Japanese Literary Awards

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Chugoku Shimbun

ちゅうごくしんぶん

Chugoku Shimbun

Aliases: 中國新聞

Profile

Gender
Unknown
Born
1892-05-05 （Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
7-1 Dobashi-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan (Headquarters)

Career

Occupations
newspaper publisher, media company
Active Years
1892-
Memberships
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association, National Association of Local Newspapers (Japan)

Awards

Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize
1959
Work: Series "Seto Inland Sea"
Category: 編集部門
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞
Kikuchi Kan Prize
1965
Work: Anti-gang (anti-violence) campaign
Organization: Kikuchi Kan Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize
1985
Work: Series "Hiroshima: 40 Years"
Category: 編集部門
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize
1986
Work: Series "Siberian Internment"
Category: 編集部門
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize (Management & Operations)
1986
Work: Development and use of a regional information network
Category: 経営・業務部門
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize
1990
Work: Series "Hibakusha of the World"
Category: 編集部門
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞
Born-Ueda International Journalism Award
1995
Work: Tanashiro Akira series interviews "The Nuclear Age: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"
Organization: Born-Ueda International Journalism Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize
2002
Work: Series "Cut the Chain of Reckless Driving - Wanting to Hear 'I'm Home'"
Category: 編集部門
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize (Management & Operations)
2009
Work: Support for the birth of a dream ballpark
Category: 経営・業務部門
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞
Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Prize (Photo series)
2022
Work: Photo series "Otagawa: Blessings and Livelihoods"
Category: 編集部門（写真）
Organization: Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hiroshima: 20 Years

1965 newspaper series (feature)

A series following reconstruction and the voices of atomic-bomb survivors; continuous reporting on peace and nuclear issues from a local perspective.

atomic bombingpeacereconstruction

Hiroshima: 40 Years

1985 newspaper series (feature)

A continuation/examination of Hiroshima-related issues marking 40 years since the bombing.

atomic bombingmemorytestimony

Hiroshima: 50 Years

1995 newspaper series (feature)

A special series marking the 50th anniversary, part of the paper's long-standing atomic-bomb coverage.

atomic bombingmemorialinternational perspective

Cut the Chain of Reckless Driving - Wanting to Hear "I'm Home"

2002 investigative reporting / series

A series addressing the chain of reckless driving/violent groups, reporting on victims and preventive measures.

social issuescrimecommunity safety

Otagawa: Blessings and Livelihoods

2022 photo series

A photo series documenting nature and daily life along the Otagawa river; recognized with a newspaper association prize.

naturelocal communitydaily life

A Record of Courage

serial (non-fiction)

A serialized piece in the paper that was turned into a book and adapted for television; an example of journalism reaching wider audiences.

non-fictionpersonal documentary
Adaptations
  • [TV drama] A Record of Courage (TV adaptation)

Bibliography

  • Hiroshima: 20 Years
  • Hiroshima: 40 Years
  • Hiroshima: 50 Years
  • Cut the Chain of Reckless Driving - Wanting to Hear "I'm Home"
  • Otagawa: Blessings and Livelihoods
  • A Record of Courage

Adaptations

  • A Record of Courage → TV drama adaptation (NET / TV Asahi)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
local-focused reporting with in-depth reportagevisually-driven pages emphasizing photojournalism
Recurring Motifs
atomic bombing and peacelocal economy and industry (e.g. Mazda)sports and community

Legacy

A regional newspaper based in Hiroshima with wide circulation across the Chugoku region. Highly regarded for its atomic-bomb and peace reporting, it has long exerted significant local influence through community-focused journalism.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association
  • National Association of Local Newspapers (Japan)

Archives

  • Hiroshima Prefectural Archives (newspaper materials)
  • Chugoku Shimbun Centennial History (company archive)

In Popular Culture

  • The paper's question at PM Fukuda's press conference prompted the now-famous phrase "You are different from me"
  • Longstanding involvement with local events such as the Hiroshima Flower Festival

Quotes

  • You are different from me
    Source: Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's resignation press conference (response to a question from a Chugoku Shimbun reporter) (2008)

Trivia

  • Founded on 1892-05-05 (masthead written as 「中國新聞」)
  • Evening edition discontinued on 2015-04-30; launched 'Chugoku Shimbun SELECT' on 2015-05-01 as a substitute
  • Official mascot: "Chu-pi"
  • Circulation has declined in recent years (approx. 452,718 copies as of April 2025)