昭文社

“Map” and “apple”—combined, they give you “Mapple,” the popular brand of Shobunsha’s maps. Shobunsha, right here in Kanda, Tokyo, dominates the Japanese map market. This publishing powerhouse isn’t just about maps. They’ve got their fingers in everything from travel guides—”Koto-rippu” for the young female traveler, “Mattemiru” for a more general audience—to magazines and even hotel reservations. Shobunsha even publishes a guide specifically for Tokyo’s subway system. Founded in 1960 by Nobuo Kuroda, Shobunsha started modestly in Osaka, creating general-purpose maps. He wasn’t interested in specialized maps, he wanted to make maps accessible to everyone. By 1963, Kuroda had expanded to Tokyo, launching a new magazine, “New East”, alongside prefectural, regional, and mountain maps. Shobunsha transitioned to a joint-stock company in 1964. Just a few years later, in 1970, Shobunsha made its mark with the “Area Map EXPO’70” for the Osaka Expo. That apple logo, a symbol of freshness, is meant to reflect the up-to-date quality of their maps. From world atlases to hyperlocal guides, Shobunsha is the only publisher in Japan that handles every stage of mapmaking in-house for all types of maps. They’ve even dabbled in digital map software with “Mapple Life.” Interestingly, there’s another publisher, Shinbunsha, with a similar name, leading to some confusion. They even collaborated on joint campaigns in 2013 and 2014 to address the mix-up. So next time you see that apple logo, remember you’re looking at a piece of Shobunsha’s legacy, a testament to Kuroda’s vision of making maps for everyone, right here from their Tokyo headquarters.