News2u Holdings
News2u Holdings is a Tokyo-based Japanese media holding company. It grew out of News2u, an online PR company founded in 2001, acquired the English-language newspaper The Japan TimesThe Japan TimesThe Japan Times is an English-language newspaper published in Tokyo. Founded in 1897, it is the oldest English-language newspaper still published in Japan; since 2017 it has been owned by News2u Holdings and led by Minako Suematsu.Open the full entry in 2017 and is led by Minako SuematsuMinako SuematsuMinako Suematsu is a Japanese entrepreneur who founded the online PR company News2u in 2001. She is president of News2u Holdings and chairperson of the English-language newspaper The Japan Times, and she opened the boarding primary school Jinseki International School in Hiroshima Prefecture.Open the full entry.
Contents13 sections
Key facts
October 1, 1993Origins in KAPS
News2u Holdings dates its origins to KAPS, founded on October 1, 1993; the present company was established on March 22, 2001.[1]
In the message from its chief executive, the group says it began in 1993, in the early days of the internet.[2]
2001News2u Co., Ltd. Established
News2u Co., Ltd. was founded in 2001 to support companies in publishing information on the internet, and it operated News2u.net, which it called Japan’s first news release portal site.[3]
2002–2009Merges KAPS, Wins Awards and Founds Pensée
In October 2002 the company integrated its business with KAPS; in February 2004 News2u.net received the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman’s Award at the Japan IT Management Awards; in February 2009 the news release distribution service News2u Release won the Best Break Award at ASPIC’s ASP SaaS ICT Outsourcing Award 2009; and in November 2009 the online PR company Pensée was established.[4]
January 2017Moves to a Holding Company Structure
In January 2017 the company was renamed News2u Holdings, and a new News2u Co., Ltd. was set up.[4]
In his New Year message, operating company president Akira Masuda said the move to a holding structure was meant to separate group management decisions from business execution; that year the company would launch a solutions business including marketing automation and help sell the personal branding service for executives of Qnary Japan, in which it had invested the year before.[5]
February 2017Expands Its Release Service
In February 2017 News2u Release began supplying news release content to Nikkei Telecom, a business database run by Nikkei Inc.[6]
The same month, News2u Release was certified as eligible for the economy ministry’s IT introduction subsidy, under which small and medium-sized businesses could receive up to 1 million yen.[3]
April 1, 2017Toshiko Oka Becomes Adviser
On April 1, 2017, Toshiko Oka, representative director of Oka & Company, became an adviser to the company; she had been president of ABeam M&A Consulting and served as an outside director of listed companies including Mitsubishi Corporation.[7]
June 2017Acquires The Japan Times
On June 12, 2017, the company signed a share transfer agreement with Nifco to acquire all issued shares of its wholly owned subsidiary The Japan Times, saying it aimed to combine its digital platform know-how with the paper to spread Japanese news to the world. As of March 31, 2017, The Japan Times had capital of 550 million yen and was headed by president Takeharu Tsutsumi.[8]
On June 20 the company completed the acquisition of all outstanding shares of The Japan Times, saying it would enhance digital services for the group’s customer base while the paper would pursue its role as “Japan’s window to the world.”[9]
August 1, 2018New Directors
On August 1, 2018, Takeharu Tsutsumi, president of The Japan Times since June 2012, and Koichiro Yoshizaki, a former chief investment officer of the Cool Japan Organization, became directors of the company.[10]
June 30, 2020Release Services Closed
On June 30, 2020, News2u Release and News2u.net, operated for about 20 years since 2001, ended service, and the related information site Net PR.JP closed with them.[11]
February 1, 2021Sells Pensée
On February 1, 2021, the company transferred all its shares in Pensée to Hundred Co., Ltd., and the two planned to combine their know-how to expand HubSpot-related services.[12]
As of October 2026: Current Status
The company is headquartered in Ichiban-cho, Chiyoda, Tokyo, with capital of 100 million yen; its business is group strategy, governance and the promotion of ESG, and Minako Suematsu is representative director and president; it has five affiliates, including The Japan Times.[1]
Its affiliates also include The Japan Times HR; The Japan Times Agency offers overseas PR linked to the newspaper and its website; The Japan Times Cube runs the English information platform Comfacts and sites such as Sustainable Japan by The Japan Times; and The Japan Times Publishing publishes English- and Japanese-learning books.[13]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
News2u Holdings: Official website: https://www.news2u-group.com/ (opens in a new window)[1]
The Japan Times: Official website: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/ (opens in a new window)[13]
The Japan Times Agency: Official website: https://japantimes-agency.com/ (opens in a new window)[13]
Sources
- 企業情報 | 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユーホールディングス (opens in a new window)
- 代表メッセージ | 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユーホールディングス (opens in a new window)
- ニューズ・ツー・ユーのリリース配信サービス「News2uリリース」が、IT導入補助金対象サービスに認定｜ニューズ・ツー・ユーのニュースリリース (opens in a new window)
- 沿革 | 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユーホールディングス (opens in a new window)
- 2017年、新年のご挨拶（ニューズ・ツー・ユー） (opens in a new window)
- ニューズ・ツー・ユーが「日経テレコン」にニュースリリースコンテンツを提供開始 (opens in a new window)
- 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユー ホールディングス顧問に株式会社 岡＆カンパニー代表取締役 岡 俊子氏が就任 | NEWSCAST (opens in a new window)
- 株式会社ジヤパンタイムズの株式取得に関する基本合意のお知らせ | NEWSCAST (opens in a new window)
- Notice of Closing of Acquisition of The Japan Times, Ltd. | NEWSCAST (opens in a new window)
- 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユーホールディングス 新任取締役就任のお知らせ | NEWSCAST (opens in a new window)
- 「News2uリリース」および「News2u.net」サービス終了のお知らせ｜ニューズ・ツー・ユーのニュースリリース (opens in a new window)
- 連結子会社の異動（株式譲渡）に関するお知らせ | 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユーホールディングス (opens in a new window)
- グループ案内 | 株式会社ニューズ・ツー・ユーホールディングス (opens in a new window)