter. - FY2017-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「Through proposal-based sales that leverage the scale of its advertising media, the Company will acquire more advertisers, including national sponsors, and increase revenue.」
The Company continues to indicate a policy of leveraging the scale of its advertising media, backed by the VC network, to pursue proposal-based sales to national sponsors and others and increase revenue. - FY2017-Q1AdvancedAnnual report
「The number of magazines published under the VC agreements being promoted for nationwide expansion increased by 6 during the first quarter to 47 magazines.」
The VC agreement network expanded from 26 companies at the end of the previous quarter to 47 magazines on a publication basis. - FY2016First statedAnnual report
「Under the VC agreements being promoted to roll out the free magazines nationwide, 3 new companies joined during the consolidated fiscal year, bringing the total to 26 companies.」
A system for nationwide expansion under which the Company provides VC contract partners with its brand, trademarks, editorial sites and other resources while allowing them operational flexibility. As of the end of March 2016, publications including VCs totaled 102 magazines, with total circulation of 5.91 million copies.