The Nikkei

Lore & Background

On April 25, 1990, an agreement with Singapore Press Holdings was signed for the printing of a same-day edition for Southeast Asia, first published in Singapore from October 1. In 2020, on August 10, three Hong Kong Police Force officers visited the Nikkei's Hong Kong branch with a court order amid investigations over an advertisement placed in the newspaper a year prior calling for international support for pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

Reader's Guide

The Nikkei holds significant importance as the world's largest financial newspaper, shaping business and economic discourse in Japan and globally. However, the newspaper has faced criticism, as noted by Shusuke Murai and Reiji Yoshida of The Japan Times, for relying heavily on leaks from corporate insiders and being reluctant to criticize Japanese firms. Hiroko Tabuchi of The New York Times described the Nikkei as 'basically a PR machine for Japanese biz,' citing its initial neglect of the 2011 Olympus accounting scandal (broken by the Financial Times) and limited coverage of the Takata airbag defect. These critiques highlight tensions between the Nikkei's role as a financial information provider and its perceived closeness to corporate Japan. Its legacy includes both its vast subscriber base and its influence on Japanese business reporting, though its editorial independence has been questioned.

Did You Know?

• On August 10, 2020, Hong Kong police visited the Nikkei's Hong Kong branch with a court order over a pro-democracy advertisement.
• Critics, including The New York Times reporter Hiroko Tabuchi, have said the Nikkei initially ignored the 2011 Olympus accounting scandal.