Chiba Nippo Digital Launches Chiba Keizai Sangyo Shimbun, a Regional Business Media Outlet for SMEs

Chiba Nippo Digital Inc. of Chiba City launched Chiba Keizai Sangyo Shimbun, a regional economic media outlet focused on small and medium-sized enterprises, on May 15, 2026. To mark the launch, the company distributed the inaugural issue early that morning to businesspeople commuting near JR Chiba Station. Recipients appeared highly interested in the new Chiba-focused economic publication. Chiba Keizai Sangyo Shimbun is scheduled to be published on the 15th of every month. The inaugural issue distributed on the day is also available in digital format on the official website. Official website: https://chibakei.jp/ Chiba Keizai Sangyo Shimbun is an economy and industry-focused newspaper for SMEs in Chiba Prefecture. Through a wide range of content, including local economic news, success stories, and information on government support programs, it aims to support the growth of local companies. The publication also seeks to work with sponsor companies and business support organizations to help build new networks among companies. The inaugural issue mainly features interviews with SMEs active in Chiba Prefecture, along with management-related topics, subsidy information, and key points companies should know about public relations. Launch date: May 15, 2026 Publisher: Chiba Nippo Digital Inc. (a subsidiary of Chiba Nippo) Coverage area: All of Chiba Prefecture Frequency: Monthly, issued on the 15th (print editions mailed monthly, with an electronic edition also planned) Pages: 8 pages, tabloid format Price: 12,000 yen per year, excluding tax Operating structure: Chiba Nippo Digital Inc. as publisher, Kazusa-zu General Incorporated Association as editorial team, and Kanagawa Keizai Shimbun as operating partner Mission: To record, broaden, and connect the challenges of local SMEs On the morning of the May 15 launch, editorial members distributed the inaugural issue by hand to businesspeople commuting near JR Chiba Station. Comments from recipients included, “A new economic media outlet like this has launched,” “It is interesting that it specializes in Chiba Prefecture,” and “It could be useful for corporate PR.” In conjunction with the launch, Chiba Keizai Sangyo Shimbun also introduced a membership community called Chibakei Partners. Based on the concept of “becoming peers of business leaders taking on challenges in Chiba,” the community aims to solve three issues faced by local SMEs: lack of recognition, lack of connections, and difficulty communicating their value. Chibakei Partners features regular coverage by professional reporters to document management challenges as articles, exposure through print, web, and events to raise member companies’ visibility from Chiba to the rest of Japan, and matching, events, and information sharing among members to create new business opportunities. Member benefits include two to four professional interviews per year with publication in print and online, permanent web archive placement on the official site, business matching and collaboration support among members, priority access to networking events, seminars, and study tours, priority distribution of subsidy updates and industry trend reports, and permission to reuse articles on company websites, recruitment sites, and sales materials.