About the Impress Group Companies

Impress Corporation

Impress Corporation is the publishing company behind Digital Camera Magazine and books like the “Dekiru” series of computer tutorials, which has sold over 75 million copies. It also produces and operates various media platforms such as Impress Watch, Japan’s most highly accessed IT-related digital news platform, and corporate media platforms such as IT Leaders and the Online Shop Managers’ Forum.

Impress Corporation started out as a niche media company specializing in IT and computer publications. It continues to use its strengths in print and digital publishing and online media to its fullest advantage in its efforts to expand its specializations and provide comprehensive, multi-faceted information on diverse topics.

Business Activties:

Print and digital publication, internet media and services, business media, and solutions related to IT and computer

Rittor Music, Inc.

Rittor Music engages in the production and management of music-related media and content. Examples include Guitar Magazine, Sound & Recording Magazine and other specialty magazines and websites for music players and creators, music instrument instructional books, and other related digital publications, footage, and sound recordings.

The company also runs Ochanomizu RITTOR BASE, a multipurpose space in Ochanomizu, the musical instrument capital of Tokyo, and Digimart, Japan’s largest-scale online marketplace for musical instruments.

MdN Corporation

MdN Corporation publishes books and online media that shares useful information and knowledge on design-related topics. In recent years, it has expanded its offerings beyond computer design books to include media on anime and video creation. While design remains its core specialty, it continues to provide information on a wide variety of themes, publishing hobby and interest books and running seminars.

Business Activties:

Print and digital publication of design and graphics-related books; design services

Yama-Kei Publishers Co., Ltd.

Yama-Kei Publishers publishes the Yama to Keikoku [Mountains and Valleys] monthly magazine along with other content and publications related to mountains and nature. It caters to the diverse demands of outdoor sports fans by providing magazine-books, online services, and events on a variety of topics such as camping and figure skating. It is also the company behind the popular Yama to Keikoku YouTube Channel and the Yamasuta app, which allows users to collect digital commemorative stamps upon reaching the summit of mountains based on GPS information.

Business Activties:

Print and digital publication, internet media and services, and solutions related to mountains and nature

Haranokoya Co., Ltd.

Haranokoya (“The Little Hut on the Plain”), a lodge with gabled roofs located in Hinoemata Village, Fukushima, was hand-built by local craftsmen in 1958. Today, more than 60 years later, it is still in operation with the building just the way it was at the time of its construction! It is one of the rare mountain huts that has an ofuro (Japanese bathtub). A 3-hour drive from Tokyo, it is located in the middle of the Oze National Park, which is full of natural scenery that will delight hikers, mountaineers, and nature lovers.

Business Activties:

Mountain hut

Ikaros Publications, Ltd.

The publisher of the monthly Airline magazine, Ikaros Publications produces specialized books and magazines on a variety of topics that include aviation, railway, military, rescue, and overseas travel. It also offers specialized content on land, sea and air and provides corporate solutions.

Business Activties:

Print and digital publication, school operation, and solutions related to aviation, railway, military, and rescue

ICE Inc.

ICE harnesses the content of partner companies and builds them into online businesses using various forms of monetization. It is a one-stop provider of online business building services, from strategy to building IT systems to operations. Its strengths are in smartphone user interface and user experience (UX and UI) optimization and improving business efficiency and expansion through data analysis. It has also launched various comics businesses under its own brand, starting from “Quickbooks”, its digital-first publishing label.

Business Activties:

Development and operation of digital platforms for partner companies such as publishers; media business such as digital-first publishing

Kindai Kagaku Sha Co., Ltd.

Kindai Kagaku Sha produces a broad variety of engineering and science-related publications. These include academic publications on math, mathematical science, information science, and information engineering, as well as physics and engineering textbooks for universities. It is expanding its scope to meet current needs for the advanced application of fundamental natural science knowledge.

The company partners with key academic societies, clubs, and research institutions to pursue academic level that meets global standards. In addition, it advocates a digital-first approach, and has systemized its editing and production workflow and introduced e-book support. Through these, it hopes to achieve sustainable publishing by eliminating out-of-print issues that have inevitably occurred with the aging of technical books in the past.

Business Activties:

Publication related to academic, engineering, and science

PUBFUN, Inc.

A joint venture with the POD (print on demand) department of MEDIA DO Co., Ltd, PUBFUN, Inc is Japan’s largest domestic POD company. It provides two services: NextPublishing Authors Press, which uses Amazon’s Print-On-Demand service and targets individual creators, and PUBRID, which provides Amazon Print-On-Demand commissioning services for existing publishing companies.

Business Activties:

Print on demand services

Impress Digital Values, Inc.

Impress Digital Values helps its client companies draw up plans and strategies for data-driven marketing activities. It also provides the services required to build and operate e-commerce sites, websites, and owned media platforms, ranging from content planning and production to support for system creation and operation. Its projects include the online store for a major bookstore, fansites for an entertainment and production company, and a recruitment site.

Business Activties:

Development, building, and operation of e-commerce and member sites for client companies; commissioned web content production

SIFCA Corporation

Provides UI/UX design and consulting services for a diverse range of platforms. These include interfaces and information display visuals for product embedded systems, multimedia (website and app) interfaces, and digital signages and exhibition panels for showrooms. Also provides graphic design of logos, icons, and pictograms, and produces illustrations and animations.

Business Activties:

GUI and UX design and consulting; design and illustration production, etc.