Magastore (Platform Business Division, Shinya Kaneko)

Magastore, a pioneer in digital magazines. Kimezo tackled an interview with Mr. Kaneko, one of its developers. And was utterly defeated.

 

—Kaneko, huh? Nice surname. I'm a sucker for gold.

Kaneko: Is that so? (laughs) Thank you.

—So, Kaneko, what are you doing to make money?

Kaneko: Let's put the money-making talk aside for now... I've been in charge of the digital magazine platform "Magastore" since its launch until now.

──How many people use that service?

Kaneko: About 3 million cumulative users.

──That's about the same as my fanbase, isn't it?

Kaneko: There's no way there are that many! (laughs)

──(Ignoring that) How do you read it?

Kaneko: We provide apps for smartphones like iPhone and Android, as well as tablets. Downloading the app and browsing is free, so you can try it out. If you find a magazine you like, you can buy and read it right away. Many are cheaper than the print versions, so it's a great deal.

──When did you launch it?

Kaneko: June 2009. Smartphones were starting to catch on in Japan, so I thought, "The digital magazine trend is coming soon!" and started it.

──How did you collaborate with publishers?

Kaneko: Yes, we visited each publisher one by one, gradually gaining their understanding, and slowly increasing our partners... It was quite a challenge.

──That's pretty heartbreaking.

Kaneko: I'm not crying, am I? When the iPad launched in 2010, that's when the appeal of digital magazines finally started to get through, and our partners grew rapidly.

──How did you digitize the magazines?

Kaneko: Honestly, it was almost manual labor at first. Now we have systems in place, but... until the environment was ready, it was trial and error. We also created a platform called Magaport, which acts as a hub connecting publishers to bookstores.

──I absolutely love LaLaport.

Kaneko: Magaport. We're actively expanding our distribution channels now. As a result, we're also looking at advertising business within digital magazines.

──How widely read are digital magazines anyway?

Kaneko: Currently, the market is around 10 billion yen, so it's still a small portion of the overall magazine market. However, we believe the content edited by publishers holds unique value, so our role is to build that pipeline. Since we have such great content, we want to make it easier for users to discover it.

──That's fucking touching.

Kaneko: I'm not crying.

──Do you also distribute individual articles instead of whole magazines?

Kaneko: Well... Physically, it's possible to sell individual articles from a magazine composed of various pieces. But users aren't accustomed to buying articles one by one, so I think we're still at the stage of experimenting with different service models.

──I'm also in the phase of trying out all kinds of dating techniques.

Kaneko: You always go off on tangents (laughs). You're not cut out to be a facilitator, Kimezo-san.

──Errand boy...?

Kaneko: Ah, it's fine (laughs). By the way, interactive digital magazines packed with features unique to digital formats are emerging. But releasing them simultaneously with print editions is challenging, and production costs are higher, so it seems they're still experimenting. Digital magazines are tricky. That's also part of what makes them fun.

──What about advertising?

Kaneko: Embedding videos in ads, turning the ads themselves into games... Technically, the possibilities are endless. But even digitally, we see ads that match the magazine's worldview and theme as being most effective. Please feel free to consult with us first.

──Any future ambitions?

Kaneko: There are many major magazines and niche specialty publications that readers enjoy but haven't gone digital yet. I want to spread the joy and habit of reading magazines to more people, regardless of whether it's print or digital.

──I've got an idea. How about a service called "TOUCH Reading"?

Kaneko: Browsing?

──No, TOUCH Reading. Just TOUCH to try reading, and then there's something like "Hidden TOUCH"—find it and discover bonus info! Plus...

Kaneko: (checking watch) Oh, gotta head to my next meeting!

 

Kimezo stared after Kaneko's retreating figure, vanishing at the speed of light, for what felt like an eternity.