Daily Manila Shimbun suspends publication after 30-year run

The Daily Manila Shimbun, a Japanese-language newspaper based in the Philippine capital, has effectively suspended publication after more than three decades, Kyodo News learned Tuesday.

The daily’s website is no longer accessible and its main social media accounts have not been updated for some time. Most of the editorial and sales staff had quit by March, according to several former employees and other people familiar with the matter.

A former senior staff member said the paper’s finances had deteriorated in recent years.

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Former staff members said the company had failed to pay wages for the month January onward, resulting in an ongoing labor dispute seeking back pay. Rent for its office has also been left unpaid.

Kyodo News contacted the paper by email to confirm the situation but did not receive a response.

The daily traced its origins to a predecessor launched in 1992 and adopted its current name in 1996. It pushed a shift to digital as print circulation fell.

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The management’s problems worsened after allegations surfaced in 2024 that a former Japanese president was involved in an investment fraud scheme, which damaged the outlet’s reputation. /dl