Yohan’s failure, a sign of worries

August 28, 2008 by Dennis Amith

In a recent column of “SOFT POWER, HARD TRUTHS” by Roland Kelts for the Daily Yomiuri, Kelts writes about Yohan’s bankruptcy filing in Japan.

Kelts wrote, “Last month’s sudden bankruptcy filing by Yohan, Japan’s largest and oldest distributor of English-language publications, has cast a shadow over American shores, despite its relative lack of coverage in the U.S. media.”

“Only a couple of years ago, Yohan announced life-saving investments in Stone Bridge Press and Cody’s Bookstore, two San Francisco Bay Area institutions. The former is a smartly run independent publisher specializing in Japan-focused books, and the latter was a much-lauded independent local bookstore chain.”

“Both have long been landmarks of the Bay Area’s book scene. Stone Bridge is soldiering on, but Cody’s has closed.”