Sentaku

Sentaku (選択) is a Japanese monthly general-interest magazine published by Sentaku Shuppan K.K. (選択出版株式会社), a private company headquartered in Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. First launched in 1975, the magazine is known for its analytical reporting on international affairs, domestic politics, economics, and social and cultural issues. It markets itself as an information magazine for the roughly 30,000 people who form Japan's leadership class, using the catchphrase "an information magazine for 30,000 people" (三万人のための情報誌). The magazine is sold almost entirely through annual subscription and direct home delivery; it is not distributed through bookstores. Its readership is concentrated among corporate executives, politicians, bureaucrats, and other decision-makers. Sentaku is known for publishing articles that are often anonymous and that claim to offer candid analysis and facts not reported by mainstream newspapers. It has been read by prominent Japanese political and business figures, including former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and former Toyota chairman Hiroshi Okuda, as well as journalists such as Akira Ikegami and Takashi Tachibana. Sentaku Shuppan was established in April 1974 by Akio Iizuka, a former editor-in-chief of the business magazine Zaikai, and the first issue of Sentaku appeared in 1975. The company remains privately held and is based in Tokyo. In 2014, representative director Masami Yuasa died and was succeeded by Jiro Yuasa. The magazine continues to publish monthly, with a September 2026 issue listed on its website, and began offering electronic book versions in April 2025.

Sentaku Shuppan K.K. was established in April 1974 by Akio Iizuka, who had previously served as editor-in-chief of the business magazine Zaikai. The first issue of Sentaku was published in 1975. The magazine was conceived as a monthly general-interest publication aimed at Japan's leadership class, estimated at around 30,000 people, and adopted the tagline "an information magazine for 30,000 people." From the beginning, it focused on international affairs, domestic politics, economics, and social and cultural topics, with a reputation for analytical depth and for publishing candid, sometimes anonymous, reporting. The magazine has been subscription-only for most of its history, distributed directly to readers' homes rather than through bookstores. This direct-sales model, combined with a policy of disclosing circulation figures honestly, became part of its identity. Over the decades, Sentaku built a readership among top corporate executives, politicians, and bureaucrats. Prominent figures such as former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, former Toyota chairman Hiroshi Okuda, and journalists Akira Ikegami and Takashi Tachibana have been identified as readers. In 2014, the representative director Masami Yuasa died, and Jiro Yuasa became the new representative. The magazine continued to publish monthly, and in April 2025 it began selling electronic book versions. As of 2026, the magazine remains active, with issues such as the September 2026 edition promoted on its website. The company is still privately held and headquartered in Nishi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

• 2025

  Electronic book sales begin in April.

• 2014

  Representative Masami Yuasa dies; Jiro Yuasa becomes representative.

• 1975

  First issue of monthly magazine Sentaku published.

• 1974

  Sentaku Shuppan K.K. established in April.

High-quality analysis for decision-makers; subscription-only, not sold in bookstores.

• Sentaku monthly magazine

  Monthly general-interest magazine covering WORLD, politics, economics, and society/culture.

1. 1選択とは | 【公式】三万人のための総合情報誌『選択』- 選択出版sentaku.co.jp
2. 2会社概要 | 【公式】三万人のための総合情報誌『選択』- 選択出版sentaku.co.jp
3. 3選択 (雑誌) - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
4. 4【公式】三万人のための総合情報誌『選択』- 選択出版sentaku.co.jp
5. 5Sentakuwikidata.org