Kitaooji Shobo Publishing

Kitaooji Shobo Publishing (株式会社北大路書房, Kitaooji Shobo Co., Ltd.) is a Japanese academic publishing house headquartered in Kita-ku, Kyoto. Established on 18 December 1948, the company has built its identity around specialist books in psychology, education, welfare, and childcare, with psychology serving as its central category. Its catalogue spans foundational and applied psychology — including cognitive, educational, developmental, clinical, social, and criminal psychology — as well as pedagogy, special-needs education, early-childhood education and care, law, and medicine/nursing. The publisher is known for long-running textbook and reference series such as Psychology Basics (心理学ベーシック), Psychology and Work (心理学と仕事), and the widely used introductory statistics series whose Japanese title translates roughly to "A really easy-to-understand book about very important things: a very basic statistics book." It also publishes series on childcare content, special-needs education (Connect & Connect), clinical psychology, narrative therapy, and social constructionism. Its list includes translated works such as the Japanese edition of The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences, as well as titles on non-cognitive skills and early-childhood education dialogues. Kitaooji Shobo sells through Japanese bookstores, online book retailers, and direct orders to the company; it also offers e-books and print-on-demand titles. The company is privately held and remains a family-scale specialist publisher rather than a large trade house. It is also remembered for publishing Chibikuro Sanpo, a 1988 reworked edition of the controversial picture book Little Black Sambo, which had been withdrawn from the Japanese market that year amid racial-discrimination concerns. Representatives listed in company information include Ken'ya Wakamori and Hiroyuki Okuno. The firm's editorial focus keeps it closely tied to academic societies, university courses, and professional training in psychology and education in Japan.

Kitaooji Shobo Publishing was established on 18 December 1948 in Kyoto, Japan. From its base in Kita-ku, Kyoto, the company developed as a specialist publisher rather than a general trade house, concentrating on academic and professional books. Over the decades it built a catalogue centred on psychology, and expanded into adjacent fields including education, welfare, childcare, law, and medicine/nursing. The publisher's identity is closely tied to its long-running series. Psychology Basics (心理学ベーシック) and Psychology and Work (心理学と仕事) became standard series for students and practitioners, while its introductory statistics title — known in full as "A really easy-to-understand book about very important things: a very basic statistics book" — became a recognizable reference for research methods. The company also developed series in childcare content, special-needs education (Connect & Connect), clinical psychology, narrative therapy, and social constructionism, and published Japanese translations of major international works such as The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences. In 1988, Kitaooji Shobo published Chibikuro Sanpo, a reworked edition of the picture book Little Black Sambo. That year, Japanese publishers had withdrawn editions of the original book amid concerns over racial discrimination, and the Kitaooji Shobo edition became a notable and controversial episode in the company's history. In the 21st century the company continued to serve academic and professional markets, adding e-book and print-on-demand formats alongside its print list. Its direct-order service, bookstore distribution, and online retail presence reflect a hybrid model common to Japanese academic publishers. Company information lists representatives including Ken'ya Wakamori and Hiroyuki Okuno, and the firm remains privately held and headquartered at 12-8 Murasakino Jūnihōchō, Kita-ku, Kyoto.

• 1988

  Published Chibikuro Sanpo, a reworked edition of Little Black Sambo, in the year Japanese editions of the original were withdrawn amid racial-discrimination concerns.

• 1948

  Company established on 18 December in Kyoto, Japan.

Specialist academic publisher focused on psychology, education, welfare, and childcare, serving students, researchers, and professionals in Japan.

• 心理学ベーシック series

• 本当にわかりやすいすごく大切なことが書いてあるごく初歩の統計の本 series

• 心理学と仕事 series

• 主体としての子どもが育つ保育内容 series

• 特別支援教育をつなぐ Connect & Connect series

• 公認心理師ハンドブック

• 学習科学ハンドブック 第三版

• 非認知能力：概念・測定と教育の可能性

• 大豆生田啓友対談集 保育から世界が変わる

• サボタージュ・マニュアル：諜報活動が照らす組織経営の本質

• チビクロさんぽ

1. 1北大路書房 公式サイトkitaohji.com
2. 2会社情報（ご注文方法） - 北大路書房kitaohji.com
3. 3Kitaooji Shobo Publishing - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4北大路書房 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org