Radio no Seisaku

Radio no Seisaku (ラジオの製作, literally "Making Radio") was a Japanese monthly magazine published by Dempa Shimbunsha. First issued in 1954 as an irregular pamphlet explaining how to assemble radio kits sold by Radio Gijutsu Service Station, it became a monthly magazine in December 1954 with the January 1955 issue. The magazine was a comprehensive introductory publication covering amateur radio (ham), personal computers, audio, BCL (broadcast listener) shortwave listening, and electronics. Its abbreviated name was "Rasei" (ラ製). Its main competitor was Seibundo Shinkosha's "Shoho no Radio" (初歩のラジオ, "Beginner's Radio"). The magazine grew through the 1970s, expanding its construction articles to all areas of electronics. It rode the BCL boom from around 1973, providing extensive coverage of overseas shortwave broadcasting with many expert writers such as Koji Yamada. It also supported the spread of citizen band (CB) radio and later the UHF-band specified small transceivers (特小トランシーバー) after their legalization in 1989. Following the computerization of electronics hobbies, it carried articles on personal computers, and in 1977 the computer magazine "Mycom" (マイコン) was spun off, followed in 1981 by the supplement "Mycom BASIC Magazine" (ベーマガ), which became an independent magazine with a peak circulation of over 300,000 copies. The magazine also embraced electronic music, publishing articles on analog synthesizers (Moog synthesizers) in 1979. In the 1990s, the BCL boom declined and the magazine could no longer sustain monthly publication. The final monthly issue was the April 1999 issue, released on March 8, 1999. A planned mook format, "Radio no Seisaku SPECIAL," was published in July 1999 but was not continued, effectively ending the magazine. In 2008, Dempa Shimbunsha launched "Electronic Craft Magazine" (電子工作マガジン) as a successor mook, which became a quarterly publication. In 2020, a reprint edition of Radio no Seisaku was issued as a supplement to Electronic Craft Magazine, using the cover design of the September 1979 issue.

Radio no Seisaku originated in 1954 as a pamphlet published by Radio Gijutsu Sha (publisher: IA Publishing), explaining how to assemble radio kits sold by the "Radio Gijutsu Service Station." It was initially irregular, with a second issue later that year. From the January 1955 issue, published at the end of 1954, the publisher changed to Dempa Shimbunsha and it became a monthly magazine. From the first issue, the cover carried a catchphrase overlapping the title "Radio no Seisaku," initially "Dare demo dekiru" (Anyone can do it), later changed to "Dare ni mo dekiru" (Anyone can do it). At the time, goods tax was high, and building radios and audio equipment from parts kits was a popular way to obtain them cheaply, so the magazine focused on construction articles. While some electronics hobby magazines like "Radio Gijutsu" and "MJ Musen to Jikken" drifted toward audiophile content, Radio no Seisaku and its rival "Shoho no Radio" did not. In the 1970s, the scope of construction articles expanded to all electronics. Articles on amateur radio and radio waves broadened into peripheral fields. Responding to the BCL boom that surged from around 1973, the magazine enriched its coverage of overseas shortwave broadcasting, with many experts such as Koji Yamada writing series and contributions; its competitors in this area were only "Shoho no Radio" and "Gekkan Tanpa." BCL articles continued until the magazine's suspension in 1999, even after the boom declined. The magazine called citizen band enthusiasts "CB'er" (from "CB") and held events to promote the hobby. When UHF-band specified small transceivers were legalized in 1989, it contributed to their spread. It also followed the computerization of electronics hobbies, focusing on hardware articles while differentiating from other Dempa Shimbunsha magazines. In 1977, the computer magazine "Mycom" became independent, and in 1981 a supplement "Mycom BASIC Magazine" ("Be-Maga") was attached. "Be-Maga" became an independent magazine after about a year as a separate supplement, with peak circulation of over 300,000. Editor-in-chief Taro Ohashi's uncle was Shoji Yamashiro, leader of the Geinoh Yamashirogumi, which led the magazine to embrace electronic music. Ohashi met Isao Tomita through Yamashiro, and in 1979, for the 25th anniversary and 300th issue, the magazine published an article on building an analog synthesizer (Moog synthesizer) and issued a separate volume "All About Synthesizers." The magazine also included many non-construction articles such as new record and CD introductions and music information. In the 1990s, the BCL boom declined, and the mainstay electronics construction content could no longer sustain monthly publication. In 1996, it ran a special feature on amateur radio with Kazuki Enari as a guest, but it was not effective. The final monthly issue was the April 1999 issue, released on March 8, 1999. It announced a shift to mook format for spring, summer, and winter holidays, and in July 1999 published "Radio no Seisaku SPECIAL" as part of the "Dempa Mook" series, but it was not continued, effectively ceasing publication. In 2008, Dempa Shimbunsha launched "Electronic Craft Magazine" as a mook inheriting the magazine's spirit. Unlike "Radio no Seisaku SPECIAL," which ended after one issue, it focused on construction articles and became established as a quarterly publication, the first paper medium in this field in nine years. From the winter 2015 issue, a "Mycom BASIC Magazine" corner appeared, equivalent to the revival of the BASIC magazine. BCL was not covered in Electronic Craft Magazine, but responding to requests from middle-aged and older "BCL revival" enthusiasts, Dempa Shimbunsha released the separate volume "BCL Manual Reiwa Edition" in September 2019, re-entering BCL-related books for the first time in 20 years since Radio no Seisaku ceased. In September 2020, a Reiwa reprint edition was issued as a supplement to Electronic Craft Magazine, with a cover imitating the September 1979 issue using the same photograph.

• 2020

  September: Reiwa reprint edition issued as supplement to Electronic Craft Magazine, cover imitating September 1979 issue.

• 2019

  September: Separate volume "BCL Manual Reiwa Edition" released, re-entering BCL books after 20 years.

• 2015

  Winter issue: "Mycom BASIC Magazine" corner appeared in Electronic Craft Magazine.

• 2008

  Dempa Shimbunsha launched "Electronic Craft Magazine" as successor mook, later established as quarterly.

• 1999

  March 8: April issue released, final monthly issue. July: "Radio no Seisaku SPECIAL" mook published, not continued.

• 1996

  Special feature on amateur radio with Kazuki Enari as guest, but not effective.

• 1989

  UHF-band specified small transceivers legalized; magazine contributed to their spread.

• 1981

  Supplement "Mycom BASIC Magazine" ("Be-Maga") attached; later became independent with peak circulation over 300,000.

• 1979

  25th anniversary and 300th issue featured analog synthesizer construction article; separate volume "All About Synthesizers" published.

• 1977

  Computer magazine "Mycom" spun off as an independent publication.

• 1973

  Around this time, BCL boom led to enriched coverage of overseas shortwave broadcasting.

• 1954

  First issued as an irregular pamphlet by Radio Gijutsu Sha; second issue published later that year.

• 1954

  December: January 1955 issue published by Dempa Shimbunsha, becoming a monthly magazine.

A comprehensive introductory magazine for electronics hobbies, including amateur radio, computers, audio, BCL, and electronics.

• Radio no Seisaku (monthly magazine)

  Monthly magazine published by Dempa Shimbunsha from December 1954 (January 1955 issue) to March 1999 (April 1999 issue).

• Radio no Seisaku SPECIAL

  Mook published in July 1999 as part of the "Dempa Mook" series; only one issue.

• Electronic Craft Magazine

  Successor mook launched in 2008, established as a quarterly publication.

• Radio no Seisaku reprint edition

  Reiwa reprint issued in September 2020 as a supplement to Electronic Craft Magazine.

1. 1Radio no Seisaku - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2ラジオの製作 - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org
3. 3Dempa Shimbunsha official websitedempa.com