Editora JBC

Editora JBC, commonly known simply as JBC, is a publishing company associated with Japan–Brazil cultural communication and particularly recognized in Brazil as a manga publisher. The name JBC derives from Japan Brazil Communication. Its formal Japanese corporate name is JB Communication, while the Brazilian branch is known as JB Communication do Brasil Ltda.; publications and commercial references generally use the shorter JBC name. The company was established in Tokyo in 1992 with an initial focus on serving Brazilians living in Japan. Its early publishing activity included Portuguese-language newspapers and magazines for the Brazilian community. The newspaper Tudo Bem began publication in 1993, providing news and community-oriented content in Portuguese. JBC later introduced Gambare!, a free Portuguese-language magazine launched in September 2005. These publications positioned the company as a bridge between Brazilian residents in Japan and Japanese society, while also helping establish its broader identity as a Japan-focused media business. JBC expanded its publishing activity into Brazil during the 1990s. Made in Japan, a monthly magazine launched in September 1997, presented Japanese culture, society, entertainment, and other aspects of life in Japan to Brazilian readers. The company subsequently began publishing Japanese-related books and other cultural materials in Brazil. Although its corporate origins are Japanese, JBC became more prominent among Brazilian readers than in Japan, especially after it entered the manga market. The decisive turning point came in 2001, when JBC began publishing manga in Portuguese in Brazil with Samurai X, the Brazilian title for Rurouni Kenshin. Manga became the company’s principal area of recognition and helped make it one of Brazil’s leading publishers of Japanese comics. Its Portuguese editions are primarily intended for sale in Brazil. Over the following years, the catalogue expanded across shōnen, shōjo, seinen, josei, comedy, romance, fantasy, science fiction, horror, and literary manga. Notable titles associated with the catalogue include Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, Fairy Tail, Hunter × Hunter, Nana, Ranma ½, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sailor Moon, Soul Eater, Blue Exorcist, Magi, The Seven Deadly Sins, and many others. The company’s manga positioning is summarized by the slogan “Mangá é a nossa língua!” (“Manga is our language!”). Its publishing model has included both contemporary hit series and established classics, as well as alternate editions and related works. Examples include tankōbon editions, black editions, spin-offs, sequel series, novels, and adaptations connected with major Japanese entertainment properties. This approach has allowed JBC to serve both mainstream manga readers and collectors seeking redesigned or consolidated editions. Beyond publishing, JBC has maintained a visible role in Japanese popular-culture events in Brazil. Since 2006, it has supported the World Cosplay Summit, an international cosplay event, and has hosted the Brazilian preliminary rounds. That involvement connects the publisher’s manga business with anime, cosplay, fan communities, and broader Japanese popular culture. JBC’s documented activities therefore span community newspapers in Japan, Japanese-culture magazines, books, manga, and event support. The available reference material does not establish its current ownership, executive leadership, financial performance, legal status beyond the named corporate entities, or the precise status of every announced title. Its public identity, however, is clearly associated with the Brazilian publication of Japanese manga and with cultural exchange between Japan and Brazil.

Editora JBC was established in Tokyo in 1992 as Japan Brazil Communication, a company oriented toward communication between Japan and Brazil. Its first documented focus was the Brazilian community in Japan. In 1993, it began publishing Tudo Bem, a Portuguese-language newspaper intended for Brazilians living there. This activity gave JBC experience in community publishing and established the cross-border orientation that continued to define the business. JBC later broadened its editorial scope. In September 1997, it launched Made in Japan, a monthly magazine aimed at introducing Japanese life, culture, and related subjects to readers in Brazil. The company also published books and other magazines connected with Japan. In September 2005, it added Gambare!, a free Portuguese-language magazine for Brazilians in Japan, extending its community-media role. The company’s most important strategic development was its entry into Brazilian manga publishing in 2001. Its first manga publication was Samurai X, the Brazilian edition of Rurouni Kenshin. Manga subsequently became JBC’s best-known business area and made the company one of the principal publishers of Japanese comics in Brazil. The catalogue grew to include internationally recognized series such as Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, Saint Seiya, Hunter × Hunter, Nana, Fairy Tail, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sailor Moon, Soul Eater, Blue Exorcist, Magi, and The Seven Deadly Sins. JBC also released literary, historical, independent, adult, and genre-oriented manga, along with spin-offs, sequel series, tankōbon editions, omnibus-style or special editions, and related novels where documented. JBC’s manga publishing is directed primarily at the Brazilian market. The company’s slogan, “Mangá é a nossa língua!”, expresses its specialization and its effort to make Japanese comics available to Portuguese-speaking readers. Although the company originated in Japan and maintains a Japanese corporate identity, its public profile is stronger in Brazil, where its manga catalogue has been central to its recognition. The publisher also developed a role in fan culture and live events. From 2006 onward, it supported the World Cosplay Summit, an international cosplay event, and hosted the Brazilian qualifying rounds. This activity complemented its manga publishing by placing the brand within the wider Brazilian anime and Japanese-pop-culture ecosystem. The available reference material documents the company’s publishing origins, its Brazilian manga expansion, its cultural magazines, and its cosplay-related activities. It does not provide reliable information about the founder, current executives, ownership structure, financial results, or the present status of each title announced in the mid-2010s. Those matters remain unconfirmed in this dossier.

• 2006

  World Cosplay Summit partnership begins

  [1]Editora JBCen.wikipedia.org

  JBC began supporting the World Cosplay Summit and hosting the Brazilian preliminary rounds.

• 2005

  Gambare! launches

  [1]Editora JBCen.wikipedia.org

  JBC introduced Gambare!, a free Portuguese-language magazine for Brazilians in Japan.

• 2001

  JBC begins publishing manga in Brazil

  [1]Editora JBCen.wikipedia.org

  JBC entered the Brazilian manga market with Samurai X, its Portuguese-language edition of Rurouni Kenshin.

• 1997

  Made in Japan launches in Brazil

  [1]Editora JBCen.wikipedia.org

  The company launched Made in Japan, a monthly magazine introducing Japanese culture and related subjects to Brazilian readers.

• 1993

  Tudo Bem begins publication

  [1]Editora JBCen.wikipedia.org

  JBC began publishing Tudo Bem, a Portuguese-language newspaper for Brazilians living in Japan.

• 1992

  Company established in Tokyo

  [1]Editora JBCen.wikipedia.org

  Japan Brazil Communication, the organization associated with Editora JBC, was established in Tokyo to serve communication needs between Japan and Brazil.

A Japan–Brazil publishing and cultural-communication brand whose strongest market identity is as a major Brazilian publisher of Japanese manga in Portuguese.

• Portuguese-language community newspaper · 1993

  Tudo Bem

  Tudo Bem was a Portuguese-language newspaper created for Brazilians living in Japan. Beginning in 1993, it represented JBC’s early community-publishing activity and reflected the company’s original role as a communication bridge between Brazilian residents and Japanese society.

• Japanese-culture magazine · 1997

  Made in Japan

  Made in Japan was a monthly magazine launched in Brazil in 1997. It introduced Brazilian readers to Japanese culture and a range of subjects related to life in Japan, broadening JBC’s audience beyond the Brazilian community residing in Japan.

• Free community magazine · 2005

  Gambare!

  Gambare! was a free Portuguese-language magazine launched for Brazilians living in Japan. It extended JBC’s community-media work and provided another channel for Portuguese-language communication about Japanese life and the Brazilian diaspora.

• Manga publishing · 2001

  Portuguese-language manga editions

  JBC’s central Brazilian offering is its catalogue of Japanese manga translated and published in Portuguese. The catalogue has included major commercial series, classics, literary works, short works, spin-offs, sequel titles, special editions, and tankōbon editions. Examples documented in the catalogue include Samurai X, Fullmetal Alchemist, Death Note, Fairy Tail, Nana, Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Blue Exorcist, Magi, and The Seven Deadly Sins.

• 2006World Cosplay Summit Brazilian preliminaries

  Brazil

  JBC began supporting the World Cosplay Summit and hosting the event’s preliminary rounds in Brazil. The initiative connected the publisher with cosplay participants and broader Japanese popular-culture fandom.

  Outcome. The partnership established JBC as a visible participant in Brazil’s organized anime, manga, and cosplay community.

  Source

• 2001

  Expand into manga publishingStrategy

  Background

  After operating newspapers and Japan-related magazines, JBC entered the Brazilian market for Japanese comics.

  Action taken

  The company published Samurai X, the Portuguese-language Brazilian edition of Rurouni Kenshin, and subsequently expanded its manga catalogue.

  Aftermath

  Manga became JBC’s best-known business area and a principal source of its recognition in Brazil.

  Source

1. 1Editora JBCen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Editora JBC official websiteeditorajbc.com.br