Wani Books
Wani Books is a Japanese publishing company known for manga-related books and magazines, including Comic Gum, idol publications, and entertainment titles.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Wani Books Co., Ltd. is a Japanese publishing company established in November 1979. Its publishing activity has centered on manga-related books and periodicals, while also extending into idol, entertainment, film, television, music, and fashion media. The company is best associated with a portfolio that includes manga magazine Comic Gum, idol magazines Wink Up and UP to boy, and the entertainment-focused magazine +act. Wani Books operates primarily in Japan and publishes in the Japanese market. Its magazine portfolio illustrates the breadth of its editorial business. Comic Gum, launched in 1996, is a monthly seinen manga magazine. Wink Up, first published in July 1988, is an idol magazine, while UP to boy, commonly abbreviated as UTB, is a bimonthly idol magazine that began in 1986. The company also published COOLTRANS, a street-fashion magazine that ran from 1995 until 2013. Since 2004, +act has provided bimonthly coverage of film, television, music, and related entertainment, with an emphasis on photography and in-depth features. The company has also used partnerships and affiliated entities to broaden its publishing activities. In March 2007, Yoshimoto Books Co., Ltd. was established in collaboration with Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd., and the manga publication Comic Yoshimoto was launched. In 2009, Wani Plus Co., Ltd. was established as an affiliated company. A significant ownership change took place in 2024, when Wani Books became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodansha. This placed the company within one of Japan's major publishing groups while preserving Wani Books as a distinct publishing entity. Publicly available reference material identifies its core scope and principal publications but does not provide enough verified information to document its current executives, financial results, detailed corporate structure, or the precise status of every historical magazine.
History
Wani Books was established in November 1979 as a Japanese publishing company. Its subsequent catalog developed around manga-related publishing and periodicals, supplemented by magazines serving idol, entertainment, and fashion audiences. The company entered idol publishing with UP to boy, abbreviated as UTB, in 1986. Wink Up followed in July 1988 as an idol magazine. These titles formed part of Wani Books' broader periodical business and positioned the company within Japanese popular-culture publishing. In 1995, Wani Books began publishing COOLTRANS, a street-fashion magazine. The title continued until 2013, documenting a period in which the company also served fashion and youth-culture readerships. Comic Gum began in 1996 as a monthly seinen manga magazine and became one of the company's identifiable manga-related publications. Wani Books expanded its entertainment coverage with +act, launched in 2004 as a bimonthly magazine featuring photography and detailed editorial coverage of figures from film, television, and music. The title complemented the company's manga and idol magazines by addressing a wider entertainment audience. In March 2007, Wani Books worked with Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd. to establish Yoshimoto Books Co., Ltd. Comic Yoshimoto was launched in connection with that collaboration. Two years later, in 2009, Wani Plus Co., Ltd. was established as an affiliated company, adding another element to the company's corporate network. The major ownership milestone in the available record occurred in 2024, when Wani Books became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodansha. The transaction connected Wani Books to a larger Japanese publishing group. Wani Books nevertheless remains identified as a separate publishing company with a catalog spanning manga-related books and magazines, idol media, entertainment coverage, and historical fashion publishing. Available reference material does not establish a complete account of its editorial divisions, financial performance, current management, or the continuing publication status of every title.
- 2024
Kodansha ownership
[1]Wani Books became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodansha.
- 2013
COOLTRANS publication ends
[1]The street-fashion magazine COOLTRANS ended its publication run.
- 2009
Wani Plus established
[1]Wani Plus Co., Ltd. was established as an affiliated company.
- 2007
Yoshimoto Books collaboration
[1]Wani Books and Yoshimoto Kogyo established Yoshimoto Books, and Comic Yoshimoto was launched.
- 2004
+act launched
[1]The bimonthly entertainment magazine +act began publication, covering film, television, music, and related subjects.
- 1996
Comic Gum launched
[1]Comic Gum began publication as a monthly seinen manga magazine.
- 1995
COOLTRANS begins publication
[1]Wani Books began publishing COOLTRANS, a street-fashion magazine that continued through 2013.
- 1988
Wink Up begins publication
[1]Wink Up was launched in July 1988 as an idol magazine.
- 1986
UP to boy begins publication
[1]The bimonthly idol magazine UP to boy, also known as UTB, began publication.
- 1979
Company established
[1]Wani Books was established in Japan in November 1979.
Products and positioning
A Japanese specialist publisher combining manga-related publishing with idol, entertainment, and culture-focused magazines.
Manga magazine · 1996
Comic Gum
Comic Gum is a monthly seinen manga magazine launched in 1996. It represents Wani Books' core manga-related publishing activity and is aimed at readers of manga intended for a mature or general adult audience.
Idol magazine · 1988
Wink Up
Wink Up is an idol magazine first published in July 1988. It belongs to Wani Books' long-running popular-culture and celebrity-media portfolio.
Idol magazine · 1986
UP to boy
UP to boy, commonly abbreviated as UTB, is a bimonthly idol magazine that began publication in 1986. The title is one of the company's established magazines focused on Japanese idol culture.
Entertainment magazine · 2004
+act
+act is a bimonthly magazine launched in 2004. It features photography and in-depth coverage of people working in film, television, music, and related entertainment fields.
Street-fashion magazine · 1995
COOLTRANS
COOLTRANS was a street-fashion magazine published by Wani Books from 1995 to 2013. It extended the company's editorial scope into fashion and youth culture.
Manga magazine · 2007
Comic Yoshimoto
Comic Yoshimoto was launched in 2007 in connection with Yoshimoto Books, a company established by Wani Books and Yoshimoto Kogyo. The available reference material identifies the launch but does not provide sufficient information about its later publication status.
Brand decisions
2024
Kodansha acquisitionM&ABackground
Wani Books entered a new ownership phase within Japan's publishing industry.
Action taken
Kodansha made Wani Books its wholly owned subsidiary.
Aftermath
Wani Books became part of the Kodansha group while continuing to be identified as a separate publishing company.
2009
Creation of Wani PlusStrategyBackground
Wani Books continued developing its corporate publishing network after the Yoshimoto Books collaboration.
Action taken
Wani Plus Co., Ltd. was established as an affiliated company.
Aftermath
Wani Plus became part of Wani Books' affiliated-company structure; further operational details are not established by the available sources.
2007
Establishment of Yoshimoto BooksM&ABackground
Wani Books sought a collaborative publishing venture with Yoshimoto Kogyo, a Japanese entertainment company.
Action taken
The two companies established Yoshimoto Books Co., Ltd., alongside the launch of Comic Yoshimoto.
Aftermath
The collaboration expanded Wani Books' publishing activity through a jointly established company and a new manga title.
Recent events
- 2024
Wani Books becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodansha[1]
M&A
Wani Books became a wholly owned subsidiary of Kodansha, bringing the Japanese publisher into the Kodansha group.
- 2009
Wani Plus established as an affiliated company[1]
Other
Wani Books established Wani Plus Co., Ltd. as an affiliated company.
- 2007
Yoshimoto Books established and Comic Yoshimoto launched[1]
Product launch · M&A
Wani Books collaborated with Yoshimoto Kogyo to establish Yoshimoto Books, followed by the launch of Comic Yoshimoto.
Sources1 sources
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