Kyogakusha

Kyogakusha (教学社) is the educational publishing imprint of Sekaishisosha-Kyogakusha Co., Ltd., a Japanese publisher headquartered in Kyoto. The company began in 1948 when Takashima Kunio founded Sekaishisosha, and in 1951 it added an educational publishing division named Kyogakusha. Under the Kyogakusha name, the firm publishes study guides and workbooks for university entrance examinations, most famously the 'Daigaku Nyushi Series' — commonly known as 'Akahon' (red books) — which first appeared in 1954 with volumes for Kyoto University, municipal and Kobe universities, and Doshisha and Ritsumeikan universities. The Akahon series has become a staple for Japanese high school students preparing for entrance exams, and the company has expanded it with related products such as the Akahon Pocket Series, Akahon Notebook, and Eiken Akahon Series. The academic imprint Sekaishisosha publishes scholarly monographs and general interest titles in the humanities and social sciences, including long-running series like 'Sekaishiso Seminar' and 'Sociology Basics'. The company is privately held, with capital of 10 million yen, and is currently led by representative director Toshiaki Uehara. It remains active in Kyoto, publishing both print and digital editions, and maintains a strong presence in the Japanese educational publishing market.

The company traces its origins to 1948, when Takashima Kunio founded Sekaishisosha in Kyoto as a publishing house. Its early publications included works by legal scholars such as Kōtō Yasushi and Takigawa Yukitoki, reflecting an academic orientation. In 1951, the firm established an educational publishing division named Kyogakusha, which initially produced supplementary readers for high school social studies. The Kyogakusha imprint soon expanded into exam preparation materials. In 1954, it launched the 'Daigaku Nyushi Series' — the Akahon (red book) series — starting with three titles for Kyoto University, municipal and Kobe universities, and Doshisha and Ritsumeikan universities. This series became the cornerstone of the company's educational publishing business. In 1956, the company began publishing textbooks authorized by the Ministry of Education, a practice that continued for about a decade. The 1960s and 1970s saw the launch of numerous academic series under the Sekaishisosha imprint, including 'Sekaishiso Seminar' (1967), 'Gendai Seiji Series' (1967), and 'Sekaishiso Zemināru' (1974). In 1969, the business was reorganized as Sekaishisosha-Kyogakusha Co., Ltd., with Takashima Kunio as the first representative director. The company continued to release new series, such as the 'Center Test Past Paper Research Series' in 1990 and the 'Furo de Oboeru' series in 1991. Leadership passed to Takashima Teruko in 2008 and then to Uehara Toshiaki in 2014. In the 2010s and 2020s, the company embraced digital publishing, launching e-book distribution for university libraries in 2014 and for individual consumers in 2018. It also expanded its Akahon-related products, including the Akahon Notebook and Eiken Akahon Series, and launched a web magazine 'Sekaishisou' in 2019. Today, the company remains a privately held publisher based in Kyoto, continuing to serve both academic and educational markets.

• 2019

  Opens web magazine 'Sekaishisou'; launches 'Smart Start Series'.

• 2018

  Begins e-book distribution for individual consumers; launches 'Kyoyo Mirai Sensho' and 'Kodomo no Mirai Sosho'; launches Eiken Akahon Series.

• 2014

  Uehara Toshiaki becomes third president; begins e-book distribution for university libraries; Akahon 60th anniversary.

• 2008

  Takashima Teruko becomes second president; launches 'Sociology Basics' series.

• 1991

  Launches 'Furo de Oboeru' series using synthetic paper.

• 1990

  Launches 'Center Test Past Paper Research Series'.

• 1974

  Launches 'Sekaishiso Zemināru' series.

• 1969

  Reorganized as Sekaishisosha-Kyogakusha Co., Ltd.; Takashima Kunio becomes first president.

• 1967

  Launches 'Sekaishiso Seminar' series and 'Gendai Seiji Series'; starts PR magazine 'Sekaishiso'.

• 1956

  Begins publishing Ministry of Education authorized textbooks.

• 1954

  Launches 'Daigaku Nyushi Series' (Akahon) with three titles.

• 1951

  Educational publishing division Kyogakusha established; begins issuing high school social studies supplementary readers.

• 1948

  Takashima Kunio founds Sekaishisosha in Kyoto.

A Kyoto-based publisher with a dual imprint strategy: Sekaishisosha for academic and intellectual books, and Kyogakusha for practical exam preparation materials, especially the iconic Akahon series.

• 大学入試シリーズ（赤本）

  Past-paper books for university entrance exams, first published in 1954.

• 赤本ポケットシリーズ

  Portable version of Akahon past papers, launched in 2004.

• 赤本ノート

  Study notebook for exam preparation, launched in 2014.

• 英検赤本シリーズ

  Eiken English proficiency test preparation books, launched in 2018.

• 世界思想ゼミナール

  Academic paperback series launched in 1974.

• 社会学ベーシックス

  Sociology textbook series launched in 2008.

• 受験川柳コンテスト

1. 1世界思想社教学社（せかいしそうしゃ きょうがくしゃ）ss-kg.jp
2. 2会社概要｜世界思想社教学社ss-kg.jp
3. 3世界思想社教学社 - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
4. 4Kyogakusha - Wikidatawikidata.org