Kinseisha Co., Ltd.

Kinseisha Co., Ltd. (株式会社錦正社) is a Japanese publishing house headquartered in Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. The company describes itself as a publisher of books centered on history, Kokugaku (National Learning), military history, and traditional performing arts. Its catalogue spans scholarly monographs, source-text transcriptions, academic journals, and series on Mito studies and folk performing arts. The firm traces its origins to May 1938 (Shōwa 13), when the imprint 'Kinseisha' was established within the Nisshōdō bookstore and issued its first two titles. In January 1938, Shōzō Nakafuji (中藤正三) became independent from Nisshōdō and formally founded Kinseisha in Kanda Nishikichō, Tokyo. The company's early decades were disrupted by World War II: the founder was conscripted in 1944, the office burned down in an air raid in March 1945, and after the war Nakafuji was purged from public office, forcing the business to focus on book and magazine distribution. Publishing resumed around 1950. In February 1966, founder Shōzō Nakafuji died in the All Nippon Airways Haneda offshore crash while returning from the Sapporo Snow Festival; his successor Masafumi Nakafuji took over the business. From the 1980s onward Kinseisha expanded its distinctive scholarly lines: the Mito Historiography Selection (水戸史学選書) began in 1983, the quarterly journal Military History Studies (軍事史学) in 1987, and the twenty-volume Honda Yasuji Collected Works on Japanese Traditional Performing Arts was published between 1993 and 2000. The office moved to its current Waseda location in 2004. In 2013 the business was incorporated as Kinseisha Co., Ltd., with Masafumi Nakafuji becoming Representative Director and Chairman and Masamichi Nakafuji becoming Representative Director and President. Chairman Masafumi Nakafuji died in December 2020. Today Kinseisha continues to publish academic journals such as the quarterly Military History Studies and the Bulletin of the Meiji Seitoku Memorial Society, alongside monographs and source collections in military history, Shinto and Kokugaku, Mito studies, and folk performing arts.

Kinseisha's history begins in May 1938 (Shōwa 13), when the imprint 'Kinseisha' was established inside the Nisshōdō bookstore and published its first two titles, 'Fountain of Common Sense: A Reader on Getting Along in the World' (常識の泉 世渡心得読本) and 'The Secret of a New Memorization Method and How to Use Your Head' (新しい記憶法の秘訣と頭の働かせ方). At that time books were issued by Kinseisha and sold through bookstores. In January 1938, Shōzō Nakafuji (中藤正三, 1914–1966) became independent from Nisshōdō and founded Kinseisha at 1-6 Kanda Nishikichō, Tokyo. The war years brought severe disruption. In 1944 the founder was called up by the Matsumoto Military Police, and business stagnated. In March 1945 the company building was destroyed in an air raid. After the war, in 1947, Nakafuji was purged from public office and could not engage in publishing; the business survived mainly through book and magazine distribution. Around 1948 the firm moved to 1-4-4 Kanda Nishikichō, Chiyoda-ku, and in 1950 publishing activities resumed. On February 4, 1966, founder Shōzō Nakafuji died in the All Nippon Airways Haneda offshore crash while returning from the Sapporo Snow Festival. Masafumi Nakafuji succeeded him and led the company for decades. Under his stewardship Kinseisha developed the specialist scholarly identity it retains today. In 1983 it launched the Mito Historiography Selection (水戸史学選書) with 'The Tradition of Mito Studies' by Kenzō Kobayashi and Yoshifumi Terunuma. In 1987 it began publishing the quarterly journal Military History Studies (軍事史学) from issue 90. From 1993 to 2000 it issued the twenty-volume Honda Yasuji Collected Works: Japanese Traditional Performing Arts (本田安次著作集 日本の傳統藝能). In 2004 the office moved to its current address at 544-6 Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. In 2013 the business was incorporated as Kinseisha Co., Ltd. (株式会社錦正社). At that time Masafumi Nakafuji became Representative Director and Chairman, and Masamichi Nakafuji became Representative Director and President. Chairman Masafumi Nakafuji died in December 2020. The company continues to publish academic journals and scholarly books, including the quarterly Military History Studies, the Bulletin of the Meiji Seitoku Memorial Society, and works in military history, Shinto and Kokugaku, Mito studies, and folk performing arts.

• 2020

  Chairman Masafumi Nakafuji died.

• 2013

  Incorporated as Kinseisha Co., Ltd.; Masafumi Nakafuji became Chairman and Masamichi Nakafuji became President.

• 2004

  Moved office to current location in Waseda Tsurumakicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.

• 2000

  Completed the 20-volume Honda Yasuji Collected Works.

• 1993

  Began publishing the 20-volume Honda Yasuji Collected Works: Japanese Traditional Performing Arts.

• 1987

  Began publishing the quarterly journal Military History Studies (軍事史学) from issue 90.

• 1983

  Launched the Mito Historiography Selection (水戸史学選書) with 'The Tradition of Mito Studies'.

• 1966

  Founder Shōzō Nakafuji died in the All Nippon Airways Haneda offshore crash; Masafumi Nakafuji succeeded the business.

• 1950

  Publishing activities resumed.

• 1948

  Moved to 1-4-4 Kanda Nishikichō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

• 1947

  Founder purged from public office; publishing suspended, company focused on distribution.

• 1945

  Company building destroyed in an air raid.

• 1944

  Founder Shōzō Nakafuji was conscripted by the Matsumoto Military Police; business stagnated.

• 1938

  Established 'Kinseisha' within Nisshōdō bookstore and published its first two titles.

• 1938

  Shōzō Nakafuji became independent from Nisshōdō and founded Kinseisha in Kanda Nishikichō, Tokyo.

Independent academic and specialist publisher focused on Japanese history, Kokugaku, military history, and traditional performing arts, with a publishing policy informed by the formation and development of the Japanese Empire from the late Edo period through the Meiji, Taishō, and Shōwa eras.

• Quarterly 'Military History Studies' (季刊『軍事史学』)

  Quarterly journal of military history, published since 1987; includes special features and articles.

• Mito Historiography Selection (水戸史学選書)

  Series on Mito studies launched in 1983.

• Honda Yasuji Collected Works: Japanese Traditional Performing Arts (本田安次著作集 日本の傳統藝能)

  Twenty-volume collection published 1993–2000.

• Military History Basic Source Transcriptions (軍事史基本史料翻刻)

  Series of transcribed primary sources, including the Shimada Shigetarō memoranda and diaries.

• Bulletin of the Meiji Seitoku Memorial Society (明治聖徳記念学会紀要)

  Academic bulletin published by Kinseisha.

• 'Defense Studies' (『防衛学研究』)

  Journal of the Japan Society for Defense Studies, published by Kinseisha.

1. 1株式会社 錦正社 公式サイトkinseisha.jp
2. 2会社案内 | 株式会社 錦正社kinseisha.jp
3. 3アクセス | 株式会社 錦正社kinseisha.jp
4. 4沿革 | 株式会社 錦正社kinseisha.jp
5. 5Kinseisha Co., Ltd. - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6錦正社 - Wikipedia (Japanese)ja.wikipedia.org