Misconceptions About Japanese Publishers

This is my first blog in 2024.

You may have thought something like this.

"Why don't Japanese sheet music publishers promote their products in the international market unlike publishers in other countries?"

To such a question, some "know-it-all" Japanese will say. "Japanese publishers cannot use English, so they can only promote in Japanese."

To some extent, this may be a correct view. However, I suspect that most of them are not from the publishing industry, and that they speak as if they know everything about "Japanese publishers".

Certainly some Japanese publishers do not seem to be actively promoting to the international market. However, there are some publishers that have developed stores for outside Japan. Each company is different in size and human resources. The situation varies.

For example, there are publishers who sell a lot of sheet music outside of Japan via our store. They do not have their own store outside of Japan, and their promotion may be limited to You Tube, etc. But you can buy their sheet music from this store. Isn't that one way for Japanese publishers? I do not believe they are disrespecting the international market.

Some Japanese people have an "oppositional" attitude about Japanese publishers. They may want to feel that their "international selves" are "better" than "certain non-international Japanese publishers". You could call it a Western complex.

Japanese publishers are by no means disrespecting you. Many publishers and many composers and arrangers want their scores to be performed not only in Japan but also outside of Japan.

Please know that. Please do not misunderstand about Japanese publishers. I am hoping to sign contracts with new publishers to increase the number of works available to you, and I am sure that the publishers are thinking of ways to get their music to you.

Please keep your fingers crossed for us.


Shuhei Umemoto
Golden Hearts Publications Global Store / ONSA