Japan's first two shūkanshi (weekly magazines) appeared so closely, their arrival could be described as analogous to a "photo start" as opposed to a photo finish. The Asahi Shimbun launched Junkan Asahi on Feb. 25, 1922. Rather than appearing weekly, however, it was issued on the 5th, 15th and 25th of each month. Asahi then changed it to a weekly on April 2 (a Sunday), in response to the Mainichi Shimbun's launch of the Sunday Mainichi on the same date.
Due to a government ban on the use of "enemy" words, Sunday Mainichi was obliged to publish as Shukan Mainichi from 1943 to 1946.
Now a venerable 90 years old, Shukan Asahi recently made the news, rather than covering it, after it was obliged to yank veteran writer Shinichi Sano's planned expose series about Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto after just one installment.
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