Fukushima Prefecture's Shirakawa City Library x Shogakukan's "CoroCoro Comic Lab" Tackles "Children's Declining Reading Habits." Approximately 4,000 Copies of Shogakukan's Popular Manga "Comic Passport" to be Distributed Free to All Elementary and Junior High Schools in Shirakawa City

[CoroCoro Comic Lab] https://www.corocorolab.com/

Shogakukan Inc.'s "CoroCoro Comic Lab," with the aim of fostering children's reading experiences and creativity, has decided in collaboration with Shirakawa City Library to distribute approximately 4,000 copies of a new reading promotion initiative, "Comic Passport 2026-2027," free of charge to all elementary and junior high schools in Shirakawa City starting in mid-July 2026, just before the summer vacation.

The "Comic Passport" is a 128-page booklet that allows users to sample manga and enjoy a stamp rally visiting four libraries in the city (Shirakawa City Library, Omotegō Library, Daishin Library, and Higashi Library). It includes five popular titles from manga magazines published by Shogakukan, including "CoroCoro Comic." Those who complete the quiz rally will receive prizes such as books like "The History of Japan" and "The History of the World."

Collaboration Among Publisher x Municipality x Board of Education x Public Library

Against the backdrop of diversifying entertainment options due to the spread of smartphones, it is said that in recent years, not only has there been a "decline in children's reading," but also a "decline in manga reading" in addition to a "decline in reading text."

In such a situation, Shirakawa City Library, since its opening in 2011, has actively incorporated manga into its collection, based on the idea that "it is absurd to dismiss manga as lowbrow" due to its publishing scale and global influence as content. As a result, it has become known as a library that focuses on collecting and lending manga, stocking approximately 30,000 volumes of comics and the latest issues of popular manga magazines, which accounts for about 10% of its total collection.

However, in recent years, even this "manga treasure trove" has seen a stagnation in the number of child visitors. In fact, at Shirakawa City Library, only 23.4% of elementary and junior high school students in the city borrowed books from the library more than once a year. While school libraries are becoming more active among the younger generation, the declining usage of public libraries (municipal libraries) has become a local issue.

It was in this context that "CoroCoro Comic" received a consultation from a representative of Shirakawa City Library, who said, "We want to increase the number of child visitors by leveraging the library's strength in manga."

In July 2024, "CoroCoro Comic" launched "CoroCoro Comic Lab" and has since undertaken numerous collaborative projects in regional revitalization and edutainment fields, utilizing the planning capabilities of "CoroCoro Comic" and the power of its readers. Leveraging this knowledge and know-how, it has now been decided to distribute "Comic Passport," a 128-page booklet that combines manga previews of five popular titles with a stamp rally map for the four libraries in the city, free of charge to children attending all elementary and junior high schools in the city, in cooperation not only with Shirakawa City Library but also with Shirakawa City and its Board of Education, starting in mid-July 2026, just before the summer vacation.

Three Key Points of "Comic Passport"

(1) Features a Substantial Binding Resembling a "Real" Passport!

The binding is designed to resemble a real passport, with a calm color scheme and design that is easy for both elementary and junior high school students, the main target audience of "CoroCoro Comic," to pick up. Furthermore, the first spread includes a message, "You are about to embark on a journey of books," along with a profile section where users can write their own name, making it a personalized book for each child.

(2) Includes 5 Popular Titles Enjoyable for a Wide Range of Ages from Elementary to Junior High School Students!

The included manga are "Nanto! Denjarasu Jiisan," "Keshikasu-kun," "Mirumo de Pon! Nyu~," "Ere-mon," and "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End." The lineup features major manga magazines such as "CoroCoro Comic," "Ciao," "CoroCoro Ichiban!," and "Weekly Shonen Sunday," offering content enjoyable for children of a wide range of ages from elementary to junior high school students.

In addition, by including spaces for writing impressions after each work and recommended book lists by grade level, the page layout and design are intended to go beyond simply reading, aiming to expand interest from manga to books.

(3) Stamp Rally Completion Prizes Include "The History of Japan," "The History of the World," and More!

The back cover serves as a stamp rally sheet with the four Shirakawa City libraries as checkpoints. Those who complete the stamp rally will be presented with books such as "The History of Japan" and "The History of the World."

Comments from Stakeholders

Takayuki Nakazawa, Director of Shirakawa City Library

Shirakawa rice is delicious! Yes, it's a local specialty that everyone, young and old, is proud of. Shirakawa children read books as much as they eat rice.

Reading is essential for life. Through this project, which uses manga as an entry point, we hope that not only children but also people of all ages will visit the library and experience a different expansion of their world.

CoroCoro Comic is one of the most popular materials in our library. Many children read it with such concentration that they don't even react when spoken to. We are waiting for everyone to come with excitement for the best summer vacation, where they can feel the world of CoroCoro and the joy of reading at Shirakawa City Library.

Kazuo Suzuki, Mayor of Shirakawa City

Shirakawa City strives to foster rich sensibilities and equip children with the ability to carve out their future by engaging with the world of books, and has focused on promoting reading activities, such as assigning school librarians to all elementary and junior high schools in the city.

To ensure that the experience of interacting with books in school libraries takes root as a lifelong reading habit, it is important to make public libraries easily accessible.

Shirakawa City Library, "Libran," has the unique characteristic of having about 10% of its collection as manga, which is unusual nationwide. Manga, which Japan proudly presents to the world, serves as a "bridge" to guide children into the world of books.

By leveraging this unique environment of "Libran," starting with "Comic Passport," we will offer diverse forms of reading through annual projects in collaboration with CoroCoro Comic, so that time spent at the library becomes fulfilling. Through this project, we hope that children will discover the joy of encountering unexpected stories and new values, and that the library will become a "comfortable place" where they can always visit with peace of mind.

Koichi Kobayashi, Director of "CoroCoro Comic Lab"

For children to become fond of books, it is important to have a trigger that makes them think "I want to read it" rather than "I have to read it."

This "Comic Passport" is a new challenge that connects the learning environment of the library with the fun of manga, allowing children to naturally encounter books and broaden their reading world.

Together with everyone at Shirakawa City Library, we want to make the library a familiar place where children visit with excitement, thinking, "What book should I read next?" We hope to assist in expanding children's curiosity and learning potential through encounters with books.

Profile

Produces regional revitalization projects and Furusato Nozei (hometown tax donation) return gifts. Involved in the launch of the manga distribution service "Weekly CoroCoro Comic," among other initiatives.

Holds "YouTube Certified" qualification. Recently appointed Director of the new project "CoroCoro Comic Lab."

Through consulting activities for companies and municipalities, challenges the creation of new value that only CoroCoro can offer, going beyond the framework of published works.

Regional revitalization projects handled by this editor can be found here: https://www.corocorososei.com/

[Media Inquiries]

For media coverage and inquiries regarding this matter, please first contact the "CoroCoro Comic Lab" office below.

We can provide on-site interviews, allow examination of the "Comic Passport" itself, and arrange for interviews with project staff, as well as photography of the publication and binding.

If you wish to conduct on-site interviews at Shirakawa City Library or the target schools, please feel free to contact us. We will arrange the schedule and details through this office before guiding you.

*On-site interviews may not be possible depending on the operational status of the library and schools.

About Shirakawa City Library

Shirakawa City Library is a library located in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, which opened in 2011 and is a 5-minute walk from JR Shirakawa Station. Known by the nickname "Libran," it has a total collection of approximately 327,000 books. It is bustling with 600-800 people on weekdays and over 1,000 people on weekends and holidays.

It also features a teens' corner, offering books for junior high and high school students, study guides, and textbooks, along with approximately 30,000 volumes of comics, accounting for about 10% of the total collection.

Furthermore, for those who have difficulty accessing the library, a mobile library called "Yururibu" circulates, lending not only books but also CDs and DVDs.

The city also has community libraries: Omotegō Library, Daishin Library, and Higashi Library.

What is "CoroCoro Comic Lab"?

Since its launch in 1977, "CoroCoro Comic" has been loved as the bible for elementary school boys, maintaining its position as an overwhelming hobby & entertainment information & fun manga magazine with an average monthly circulation of an astonishing 300,000 copies (reaching approximately 20% of the target audience of about 1.5 million people, an incredible figure for paid media!).

With the aim of proposing more interesting and new projects that leverage the content power of "CoroCoro Comic" and the gutsy power of its readers, this project was launched at the time of its commemorative 555th issue in July 2024.

Going forward, we will connect the real voices of "CoroCoro Comic" readers to the planning of magazine content, starting with initiatives in regional revitalization and edutainment that have already begun, leading to fresh collaborations.

By leveraging these real voices of readers and the entertainment creation capabilities cultivated over many years, we aim to create new value with companies, municipalities, and creators.

"CoroCoro Comic" can provide concrete promotional development to turn your company's products and services into something children are "passionate about."