KANZEN

KANZEN (株式会社カンゼン) is a Japanese independent publishing house headquartered in Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. It was established on October 25, 2001, by Mitsuaki Usami, who had previously served as representative director of Rekka-sha, an editorial production company founded in 1985 that specialized in game strategy guides and subculture mook books. KANZEN was created as an independent publisher that would not be bound by conventional publishing models, aiming to develop new products and new sales strategies while remaining sensitive to trends and "booms." The company's output is concentrated in sports—especially soccer—and in subculture fields such as history, tokusatsu (special effects), figure skating, and idol culture. It publishes both ongoing series and standalone titles, generally as books rather than as magazines. Notable series include "Junior Soccer wo Ouen Shiyou!" (Let's Support Junior Soccer!), "Football Critique," "European Football Critique," "Asian Football Critique," "Football Summit," "Baseball Summit," "Bokura ga Soccer Boys datta Koro," the "Junior Soccer Bible" series, the "Lifting King Kenji Tsuchiya" series, "Figure Skating Memorial," "The Quest For History" series, the "Suzunari Vegetable" gardening series, the "Korean Wave" series, the "Heisei Kamen Rider" series, "Minagoroshi Eiga Tsushin," "Soccer Tactics Chronicle," "Complete Visual Guide," the "Idol and Otaku Research Reader" series, and "Coerver Coaching." Beyond print, KANZEN operates web media, including the soccer-focused site "Football Channel" and the baseball-focused site "Baseball Channel." It also runs the KANZEN WEB SHOP online store, which sells its titles directly, and maintains a presence in general bookstores nationwide through distributors such as Tohan, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, and Rakuten Books Network. The company also organizes and supports the "Soccer Book Award" (サッカー本大賞), a literary prize for soccer-related books. KANZEN remains a privately held company with capital of 10 million yen. Its leadership includes President Mitsuaki Usami (宇佐美光洋), Chairman Mitsuaki Usami (宇佐美光昭), Vice President Yoshiya Tsuboi (坪井義哉), and Director Junichi Ebisawa (海老沢純一). The company's stated mission is to grow as a distinctive publisher by constantly responding to the times and consciously publishing works that ride and shape trends.

KANZEN was founded on October 25, 2001, by Mitsuaki Usami, who was then the representative director of Rekka-sha, an editorial production company established in 1985 that specialized in editing game strategy guides and subculture mook books. Usami established KANZEN as an independent publisher that would not be constrained by the traditional publishing framework, aiming to create new products and new sales strategies while remaining sensitive to trends and "booms." The company set up its headquarters in Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, and began publishing books primarily in the sports and subculture genres. From its early years, KANZEN carved out a niche in soccer publishing. It launched several series that became staples of its catalog, including "Junior Soccer wo Ouen Shiyou!" (Let's Support Junior Soccer!), "Football Critique," "Football Summit," and the "Junior Soccer Bible" series. These titles catered to a growing readership interested in soccer tactics, training, and youth development. The company also expanded into baseball with "Baseball Summit" and into other sports such as training, rugby, marathon, and volleyball. In addition to sports, KANZEN diversified into subculture and hobby genres. It published series on history, tokusatsu (special effects, notably the Heisei Kamen Rider series), figure skating ("Figure Skating Memorial"), Korean Wave ("Korean Wave" series), idol and otaku culture ("Idol and Otaku Research Reader" series), and gardening ("Suzunari Vegetable" series). It also produced children's educational books and practical guides on cooking, childcare, gardening, home medicine, gourmet, railways, and travel. A significant strategic move was KANZEN's entry into web media. The company launched and operates "Football Channel," a soccer-focused news and analysis website, and "Baseball Channel," a baseball-focused site. These platforms extended KANZEN's brand beyond print and allowed it to engage with readers online. The company also established the KANZEN WEB SHOP, an online store for direct sales of its titles, and maintained distribution through major wholesalers such as Tohan, Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, and Rakuten Books Network. KANZEN is also involved in the "Soccer Book Award" (サッカー本大賞), a literary award for soccer-related books. In February 2026, the award's logo was renewed and its official website was opened, signaling continued commitment to the soccer community. As of the 2020s, KANZEN remains a privately held company with capital of 10 million yen. Its leadership includes President Mitsuhiro Usami, Chairman Mitsuaki Usami, Vice President Yoshiya Tsuboi, and Director Junichi Ebisawa. The company continues to publish new titles and reprints, as evidenced by frequent announcements of reprints for popular books such as "Sagasu Shiraberu Tsukuru! Ishi no Himitsu Zukan," "Kodomo Bias Jiten," "Zokki A," "Recovery Kaitai Shinsho," "Kodomo Programming," "Sendai Ikuei Nihonichi kara no Shoutai," "Sekai no Suzume," "System de Yomu Koshien," and "Nagatacho no Hito wo Watch shitemita." The company's stated mission remains to grow as a distinctive publisher by constantly responding to the times and consciously publishing works that ride and shape trends.

• KANZEN is founded by Mitsuaki Usami in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

• Company established with capital of 10 million yen.

• Launches soccer-focused series such as 'Junior Soccer wo Ouen Shiyou!' and 'Football Critique'.

• Expands into baseball with 'Baseball Summit' and other sports genres.

• Launches web media 'Football Channel' and 'Baseball Channel'.

• Publishes information for bookstores on ordering and introduces Kanzen Web Media.

• Soccer Book Award logo renewed and official website opened.

• Pre-release reprint of 'System de Yomu Koshien' decided.

• Multiple reprints announced, including 'Kodomo Bias Jiten' and 'Zokki A' (4th printing).

• Reprint of 'Sagasu Shiraberu Tsukuru! Ishi no Himitsu Zukan' (3rd printing) decided.

Independent publisher focused on soccer, sports, and subculture, combining book publishing with web media and direct sales.

• Junior Soccer wo Ouen Shiyou!

  A series supporting junior soccer, covering training, tactics, and development.

• Football Critique

  A series of critical essays and analysis on football.

• Football Summit

  A series featuring discussions and interviews with football figures.

• Baseball Summit

  A series featuring discussions and interviews with baseball figures.

• Junior Soccer Bible Series

  Comprehensive guides for junior soccer players and coaches.

• Figure Skating Memorial

  Books commemorating figure skating events and skaters.

• Heisei Kamen Rider Series

  Books about the Heisei Kamen Rider tokusatsu franchise.

• Korean Wave Series

  Books about Korean pop culture, dramas, and celebrities.

• Idol and Otaku Research Reader Series

  Books analyzing idol and otaku culture.

• Suzunari Vegetable Series

  Gardening books focused on vegetable growing.

• Football Channel

  A soccer-focused news and analysis website operated by KANZEN.

• Baseball Channel

  A baseball-focused news and analysis website operated by KANZEN.

1. 1株式会社カンゼン 公式サイトkanzen.jp
2. 2会社概要 - 株式会社カンゼンkanzen.jp
3. 3ご注文方法 - 株式会社カンゼンkanzen.jp
4. 4書籍検索 - 株式会社カンゼンkanzen.jp
5. 5カンゼン - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
6. 6KANZEN - Wikidatawikidata.org