In a First, Japan's Biggest Dailies to Consolidate Production

By: E&P Staff Japan's Jiji Press reports today that the country's two biggest newspaper publishers, Asahi Shimbun Co. and Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, have announced agreement to consolidate their printing as a cost-cutting measure.

It is Japan's first production collaboration between competing dailies, and the companies are calling on other publishers to join their initiative.

Beginning in 2011 and on a new offset press installed for the purpose, Asahi will print approximately 200,000 Yomiuri Shimbun copies at its Funabashi plant in Chiba, for readers in that prefecture and in eastern Tokyo.

Yomiuri's Sakaide plant, in western Japan's Kagawa prefecture, will print about 150,000 Asahi Shimbun copies for the Shikoku region, including Kagawa, beginning before 2013.

Joint deliveries from the two plants are under consideration.

Asahi will close its Marugame plant in Kagawa and handle its work at another Asahi facility.