Total rental volume reaches 1 billion books, which is four and a half times the circumference of the Earth! TSUTAYA Comic Rental now available in over 1,000 stores nationwide!

2017.04.17 Press Releases
TSUTAYA Co., Ltd.

- "Tsutaya Comic Awards 2017, chosen by everyone" held, with cumulative rankings and age group rankings also revealed -

TSUTAYA Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and COO: Nakanishi Kazuo; hereinafter referred to as "TSUTAYA"), which operates the TSUTAYA entertainment store chain nationwide, is pleased to announce that comic rentals have been introduced at over 1,000 TSUTAYA stores nationwide. Since its launch in February 2007, the total number of rentals has exceeded 1,030,000,000 books, making it one of the largest comic rental services in Japan, and is used by many customers.
To commemorate this, we will be holding the first ever "TSUTAYA Comic Awards 2017," a comic award chosen by users.

■Comic rentals have been introduced to over 1,000 stores, with the total number of books rented in stores reaching a whopping 1,030 million!

The comic rental service was introduced at TSUTAYA stores nationwide in April 2007. Thanks to the overwhelming support of our customers, we have gradually expanded the number of stores, and now, about 10 years after the launch, we have reached 1,000 stores. The 1,000th store will be the TSUTAYA Sakuranomori store in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Until now, TSUTAYA Comic Rental has provided many customers with the experience of enjoying comics at an affordable price, without having to worry about storage space at home. As of March 2017, the total number of books rented in stores exceeded 1.03 billion.

If all the comics rented so far were piled up, they would stretch for about 180,000 km, a length that would circle the Earth four and a half times. (Note: Calculations are based on the vertical length of a book being 18cm.) Just for "One Piece," which ranked first in cumulative rental numbers, 20 million copies have been rented, which is 36,000km, a length that can cover the entire length from the northernmost to southernmost tip of Japan. (Please refer to the attached sheet for cumulative totals and age group rankings.)

In the 2016 rankings by age, "Kingdom" dominated the top spot across all generations! After being featured on a TV program, the series became a hot topic throughout the year. Additionally, "ONE PIECE," which is celebrating its 20th anniversary since its serialization began, and "Chihayafuru," which has been made into a live-action film, are both ranked in the top 10 across all generations and are enjoyed by a wide range of people. Similarly, "Tokyo Ghoul," which is scheduled to be released as a live-action film on July 29th, is gaining popularity among young people, especially teenagers.

As the huge number of 1.03 billion books shows, TSUTAYA Comic Rental has been loved and used by a huge number of customers, and we will continue to deliver new projects and work suggestions in the future.

■User-selected comic award "TSUTAYA Comic Awards 2017" held

To commemorate the introduction of comic rental services at over 1,000 stores, we will be holding the first ever TSUTAYA Comic Awards. This is a user-participation project that will be linked to social media, with the grand prize in each category selected based on posts from comic fans.
Submissions will be accepted in four categories: "All-Time Best," "Next Breakout," "Anime Category," and "Live-Action Category," and a grand prize will be awarded in each category. The work selected as the grand prize winner will be displayed on shelves at comic rental counters nationwide, along with comments from customers recommending the work, so that many customers can pick it up.

In addition, those who submit entries to the campaign and spend 1,000 yen or more on comic rentals at TSUTAYA stores during the campaign period will be entered into a lottery to win original TSUTAYA comic rental goods that can only be obtained here, as well as T points.

■ Because it's TSUTAYA, you can choose how to enjoy it! For bulk reading, use "TSUTAYA DISCAS Comic Rental"

This is a service that allows you to rent comics online 24 hours a day. If you rent 10 or more books, we'll deliver them to your home free of charge! New and old titles are available for as little as 97 yen per book. The rental period is 21 days, so you can enjoy the comics at your leisure. If you want to read multiple books at once, we recommend the easy and convenient home delivery rental service.
You can choose from two return methods: direct collection at your home or return at a convenience store 24 hours a day.
In-store and online. Enjoy comics at TSUTAYA with buying and renting methods that suit your lifestyle.

TSUTAYA will continue to offer projects that connect customers' lifestyles, such as hosting a user-participation comic awards and offering various ways to enjoy comics that suit customers' lifestyles, as a way to enrich and enjoy their lifestyles through entertainment.

[Reference: Comic Rental Totals/Rankings by Age]
■ "Cumulative" rental count ranking (calculation period: August 1, 2008 - March 31, 2017) *Total for all volumes

■Ranking of rental frequency by age group (2016)(Counting period: April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017) *Total for all volumes

Materials related to this matter

Total rental volume reaches 1 billion books, which is four and a half times the circumference of the Earth! TSUTAYA Comic Rental now available in over 1,000 stores nationwide!

Inquiries regarding this matter
TSUTAYA Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Unit
TEL: 03-6800-4764