Nikkei Inc. overcharged advertisers by inflating magazine circulation

Nikkei Inc. announced on September 15 that it overcharged two advertising companies for its insert magazine, ‘THE NIKKEI MAGAZINE,’ by inflating circulation figures. Between 2022 and 2026, sales representatives reportedly provided false or outdated data for 29 specific issues distributed in the Tokyo and Kansai regions.

The inflated figures ranged from 15,000 to 250,000 copies per issue, totaling approximately 2.5 million overstated copies over the four-year period. As a result, the company received tens of millions of yen in excess fees from each of the two affected advertisers.

Nikkei has commissioned external lawyers to investigate the cause, motive, and whether there was any organizational involvement in the misconduct. The company stated it is taking the breach of stakeholder trust seriously and will work to restore credibility and compensate the affected advertisers once the investigation is complete.