# Popeye (magazine)

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Japanese men's fashion magazine

Popeye Cover of the first issue (July 1976) Editorial Director Ken Miyamoto[1] Categories Men's fashion magazine Frequency Monthly Publisher Magazine House Ltd. Founded 1976 First issue July 1976 Country Japan Based in Tokyo Language Japanese Website popeyemagazine.jp magazineworld.jp/popeye

***Popeye*** (stylized as ***POPEYE***) is a monthly [fashion](/source/Fashion) and [men's magazine](/source/Men's_magazine) published by [Magazine House](/source/Magazine_House) with the name licensed from [King Features Syndicate](/source/King_Features_Syndicate). Founded in 1976, it is one of Japan's oldest magazines featuring articles about [men's fashion](/source/Men's_fashion). Its tagline is "Magazine for City Boys".[2][3] The magazine introduced American youth culture to Japanese audiences and is Japan's longest-running men's fashion magazine.[4]

## History and profile

### Founding

*Popeye* was conceived in 1976 as a male counterpart to *[an an](/source/Anan_(magazine))*, 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*.[8]

The first issue appeared in July 1976[9] and featured the fashion trends of [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles).[7][10] Art director Seiichi Horiuchi created the logo in 1976 and designed every issue throughout the decade.[11][12] Yoshihisa Kinameri served as the launch editor.[7]

### Publishing details

The publisher is Magazine House Ltd., a Tokyo-based publishing company.[13][14] The company, originally named Heibun Shuppan, founded the magazine in 1976.[15]

The magazine was initially published biweekly[16] before transitioning to monthly publication.[13] *Popeye* covers fashion, clothing, accessories, bags, and shoes, and targets young, educated urban men.[17][13]

### Competition and decline

Following *Popeye*'s success, publisher [Kodansha](/source/Kodansha) launched *[Hot-Dog Press](/source/Hot-Dog_Press)* in 1979 as a direct competitor and "nearly identical rip-off".[18] In 1982, *Hot-Dog Press* outsold *Popeye* for the first time.[19] By 1991, *Hot-Dog Press* reported greater sales than *Popeye*, which had a circulation of 700,000.[20]

Both *Popeye* and *Hot-Dog Press* struggled by the mid-1990s as readers became less interested in magazines that dictated fashion trends.[21]

### Editorial leadership and redesign

In 2012, Takahiro Kinoshita became editor-in-chief and initiated a magazine redesign.[9][3] Circulation grew to 100,000 during his tenure.[22] Kinoshita left his position in 2018 to join [Fast Retailing](/source/Fast_Retailing) as an executive officer.[23][24]

## Cultural impact and recognition

Other Magazine House titles include *[an an](/source/An_An)*, *[Brutus](/source/Brutus_(magazine))*, and *[Croissant](/source/Croissant_(magazine))*.[13] In 2013, both *Popeye* and *Brutus* received the Fifth Best Magazine Award.[25]

The magazine celebrated its 40th anniversary in July 2016 with a special issue that included a complete reprint of the original 1976 edition.[7][9] The anniversary included collaborations with major fashion retailers, including a limited collection with BEAMS celebrating both brands' 40th anniversaries.[26]

## Circulation and publication

In 1999, *Popeye* reported a circulation of 220,000.[27] As of 2024[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Popeye_(magazine)&action=edit), the magazine continues monthly publication with digital editions and an online store.[4][28]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-staff_1-0)** ["Staff"](https://popeyemagazine.jp/staff/). *Popeye Magazine* (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hype_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hype_2-1) ["A Guide to Japanese Fashion Magazines"](https://hypebeast.com/2015/4/a-hypebeast-guide-to-japanese-fashion-magazines). *Hypebeast*. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-klas_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-klas_3-1) Klassen, Matthew. ["Takahiro Kinoshita"](http://www.inventorymagazine.com/features/takahiro-kinoshita.html). *Inventory Magazine*. Retrieved 30 April 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-valet2024_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-valet2024_4-1) Marx, W. David (19 September 2024). ["Japan's Coolest Men's Magazine: Popeye Magazine"](https://www.valetmag.com/living/culture/2024/celebrating-popeye-magazine-japan-mens-style-091924.php). *Valet*. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Németh, Barbara (2014). [*Masculinities in Japan*](https://theses.cz/id/w3ov0n/?lang=en) (MA thesis). Olomouc: Palacký University Olomouc.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Moeran, Brian (1996). [*A Japanese Advertising Agency: An Anthropology of Media and Markets*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Cid44llrlewC&pg=PA304). Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 304. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8248-1873-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8248-1873-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-jul_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-jul_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-jul_7-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-jul_7-3) Makinen, Julie (19 July 2016). ["What's hot in Japan right now? Los Angeles, circa 1976"](https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-japan-los-angeles-magazine-20160628-snap-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved 6 February 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-bandana_8-0)** Ohlendorf, Cory. ["Issue #9: The Story of 'Popeye' Magazine"](https://www.thebandana.jp/p/issue-9). *Bandana*. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ming_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ming_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ming_9-2) Mingo, Chais (9 June 2016). ["Popeye Magazine 40th Anniversary Issue & Issue 01 Re-Print"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160612201008/http://www.intelligencemagazine.com/news/2016/6/9/popeye-magazine-40th-anniversary-issue-issue-01-re-print). *Intelligence*. Archived from [the original](http://www.intelligencemagazine.com/news/2016/6/9/popeye-magazine-40th-anniversary-issue-issue-01-re-print) on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Levith, Will (25 November 2016). ["Japan's Popeye Magazine Is a Surprising Relic of the Not-So-Distant Past"](https://www.realclearlife.com/history/popular-japanese-magazine-los-angeles-1976/). *Real Clear Life*. Retrieved 6 February 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hypebeast2022_11-0)** Li, Nicolaus (26 April 2022). ["Iconic Japanese Magazine 'Popeye' Launches Online Store with Merch Release"](https://hypebeast.com/2022/4/japanese-magazine-popeye-online-store-launch-merch-release). *Hypebeast*. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Pajkovic, Niko (27 April 2022). ["Japanese Label Popeye Launches Web Store and Merch Collection"](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/popeye-1). *TrendHunter*. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-japanesestreets_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-japanesestreets_13-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-japanesestreets_13-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-japanesestreets_13-3) ["Popeye"](https://web.archive.org/web/20071101094705/https://www.japanesestreets.com/fashion-mags/225/popeye). *Japanese Streets*. Archived from [the original](http://www.japanesestreets.com/fashion-mags/225/popeye) on 1 November 2007. Retrieved 30 April 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Wilson, Fiona (November 2015). ["Press Ahead"](https://web.archive.org/web/20151024170314/https://monocle.com/magazine/issues/88/press-ahead/). *Monocle*. Vol. 9, no. 88. Archived from [the original](https://monocle.com/magazine/issues/88/press-ahead/) on 24 October 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-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](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1467-954X.2003.tb03613.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1467-954X.2003.tb03613.x). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [143669392](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:143669392).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** [*Europa World Year Book*](https://books.google.com/books?id=wGA4o-UhAfgC&pg=PA2357). London; New York: Europa Publications. 2004. p. 2357. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-85743-254-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-85743-254-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Monden, Masafumi (2014). [*Japanese Fashion Cultures: Dress and Gender in Contemporary Japan*](https://books.google.com/books?id=p6dOBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA26). London: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 26. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4725-8673-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4725-8673-5).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-poul_18-0)** Poul, Alan (19 August 1990). "Japan's Glitzy, Busy New Info-Mags Are Training Manuals for the 21st Century". *San Francisco Chronicle* (Sunday ed.). p. 7/Z1.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-marx_19-0)** Marx, W. David (9 December 2017). ["The Man Who Brought Ivy To Japan"](https://www.ivy-style.com/the-man-who-brought-ivy-to-japan.html). *Ivy Style*. Retrieved 11 January 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ono_20-0)** Ono, Yumiko (28 June 1991). "Magazine House: Tokyo's Trend-Setter". *The Wall Street Journal*. p. B1.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-shirouzu_21-0)** Shirouzu, Norihiko (24 April 1995). "Twentysomethings in Japan Spurn Haute Couture, Frustrate Retailers". *The Wall Street Journal*. p. A7B.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-hypebeast2015_22-0)** ["Takahiro Kinoshita"](https://hypebeast.com/the-hypebeast-hundred-2015/takahiro-kinoshita). *Hypebeast*. 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["Former Popeye Editor-in-Chief Takahiro Kinoshita Joins Fast Retailing"](https://www.fastretailing.com/eng/ir/news/1805011500.html) (Press release). Fast Retailing. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** Wetherille, Kelly (1 May 2018). ["Former Popeye Editor in Chief Joins Fast Retailing"](https://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/former-popeye-editor-in-chief-uniqlo-takahiro-kinoshita-1202663020/). *WWD*. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-25)** ["The Fifth Best Magazine Award Winners Including Brutus and Popeye Announced"](https://web.archive.org/web/20130603173201/http://en.fashion-headline.com/article/2013/03/19/543.html). *Fashion Headline*. 19 March 2013. Archived from [the original](http://en.fashion-headline.com/article/2013/03/19/543.html) on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-26)** Chin, Mallory (31 October 2016). ["BEAMS & 'Popeye' Magazine Celebrate Their 40th Anniversaries with a Collaboration"](https://hypebeast.com/2016/10/beams-popeye-magazine-40-anniversary-collection-hong-kong). *Hypebeast*. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-27)** Miller, Laura (2004). ["You are doing Burikko!"](https://books.google.com/books?id=NoxJCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT150). 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](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-029026-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-029026-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-28)** Li, Nicolaus (26 April 2022). ["Iconic Japanese Magazine 'Popeye' Launches Online Store with Merch Release"](https://hypebeast.com/2022/4/japanese-magazine-popeye-online-store-launch-merch-release). *Hypebeast*. Retrieved 16 June 2025.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Popeye (magazine)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Popeye_(magazine)).

- [Official website](https://popeyemagazine.jp/) (in Japanese)

- [25 October 1978 issue](https://archive.org/details/1978-10-25-popeye-magazine-raw-pages/1978-10-25%20Popeye%20Magazine%20%28No%20OCR%29) at the [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

- [10 April 1981 issue](https://archive.org/details/popeye-magazine-for-city-boys-1981-04-10) at the [Internet Archive](/source/Internet_Archive)

v t e Japanese fashion magazines For women An an AneCan Bis CanCam Classy Egg Hanako Happie Nuts I Love Mama JJ Junon Koakuma Ageha Love Berry Nicola Non-no Pichi Lemon PopSister Popteen Ranzuki Seventeen Soen Vivi For men Brutus MensEGG Men's Non-no Popeye For any Cosmode Fruits

v t e Popeye created by E. C. Segar Characters Main Popeye Bluto Olive Oyl Wimpy Swee'Pea Supporting Alice the Goon Eugene the Jeep George W. Geezil Harold Hamgravy Castor Oyl Poopdeck Pappy Sea Hag Authors and artists E. C. Segar Max Fleischer Dave Fleischer Hy Eisman Seymour Kneitel Roger Langridge Bobby London R. K. Milholland Bruce Ozella Bill Pearson Bud Sagendorf George Wildman Doc Winner Bela Zaboly Theatrical shorts Fleischer Studios Popeye the Sailor I Yam What I Yam Blow Me Down! Seasin's Greetinks! Wild Elephinks Let's You and Him Fight Little Swee'Pea Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor The Paneless Window Washer Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves A Date to Skate Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Ghosks Is the Bunk Famous Studios You're a Sap, Mr. Jap Scrap the Japs Me Musical Nephews Spinach Fer Britain Seein' Red, White 'N' Blue Pop-Pie a la Mode Olive Oyl for President Ancient Fistory Popeye, the Ace of Space Fright to the Finish Spooky Swabs Feature films Official Popeye Public domain Popeye's Revenge Popeye the Slayer Man Shiver Me Timbers Television shows Popeye the Sailor The All New Popeye Hour Popeye and Son The Popeye Show TV specials Popeye Meets the Man Who Hated Laughter Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy Video games Arcade game Popeye no Eigo Asobi Popeye (Game Boy) Popeye 2 Ijiwaru Majo Seahag no Maki Beach Volleyball Rush for Spinach Other Popeye the Sailor (radio series) Popeye Song Folio Popeye Village Popeye (magazine) Brutus (magazine) Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges Popeye Saves the Earth

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Popeye (magazine)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye_(magazine)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye_(magazine)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.