Popeye (magazine)

Popeye is a monthly fashion and men's magazine based in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1976, it is one of Japan's oldest magazines featuring articles about men's fashion and has become one of the country's most influential cultural publications. Its tagline is "Magazine for City Boys".^[2][3] The magazine is widely recognized for introducing American youth culture to Japanese audiences and has maintained its position as Japan's longest-running men's fashion magazine.^[4]

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

History and profile

Founding

Popeye was conceived in 1976 as a male counterpart to an an, 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, reflecting the magazine's focus on urban male lifestyle and American cultural influence.^[8]

The first issue appeared in July 1976^[9] and featured the dominant fashion trends of Los Angeles, establishing the magazine's signature focus on American West Coast culture.^[7][10] The magazine's logo and visual identity were designed by art director Seiichi Horiuchi, who created the distinctive logo in 1976 and designed every issue throughout the 1970s.^[11][12] Yoshihisa Kinameri served as the launch editor of the magazine.^[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 as part of its expanding portfolio of lifestyle publications.^[15]

The magazine was initially published biweekly^[16] before transitioning to monthly publication.^[13] Popeye focuses primarily on fashion, with content covering clothing, accessories, bags and shoes.^[17] The magazine targets young, educated urban men and has maintained its core demographic for nearly 5 decades.^[13]

Editorial leadership and redesign

In 2012, Takahiro Kinoshita became editor-in-chief and initiated a comprehensive magazine redesign.^[9][3] Under Kinoshita's leadership, circulation grew from approximately 40,000 to 100,000 copies, marking a significant period of expansion for the publication.^[18] Kinoshita left his position in 2018 to join Fast Retailing as an executive officer.^[19][20]

Cultural impact and recognition

Popeye has several sister publications within the Magazine House portfolio, including an an, Brutus, and Croissant.^[13] In 2013, both Popeye and Brutus received the Fifth Best Magazine Award, recognizing their influence in Japanese publishing.^[21]

The magazine celebrated its 40th anniversary in July 2016 with a special issue that included a complete reprint of the original 1976 edition and retrospective content highlighting its cultural influence.^[7][9] The anniversary was marked by collaborations with major fashion retailers, including a limited collection with BEAMS celebrating both brands' 40th anniversaries.^[22]

Digital transformation and current status

As of 2025, Popeye continues monthly publication and has adapted to digital platforms while maintaining its print presence.^[4] The magazine has launched digital editions available through various platforms and developed an online store featuring merchandise and collaborations.^[23] The magazine maintains a strong social media presence and has expanded its reach to international markets through English-language content and global distribution partnerships.

Recent issues have maintained the magazine's focus on American cultural influence while adapting to contemporary fashion trends and urban lifestyle content. The publication has sustained its position as Japan's longest-running men's fashion magazine in a competitive market of over 35 monthly men's fashion titles.

Circulation and readership

In 1999, Popeye reported a circulation of 220,000 copies.^[24] The magazine's circulation experienced significant growth during the 2010s under Kinoshita's editorial leadership, more than doubling from its early 2010s baseline to reach 100,000 copies by 2018.^[18]