Asahi Shimbun Co and Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, Japan's two largest newspaper publishers, said Wednesday that they have agreed to cooperate in newspaper printing work in an effort to cut costs. It will be the first such partnership between the two rival companies.
From 2011, Asahi will print about 200,000 copies of the Yomiuri daily at its plant in Funabashi in Chiba Prefecture, for delivery to subscribers in the prefecture and eastern Tokyo.
In exchange, Yomiuri's Sakaide plant in Kagawa Prefecture, will start printing 150,000 copies of the Asahi daily for delivery to the Shikoku region, including Kagawa, some time between 2011 and 2013.
Asahi and Yomiuri are considering joint newspaper transportation from the Funabashi and Sakaide plants.
The two companies are calling on other newspaper publishers to join the cooperation initiative.
Asahi will introduce a new rotary press at the Funabashi plant for the printing of the Yomiuri newspaper.
Asahi will close its factory in Marugame in Kagawa Prefecture and transfer its printing operations to another Asahi facility. The Marugame plant now prints the Asahi newspaper for delivery to the Chugoku region of western Japan.
© JCN
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smartacus
I can't imagine rival newspapers doing that in other countries. Anyway, they are fighting a losing battle against the Internet.
some14some
"East meets West" through internet bridge.