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Popeye (magazine)

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Popeye
Cover of first issue of Popeye magazine from July 1976 showing the magazine's distinctive logo and layout
Cover of the first issue (July 1976)
Editorial DirectorKen Miyamoto[1]
CategoriesMen's fashion magazine
FrequencyMonthly
PublisherMagazine House Ltd.
Founded1976
First issueJuly 1976
CountryJapan
Based inTokyo
LanguageJapanese
Website

Popeye is a monthly fashion and men's magazine based in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1976, it is one of Japan's oldest magazines featuring articles about men's fashion and has become one of the country's most influential cultural publications. Its tagline is "Magazine for City Boys".[2][3] The magazine is widely recognized for introducing American youth culture to Japanese audiences and has maintained its position as Japan's longest-running men's fashion magazine.[4]

History and profile

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Founding

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Popeye was conceived in 1976 as a male counterpart to an an, Magazine House's successful women's magazine.[2][5][6] The magazine emerged from the merger of two existing publications, Ski Life and Made in U.S.A.[7] According to cultural historian W. David Marx, founding editor Jirō Ishikawa originally wanted to name the publication "City Boys" before settling on Popeye, reflecting the magazine's focus on urban male lifestyle and American cultural influence.[8]

The first issue appeared in July 1976[9] and featured the dominant fashion trends of Los Angeles, establishing the magazine's signature focus on American West Coast culture.[7][10] The magazine's logo and visual identity were designed by art director Seiichi Horiuchi, who created the distinctive logo in 1976 and designed every issue throughout the 1970s.[11][12] Yoshihisa Kinameri served as the launch editor of the magazine.[7]

Publishing details

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The publisher is Magazine House Ltd., a Tokyo-based publishing company.[13][14] The company, originally named Heibun Shuppan, founded the magazine as part of its expanding portfolio of lifestyle publications.[15]

The magazine was initially published biweekly[16] before transitioning to monthly publication.[13] Popeye focuses primarily on fashion, with content covering clothing, accessories, bags and shoes.[17] The magazine targets young, educated urban men and has maintained its core demographic for nearly 5 decades.[13]

Editorial leadership and redesign

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In 2012, Takahiro Kinoshita became editor-in-chief and initiated a comprehensive magazine redesign.[9][3] Under Kinoshita's leadership, circulation grew from approximately 40,000 to 100,000 copies, marking a significant period of expansion for the publication.[18] Kinoshita left his position in 2018 to join Fast Retailing as an executive officer.[19][20]

Cultural impact and recognition

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Popeye has several sister publications within the Magazine House portfolio, including an an, Brutus, and Croissant.[13] In 2013, both Popeye and Brutus received the Fifth Best Magazine Award, recognizing their influence in Japanese publishing.[21]

The magazine celebrated its 40th anniversary in July 2016 with a special issue that included a complete reprint of the original 1976 edition and retrospective content highlighting its cultural influence.[7][9] The anniversary was marked by collaborations with major fashion retailers, including a limited collection with BEAMS celebrating both brands' 40th anniversaries.[22]

Digital transformation and current status

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As of 2025, Popeye continues monthly publication and has adapted to digital platforms while maintaining its print presence.[4] The magazine has launched digital editions available through various platforms and developed an online store featuring merchandise and collaborations.[23] The magazine maintains a strong social media presence and has expanded its reach to international markets through English-language content and global distribution partnerships.

Recent issues have maintained the magazine's focus on American cultural influence while adapting to contemporary fashion trends and urban lifestyle content. The publication has sustained its position as Japan's longest-running men's fashion magazine in a competitive market of over 35 monthly men's fashion titles.

Circulation and readership

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In 1999, Popeye reported a circulation of 220,000 copies.[24] The magazine's circulation experienced significant growth during the 2010s under Kinoshita's editorial leadership, more than doubling from its early 2010s baseline to reach 100,000 copies by 2018.[18]

References

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  1. ^ "Staff". Popeye Magazine (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b "A Guide to Japanese Fashion Magazines". Hypebeast. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b Klassen, Matthew. "Takahiro Kinoshita". Inventory Magazine. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Japan's Coolest Men's Magazine: Popeye Magazine". Valet. 19 September 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  5. ^ Németh, Barbara (2014). Masculinities in Japan (MA thesis). Olomouc: Palacký University Olomouc.
  6. ^ Moeran, Brian (1996). A Japanese Advertising Agency: An Anthropology of Media and Markets. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 304. ISBN 978-0-8248-1873-9.
  7. ^ a b c d Makinen, Julie (19 July 2016). "What's hot in Japan right now? Los Angeles, circa 1976". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Issue #9: The Story of 'Popeye' Magazine". Bandana. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Mingo, Chais (9 June 2016). "Popeye Magazine 40th Anniversary Issue & Issue 01 Re-Print". Intelligence. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  10. ^ "Japan's Popeye Magazine Is a Surprising Relic of the Not-So-Distant Past". Real Clear Life. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  11. ^ Li, Nicolaus (26 April 2022). "Iconic Japanese Magazine 'Popeye' Launches Online Store with Merch Release". Hypebeast. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  12. ^ Pajkovic, Niko (27 April 2022). "Japanese Label Popeye Launches Web Store and Merch Collection". TrendHunter. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d "Popeye". Japanese Streets. Archived from the original on 1 November 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  14. ^ Wilson, Fiona (November 2015). "Press Ahead". Monocle. Vol. 9, no. 88. Archived from the original on 24 October 2015.
  15. ^ Tanaka, Keiko (May 2003). "The language of Japanese men's magazines: young men who don't want to get hurt". The Sociological Review. 51 (S1): 222–242. doi:10.1111/j.1467-954X.2003.tb03613.x. S2CID 143669392.
  16. ^ Europa World Year Book. London; New York: Europa Publications. 2004. p. 2357. ISBN 978-1-85743-254-1.
  17. ^ Monden, Masafumi (2014). Japanese Fashion Cultures: Dress and Gender in Contemporary Japan. London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-4725-8673-5.
  18. ^ a b "Takahiro Kinoshita". Hypebeast. 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  19. ^ "Former Popeye Editor-in-Chief Takahiro Kinoshita Joins Fast Retailing" (Press release). Fast Retailing. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Former Popeye Editor in Chief Takahiro Kinoshita Joins Uniqlo". WWD. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  21. ^ "The Fifth Best Magazine Award Winners Including Brutus and Popeye Announced". Fashion Headline. 19 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  22. ^ "BEAMS & 'Popeye' Magazine Celebrate Their 40th Anniversaries with a Collaboration". Hypebeast. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  23. ^ Li, Nicolaus (26 April 2022). "Iconic Japanese Magazine 'Popeye' Launches Online Store with Merch Release". Hypebeast. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  24. ^ Miller, Laura (2004). "You are doing Burikko!". In Okamoto, Shigeko; Shibamoto Smith, Janet S. (eds.). Japanese Language, Gender, and Ideology: Cultural Models and Real People. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press. p. 150. ISBN 978-0-19-029026-9.
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