At the "NEWSPAPER MARCHÉ" event in Futakotamagawa, where people encounter newspapers, AKB48 Team 8 also promoted newspapers.
The Japan Newspaper Publishers & Editors Association held a PR event titled "NEWSPAPER MARCHÉ: Discover New Ways to Engage with Newspapers" at the Futakotamagawa Rise complex in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, over three days from April 7 to 9. The event provided opportunities for young people, including university students and young professionals, as well as families, to engage with newspapers.
Opening a newspaper can lead to unexpected discoveries—encounters with articles you never imagined, opportunities to learn about things you didn't know or hadn't considered. The event aimed to spark renewed interest in newspapers and refresh perceptions about them. Approximately 7,000 people attended.
At the venue, the front pages of all 96 association member newspapers were displayed together as the "Newspaper Walkway." Children's newspapers were also on display, allowing visitors to compare and thoroughly sample each paper. A giant newspaper-themed installation, the "Everyone's News Tower," also made an appearance. Visitors could paste newspaper clippings onto it, enjoying the experience and becoming familiar with newspapers together with their children.
On the 8th and 9th, a "Newspaper Song Concert" for children was held. Singer-songwriter Azusa Sato performed, including "The Newspaper Song"—a piece she wrote and composed, with choreography by Lucky Ikeda. On the 9th, Lucky Ikeda himself appeared, and the children enjoyed singing and dancing.
On the 8th, AKB48 Team 8 members Rin Okabe (Ibaraki Prefecture representative) and Erina Oda (Kanagawa Prefecture representative) held a special talk show. They promoted the appeal of newspapers in a discussion with newspaper reporters and also performed songs to liven up the event.
The same day also featured the "HAPPY NEWS 2016" award ceremony. HAPPY NEWS is a campaign soliciting articles that made readers feel happy or provided insights, along with the reasons why. Singer-songwriter miwa, who served as a guest judge, appeared as a presenter and awarded the Grand Prize to Junko Zaima from Hiroshima City ( View the HAPPY NEWS 2016 winning entries here ). Ms. Zaiman commented on an article introducing the "Sea Terrace School Lunch" program at an elementary school on Nua Island, off the coast of Matsuyama City in the Seto Inland Sea.
Other features included a "Your Own Newspaper" section where participants could create a newspaper with commemorative photos taken by a professional photographer, and introductions to children's newspapers.
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