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Kyodo News
Kyodo News
Kyodo News
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Kyodo News (共同通信社, Kyōdō Tsūshinsha) is a nonprofit cooperative news agency based in Minato, Tokyo. It was established in November 1945 and it distributes news to almost all newspapers, and radio and television networks in Japan. The newspapers using its news have about 50 million subscribers. K. K. Kyodo News is Kyodo News' business arm, established in 1972.[1] The subdivision Kyodo News International, founded in 1982, provides over 200 reports to international news media and is located in Rockefeller Center, New York City.[1]

Key Information

Their online news site is in Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, and English.

The agency employs over 1,000 journalists and photographers, and maintains news exchange agreements with over 70 international media outlets.[1]

Satoshi Ishikawa is the news agency's president.[2]

Kyodo News was formed by Furuno Inosuke, the president of the Domei News Agency, following the dissolution of Domei after World War II.[3]

See also

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References

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Kyodo News

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from Grokipedia
Kyodo News is a leading nonprofit cooperative based in , . Founded in 1945 as a successor to the wartime Domei News Agency, it provides comprehensive news coverage in Japanese, English, and Chinese to media outlets, organizations, and institutions worldwide. As Japan's primary wire service, it operates 24 hours a day, distributing approximately 28,000 lines of Japanese text, 300 photos and graphics, and 150 English stories daily through a network of 51 domestic bureaus and 41 overseas offices staffed by around 1,700 employees. The agency maintains independence from government and commercial influences, funded primarily by membership dues from 56 and 111 stations, as well as international subscriptions.

History

Founding and Early Development

Kyodo News was established on November 1, 1945, as a nonprofit in Hibiya, Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, immediately following the dissolution of the state-owned Domei News Agency on October 31, 1945. Domei, founded in 1936 as Japan's official news service by merging earlier agencies under government influence, had been ordered to disband by the Allied occupation authorities to eliminate wartime and monopolistic control over information. The initiative for Kyodo's formation was driven by major , including Asahi, Mainichi, and Yomiuri, in response to General Douglas MacArthur's directive on September 24, 1945, to remove barriers to free press and dissolve Domei's monopoly. Led by Furuno Inosuke, the former president of Domei from 1939 to , Kyodo inherited much of Domei's infrastructure, including its network of reporters and wire facilities, while committing to operate independently of oversight. This transition allowed Kyodo to quickly provide unbiased news distribution to Japanese media outlets during the chaotic post-war reconstruction period, emphasizing factual reporting free from pre-war and state . As a owned by its member newspapers and broadcasters, Kyodo aimed to foster a democratic press environment, serving as a central hub for gathering and disseminating information across the war-torn nation. In its early years, Kyodo faced significant challenges, including operating with limited financial and technical resources amid Japan's economic devastation and of Domei's staff, which led to the parallel formation of rival agency Jiji Press by dissenting ex-Domei employees. Despite these hurdles, the agency focused primarily on domestic wire services, delivering timely news via teletype to newspapers and broadcasters to support national recovery efforts and rebuild public trust in . This foundational emphasis on reliable, cooperative news provision helped Kyodo establish itself as Japan's primary in the immediate post-war era.

Key Milestones and Expansions

In 1951, Kyodo News expanded its reach by launching news services to commercial broadcasters in , marking an early step in broadening its distribution beyond print media. That same year, it introduced the Japan Newsletter, recognized as Japan's first post-war English-language outlet, aimed at international audiences. The brought further innovations and infrastructural growth. In 1964, Kyodo News pioneered a service for vessels at sea, enhancing maritime communication of timely information. This was followed in 1965 by the launch of Kyodo World Services, an English-language wire service designed to deliver coverage. By , the agency completed its new headquarters in , Minato Ward, , solidifying its operational base. To support commercial activities, Kyodo News established its business arm, K.K. Kyodo News, in , which handled ventures like photo distribution and production. The and saw advancements in offerings. In 1986, the Radio-TV Department launched video services, extending Kyodo's capabilities into broadcast visuals. A significant occurred in 1996, when the organization adopted the name Kyodo News to reflect its evolving identity. Entering the , Kyodo News focused on modern facilities and multilingual expansion. The Shiodome Media Tower headquarters in Minato Ward, , was completed in 2003, providing state-of-the-art infrastructure for news operations. In 2005, it introduced a Chinese-language service to cater to growing demand in . Finally, in 2007, a dedicated training center opened in Chuo Ward, , to enhance staff development and journalistic standards. In July 2025, Kyodo News rebranded its English-language business-to-consumer online site from Kyodo News Plus to Japan Wire by Kyodo News, aiming to improve global accessibility and delivery of news content.

Organizational Structure

Ownership and Governance

Kyodo News operates as a nonprofit , owned collectively by its members to maintain from government or commercial influences. As of July 2018, the organization is owned by 56 members comprising newspapers and , and 111 broadcasting stations, with an additional 12 subscribing newspapers that access its services without full . This ensures that content distribution prioritizes journalistic integrity over profit-driven decisions. Governance is managed through a framework where leadership is elected by member organizations to oversee operations and strategic direction. The president and other executives are selected via internal board processes involving representatives from member entities, fostering to the membership. As of 2025, Toshimitsu Sawai serves as president, having been appointed following approval by the board and member meetings. Funding for Kyodo News derives primarily from membership dues paid by owners and subscription fees from non-member clients, supporting a self-sustaining model without reliance on external advertising or sponsorships that could compromise objectivity. This approach underscores the agency's commitment to financial , with revenues reinvested into news gathering and distribution rather than distributed as profits.

Staff and Bureaus

As of July 2018, Kyodo News employs approximately 1,700 staff members, operating as a nonprofit owned by Japanese media organizations. This workforce includes more than 1,000 journalists who form the core of its extensive news-gathering network. The agency's domestic operations are supported by a in the Shiodome Media Tower in Minato Ward, , which was completed in 2003 and serves as the central hub for coordination and distribution. Complementing this, Kyodo maintains 51 bureaus across to ensure comprehensive coverage of national events and developments. To enhance professional development, Kyodo established a dedicated center in Chuo Ward in , focusing on skill-building programs for journalists and other personnel. This facility underscores the agency's commitment to maintaining high standards in reporting and operational efficiency within its domestic infrastructure.

Operations and Services

Domestic News Distribution

Kyodo News operates a comprehensive 24/7 wire service that delivers a wide array of content, including Japanese-language text news, photographs, graphics, audio reports, and video scripts, to the vast majority of Japan's media outlets. This service primarily targets domestic newspapers, radio stations, and television networks, ensuring broad dissemination across the country. Additionally, Kyodo transmits news via to approximately 800 ocean-going ships, fishing vessels, and resort hotels, providing timely updates to remote and mobile audiences. The agency's distribution reaches more than 70 newspapers published by its 56 member organizations and about 120 radio and television stations nationwide. On average, Kyodo produces 28,000 lines of Japanese text news daily, equivalent to 70-80 pages of a standard , alongside 300 photographs and graphics. This substantial output underscores the agency's role as Japan's primary news wire, with content drawn from its extensive network of over 1,000 journalists stationed across 51 domestic bureaus. The focus remains on delivering accurate and prompt coverage of key Japanese events in , , society, and , enabling member media to inform their audiences efficiently. Through these channels, Kyodo's services reach tens of millions of people daily, as Japan's daily newspaper circulation stood at approximately 26 million in 2024, supplemented by the broad audiences of subscribing broadcast outlets. This domestic infrastructure supports the agency's nonprofit cooperative model, funded by membership dues and subscriptions, prioritizing reliable news flow to sustain public information needs. Kyodo News operates the public-facing news portal 47NEWS at https://www.47news.jp/, which aggregates content from its member newspapers and Kyodo's reporting for general audiences. There is no current official mobile application available for iPhone; the previous app, "i47NEWS" (associated with 47NEWS), was discontinued on June 30, 2023. Users can access the content via the mobile-optimized website in a web browser.

International and Multilingual Offerings

Kyodo News provides multilingual news services in English, Chinese (both Simplified and Traditional), Korean, and Japanese to cater to international audiences beyond its domestic Japanese wire. The English-language service, known as Kyodo World Service (KWS), was launched in and delivers 24-hour real-time coverage of developments in , the Asia-Pacific region, the , , and other global areas, often from a Japanese perspective. This service produces an average of 150 stories daily, including straight news, analysis, and features, distributed to approximately 40 subscribers in and 50 overseas media outlets, organizations, and institutions. Complementing KWS, Kyodo News International, established in 1982, supplies more than 200 reports daily to international , emphasizing Japan-related international events and affairs through text, photos, and formats. The agency's online platform, rebranded as Japan Wire by Kyodo News in July 2025 (previously Kyodo News Plus), offers free access to selected English content for broader global reach. Since 1986, Kyodo has included video scripts in its offerings, alongside audio podcasts, graphics, and captioned photos from its library, enabling integrated packages tailored for international broadcasters and digital platforms focused on -centric global stories. The Chinese-language service, formally established in April 2005 after an initial launch in February 2001 via the Gongtong Wang (Kyodo Net) , provides approximately 30 stories and 20 photos daily in both Simplified and Traditional Chinese, covering Japanese events and Sino-Japanese relations with original reporting and translations from the Japanese service. This service targets Chinese-language media and organizations in Japan and abroad, including , to expand coverage of dynamics. The Korean-language service, introduced with a dedicated in 2011, similarly disseminates in Korean, drawing from Kyodo's domestic production base to offer timely updates on Japan-Korea relations and regional issues for Korean-speaking audiences worldwide.

Global Presence

Overseas Operations

Kyodo News maintains a global network of 41 overseas bureaus as of 2018, enabling comprehensive coverage of international events from key locations across , the , , and the . These bureaus include prominent offices in cities such as , , , , [Hong Kong](/page/Hong Kong), , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and New York, supplemented by local correspondents in additional sites like , Ulan Bator, , , , , and . Notable among these is the bureau, established on September 1, 2006, as the first permanent office of any Japanese media organization in , facilitating direct reporting on regional security and diplomatic developments. In the United States, Kyodo News International was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in , , serving as a hub for distributing Japan-sourced content to news media outlets. The primary role of these overseas operations is to gather tailored for Japanese audiences, emphasizing stories with implications for , while simultaneously providing in-depth reporting on Japanese affairs to foreign media. This dual focus ensures balanced coverage of international , economic trends, and major disasters, often from an Asian or Japanese perspective to highlight regional interconnections. For instance, bureaus monitor Asia-related developments worldwide, such as geopolitical tensions in the or economic shifts in , to inform 's and . Kyodo News' international presence traces its roots to the post-World War II era, with the agency launching its English-language wire service in 1965 under the name Kyodo World Services, marking an early expansion into global news distribution beyond . This initiative built on the agency's founding in 1945 as a nonprofit , which quickly adapted to postwar reconstruction by establishing initial international ties for wire services to broadcast and print media abroad. Over subsequent decades, the network grew through strategic bureau openings, adapting to technological shifts such as the introduction of news services in 1964 and video reporting in 1986, which enhanced real-time global dissemination. In the digital age, these operations have integrated online platforms like Japan Wire, launched to deliver timely English-language updates on and events, reflecting a shift toward and internet-based global reporting.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Kyodo News maintains news exchange agreements with numerous international media outlets, facilitating the mutual sharing of content and enhancing distribution through its Kyodo News International arm, which supplies reports to foreign media organizations worldwide. Among its notable collaborations, Kyodo News partners with via the Reuters Connect platform, where it contributes comprehensive coverage of Japanese and Asian events to the ecosystem, allowing for broader dissemination of its reporting. Similarly, Kyodo News integrates content from The (AP), an independent organization, on its platforms to enrich its offerings with international perspectives, while reciprocally providing AP with access to Japan-focused stories. In the Asian region, Kyodo News engages with agencies through pooled reporting arrangements on key events, such as economic summits and diplomatic developments, to coordinate coverage and among participants. Kyodo News actively participates in international press networks, including the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA), where it has been a member since 1961 and contributes to joint initiatives for collaborative journalism across the region. Through these networks, it plays a key role in global initiatives by supplying detailed coverage of to foreign broadcasters and media outlets via its English-language Kyodo World Service, which reaches overseas subscribers. Following major disasters like the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Kyodo News engaged in cooperative reporting efforts with international partners to provide coordinated, on-the-ground updates and archival support for global audiences. These overseas bureaus serve as foundational hubs for initiating and sustaining such partnerships.

References

  1. https://www.kyodonews.jp/english/about/history.html
  2. https://www.kyodonews.jp/english/about/whatskyodo.html
  3. https://english.kyodonews.net/list/info/about
  4. https://www.chosakai.gr.jp/en/overview/
  5. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kyodo-Tsushinsha
  6. https://www.nytimes.com/1945/09/28/archives/tokyo-papers-plan-news-association-asahi-mainichi-and-yomiuri.html
  7. https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.185170/2015.185170.The-Asia-Whos-Who-3rd-Edition_djvu.txt
  8. https://www.kyodo.co.jp/corp/profile/
  9. https://english.kyodonews.net/list/info/announcement
  10. https://www.oananews.org/agencies/KYODO
  11. https://www.kyodonews.jp/english/index.html
  12. https://www.kyodonews.jp/english/service/japaneselanguage.html
  13. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news-report/2025/japan
  14. https://www.47news.jp/information/smartphoneapp
  15. https://www.kyodonews.jp/english/service/englishlanguage.html
  16. http://www.kyodonews.com/www/aboutHQ.phtml
  17. https://www.kyodonews.jp/english/service/chinese-language-service.html
  18. https://www.pressnet.or.jp/english/newsb/2012/0725_post.html
  19. https://english.kyodonews.jp/
  20. https://www.kyodonews.jp/english/about/globalnetwork.html
  21. https://www.linkedin.com/company/kyodo-news-london-bureau
  22. https://www.nknews.org/2017/10/kyodo-news-agency-insists-pyongyang-bureau-operates-lawfully/
  23. https://dbpedia.org/page/Kyodo_News
  24. https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1022840/ioc-appoints-kyodo-news-as-national-news-agency-for-tokyo-2020
  25. https://reutersagency.com/partners
  26. https://english.kyodonews.net/list/partners/apnews
  27. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000073446
  28. https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/23625
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