An an
| Categories | Women's magazine |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Publisher | Magazine House Ltd. |
| First issue | 20 March 1970 |
| Country | Japan |
| Based in | Tokyo |
| Language | Japanese |
| Website | an an |
an an is a weekly Japanese women's lifestyle magazine. It is one of the earliest and popular women's magazines in Japan.[1][2] In 2009 it was described by Japan Today as mega-popular women's magazine.[3] It is also one of the best-selling women's magazines in the country.[4]
History and profile
The magazine was started as a sister publication of French magazine Elle and was named as Elle Japon.[4][5] The first issue of the magazine was published on 20 March 1970.[6][7][8] The magazine was renamed as an an in 1982,[9] which was the name of a panda bear.[5] Its content was also changed to reflect the trends of Japanese women and their self-identity.[5]
At the end of the 1990s an an was published biweekly.[10] The magazine has its headquarters in Tokyo and is published on a weekly basis on Tuesdays.[11][12] The publisher is Magazine House Ltd., a Tokyo based publishing company.[11][13] The company, which is also the founder of the magazine, was formerly named Heibun Shuppan.[14] Its target audience is women aged between 20 and 24 year-old.[6] The magazine has two versions, a regular one and a cheaper one.[1]
Like other young women's magazines in Japan an an frequently features articles on fashion, cosmetics and relationships.[7] On the other hand, it emphasizes on the visual aspect and advertisements rather than text.[15] Celebrities, including Jang Geun Suk, have appeared on its covers.[16] However, instead of focusing on gossip, an an and another women's magazine Non-no provide their readers with materials with the aim of developing their self-identity.[17] In addition, since its inception an an was instrumental in changing attitudes of young Japanese women as well as in reinforcing new and subversive identities.[18] In 1984 it began to publish annual sex special issue.[19] Its April 1989 cover read "Become Beautiful through Sex" (sekkusu de kirei ni naru).[4][19]
In 1976 the male version of an an, Popeye magazine, was started.[15]
an an celebrated its 2,000 issues publication with an exhibition at Tokyo Metro Omotesando station between 11 April and 17 April 2016.[20]
The circulation of an an was between 540,000 copies and 720,000 copies in the period of 1970 and 2009.[7] In the mid 1990s the magazine sold 650,000 copies.[10]
References
- 1 2 "Kindle celebrity image rights scandal hits anan magazine". Japan Trends. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Kaori Shoji (12 May 2008). "Health-conscious Japanese women are running in style". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ "'Marriage-hunting' is latest buzzword". Japan Today. 1 March 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- 1 2 3 Youna Kim (22 May 2012). Women and the Media in Asia: The Precarious Self. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-230-29272-7. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- 1 2 3 The Art of Seduction and Affect Economy: Neoliberal Class Struggle and Gender Politics in a Tokyo Host Club. ProQuest. 2008. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-549-64242-8. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- 1 2 Lise Skov; Brian Moeran (January 1995). Women, Media, and Consumption in Japan. University of Hawaii Press. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-8248-1776-3. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- 1 2 3 Bryan S. Turner; Zheng Yangwen (15 November 2009). The Body in Asia. Berghahn Books. p. 104. ISBN 978-1-84545-966-6. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Emiko Ochiai (1997). "Decent Housewives and Sensual White Women". Japan Review (9). JSTOR 25791006.
- ↑ "Section 2: Fashion". National Diet Library. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- 1 2 Aviad E. Raz (1999). Riding the Black Ship: Japan and Tokyo Disneyland. Harvard Univ Asia Center. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-674-76894-9. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- 1 2 "an an Magazine for Japan's Young Women". Japan Visitor Blog. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ The Far East and Australasia 2003. Psychology Press. 2002. p. 625. ISBN 978-1-85743-133-9. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
- ↑ Jonti Davies (14 February 2007). "Women's magazine enters Japanese DS market". engadget. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Keiko Tanaka (May 2003). "The language of Japanese men's magazines: young men who don't want to get hurt" (PDF). The Sociological Review. 51 (S1). Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- 1 2 Barbara Németh (2014). "Masculinities in Japan" (PDF). Filozofická fakulta. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
- ↑ "Jang Geun Suk poses for the cover of Japan's 'Anan'". Allkpop. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Yoko Tokuhiro (25 September 2009). Marriage in Contemporary Japan. Routledge. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-135-23032-6. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ Jennifer Robertson (15 April 2008). A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan. John Wiley & Sons. p. 320. ISBN 978-1-4051-4145-1. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- 1 2 Alexandra Hambleton (2012). "Women and Sexual Desire in the Japanese Popular Media". Women and Sexual Desire in the Japanese Popular Media. Palgrave Macmillan UK. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
- ↑ "Anan Magazine Commemorates 2,000 Issues Publication with an Exhibit". Arama! Japan. Retrieved 28 April 2016.