The 2008 Lehman Shock sent economies into a tailspin. Its impact was felt across fashion magazines, with many brands cutting back on their advertising and rumors of a crisis in the publishing industry. Furthermore, the Internet industry's aggressive expansion was also fueling calls for a print medium.
In these times, Figaro Japon also underwent a redesign to keep up with the times. This was a redesign that followed a change in editor-in-chief, a process repeated many times by fashion magazines overseas.
With the December 5, 2009 issue, the baton was passed to current Editor-in-Chief Nishimura Midori. Nishimura's first mission was to rethink the role of print media.
"When we became a biweekly magazine in 1995, speed of information was important, so publishing twice a month was effective. However, now, when speed is key and information can be accessed easily on a smartphone, I believe that quality, rather than speed, is what is required of print media." Thus, to mark its 20th anniversary, Figaro Japon will become a monthly magazine, starting with the June 2010 issue. The first thing I asked Editor-in-Chief Nishimura about was the magazine's stance. "I don't want it to be a magazine that disappears in a week. I want it to be known as a must-have magazine. In fact, some bookstores have back-issue sections for Figaro Japon. We aim to create a substantial magazine that specializes in a mix of genres, from fashion to culture and travel," he replied. It's up to the editor-in-chief to truly engage with the magazine, determine what is necessary and useful for readers, and create a magazine that readers can confidently recommend with thoughtful, high-quality articles. If they continue to produce only the same tried-and-true ideas as before, they may only become more distant from their readers. This is merely my personal opinion, but perhaps the reason so many current editors-in-chief of fashion magazines are former editors-in-chief of Figaro Japon is due to the "Figaro magic." When I asked Editor-in-Chief Nishimura, he replied, "Well, I think it was simply a gathering of magazine lovers." It seemed like a self-evident answer, yet strangely persuasive. It felt like a statement made possible by the editorial department's culture of instilling editors' intuition, skill, and tenacity.
Hankyu Communications' "Figaro Japon," "Newsweek Japan," "Pen," and the book division were transferred to CCC Media House Co., Ltd., which owns Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd., in October 2014. Even though it is the third new company, the company location and staff remain unchanged, and it continues to operate as before.
Continued from 11/11 -- Reporting on Paris for 25 Years.
