notice

Release date: December 22, 2025

■ Name:
Akira Harada

■ Undergraduate and Major at the University of Tokyo
: Faculty of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering;
Graduate School: Graduate School of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering

■ Final Year at the University of Tokyo
Graduated from undergraduate program in 2018
, completed graduate school in 2020

■ Current Employer:
Jibun Jinbun Co., Ltd.
Website:https://jibunjinbun.com/

■ How I spent my time at university
After enrolling in the Science I program, I went on to study Civil Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. From the second semester of my second year, I moved to the Hongo campus, but because my research lab was spread across three campuses—Kashiwa, Hongo, and Komaba—I spent about two years at each campus, which was a somewhat unusual campus life.
As for extracurricular activities, during my time at Komaba, I belonged to the student committee of the University of Tokyo Co-op and the Komaba Festival committee, and spent a lot of time on the north side of the campus (around the student union building). Academically, I initially had some typical student characteristics, but after taking Professor Okidaiki's "Small Group Seminar," I became interested in research and began to take my research lab activities seriously. I also have fond memories of going abroad every year using the University of Tokyo's support programs.

■ My relationship with books and the university co-op bookstore during my university years
<About reading>
When I first entered university, I didn't read many books, but around the winter of my second year, when I decided on my major, I thought, "I have to read books if I want to get by in the future," and I started borrowing five books from the library every day and engrossing myself in reading in the student co-op committee room. I started reading seriously after I started my own humanities activities in graduate school.
<About the university co-op bookstore>
Because I served as a student committee member and director of the university co-op, I looked at the bookstore from a business perspective. At the time, I had heard that "the profit margin on books is low," but now that I am on the publishing side (the production side), I have come to realize just how tough the profit margin is and how great the member discounts are.

■ How
I came to choose the publishing industry I did not join an existing publishing company, but started my own publishing company.
I had previously worked in system development related to publishing distribution and advertising agency work in my previous job, so I had an understanding of the industry. Also, during graduate school, I started an organization with friends to conduct outreach activities in the humanities, and when our activities were in danger of being interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea that "we want to leave a lasting record of our activities in the form of a book" was a major impetus. Rather than pitching our ideas to a major publisher, we chose to start our own business because we wanted to present our work to the world with our own hands and under our own name.

■ What kind of work do we do?
We do everything that is said to be the role of an "editor," such as "gathering people," "creating a space," and "attracting readers."
Specifically, we handle all aspects of book-related work, from planning, selecting and commissioning writers, and editing, to marketing, arranging distribution, submitting manuscripts, accounting, and even direct sales at events such as "book fairs," with the members of Jibun Jinbun dividing the work amongst ourselves. We outsource specialized parts such as book design and proofreading to professionals, but we handle the direction ourselves.

■ Characteristics and appeal of the publishing company we work for
<Characteristics>
Our distinguishing features are that we are a "one-person publishing company" and that we handle "humanities books." However, we aim for humanities books in a broad sense, not just academic humanities books in the narrow sense, but books that apply humanistic thinking to everyday life and society.
<Attractions> The appeal
is that we can freely plan and publish the books we want to make at our own discretion. Since we do not need to go through internal planning meetings or are bound by strict sales quotas, we can bring to life projects that we believe are necessary for the world and interesting with a high degree of purity. Another major attraction is that through this work we can get to know people we would not normally meet in our daily lives, such as researchers and artists.

■ Job satisfaction and enjoyment
It's being able to create the books that we want to read and the books that we think are necessary. Unlike expressing opinions on social media, there is a unique sense of tension and excitement in putting out into the world as a "book" product, taking on financial risk.
It is very enjoyable to receive direct feedback from readers and to expand new relationships through books. We do not have the stability or distribution network of a major publishing company, but because we take full responsibility ourselves, we feel a sense of satisfaction in being able to create books that we can be proud of.

■ Our Recommended Product and Why
Product Name: "My World is Made of People"
Reason: Although it's only the first book I've published, this book is packed with the "fascination of humanities knowledge" that I want to convey. I am proud that I was able to express the "fascination of people" and "exchange of knowledge" that can only be seen within a specific format, through a three-way discussion format with researchers from different fields.

■ What I Feel and Have Learned in the Publishing Industry I
feel firsthand that Japan's publishing distribution system (distributor/consignment system) is reaching its limits. The fact that book prices are too low compared to the soaring cost of raw materials, and that the structure that supports books with magazine profits is collapsing, is a serious problem. (*)
On the other hand, there are truly diverse books in the world, and I feel the passion that each book is created to reach someone. However, I also have a sense of crisis that the act of "reading a book" itself is becoming a privilege only for a select few who have the time and mental space to spare.

*Editor's note: A distributor is a wholesaler specializing in magazines and books. The consignment system is a sales method in which a distributor entrusts inventory to a bookstore, and after a certain period, unsold items can be returned.
Magazines are published regularly and have stable sales, so the distribution structure was based on magazine delivery with books being added on top of that. However, in recent years, magazine sales and distribution volume have decreased significantly, so this way of thinking is no longer viable.

■ Recent Trends in the Publishing Industry
While there are trends in specific genres (such as AI-generated books), I feel that the biggest trend is the change in "distribution methods." In addition to traditional distributor routes, there is a growing movement to explore new ways of delivering books, such as "direct transactions" where publishers and bookstores deal directly, and direct sales at events. (*)

*Editor's note: When publishers set up booths at events such as academic conferences or exhibitions, they sometimes sell books directly to readers without going through distributors or bookstores. This type of sales method is called direct sales

■ How the publishing industry views today's society
<Changes in how information is obtained>
The means by which people obtain information are rapidly shifting from books and web media to generated AI and short videos. I feel that the number of people who "read" is decreasing, and the competition for disposable time is intensifying.
<Social division and the role of "books">
I think there is a growing tendency to judge things in extreme terms, such as "0 or 1" or "black or white," on social media and elsewhere. However, the real world is much more complex and not so easily categorized. Books (especially humanities books) should be able to provide a foundation for accepting such ambiguities and diverse values ​​that cannot be neatly divided, like "0.8" or "√2". I believe that the importance of places to think deeply offline, or through books, away from extreme discourse on the internet, is increasing.

■ Books I would like University of Tokyo students to read
First of all, if I may say so myself, I would like you to read our company's books (laughs). Regardless of whether you are in science or humanities, I am convinced that humanistic thinking will enrich your life.
Other than that, please read "your favorite books". Whether it's a business book, a light novel, or a picture book, there's no hierarchy among them. If you read while considering "why the author wrote this book" and "who it's written for," you can learn from any book.

■ A message to University of Tokyo students
University is a precious time when you can learn most easily and freely. Don't just go to get credits; take classes and participate in seminars as your interests lead you, and enjoy learning itself. I think that you excellent students will be able to manage job hunting and such, so I hope you will make full use of the resources that university has to offer.
"Don't become a critic, become a creator," these are the words of my mentor.
University of Tokyo students are intelligent, so I think they are good at analyzing and criticizing things. However, I want you to not only move your mouths and minds, but also move your "hands" and become people who actually leave something behind in the world.
This doesn't have to be limited to writing books; it could be starting a business, creating laws, or creating new systems. I hope that you will not become cynical critics who laugh from a safe distance, but rather creative practitioners, even if it's messy, who will move the world.

<end>

Volume 2 is scheduled for release around the end of January.
A list of articlesthis pagecan be found on

○Planning and Management: University of Tokyo Co-op Komaba Bookstore
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