[Requiem] Gendai Shicho-sha Announces Closure

Gendai Shicho-sha (Gendai Shicho Shinsha), a long-established publisher of contemporary thought, announced its closure on its website today.

Founded in 1961 by Kyoji Ishii, Gendai Shicho-sha Co., Ltd. changed its name to Gendai Shicho Shinsha in 2000 upon Ishii's retirement to make a fresh start, and has continued to receive your patronage. However, due to various circumstances, we have decided to close the business as of the end of September 2025. We hereby report this to you.
We have fulfilled Kyoji Ishii's long-held wish for the 'death of the publisher' and kept our promise to him, and we are filled with deep emotion.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has supported us and shown us kindness.

Gendai Shicho Shinsha Co., Ltd.
All Employees

I bought many books from Gendai Shicho-sha. I read many of them. This is a shock.

They published many books on New Left thought and contemporary French philosophy. Their motto was said to be 'overthrowing Iwanami culture and Kodansha culture'.

They are also known for the 'Sade Trial,' where they were sued for obscenity after publishing Tatsuhiko Shibusawa's translation of 'Juliette,' and for managing 'Bigakko,' a hub for avant-garde artists like Genpei Akasegawa.

Even among my own collection, which has dwindled significantly after selling most of it off, books from Gendai Shicho-sha still stand out.

Kazuhiro Adachi, 'Ecriture of Play' (1978)

This was the first book through which I learned about Jacques Derrida.

(Coincidentally, today is Derrida's birthday. Adachi's translation of 'Of Grammatology' was also published by Gendai Shicho-sha.)

Also, Meishu Kakehashi's 'My Path to Das Kapital' (1960) was on my bookshelf.

(This book was published in 1960. The closure notice says 'founded in 1961,' but isn't that an error? Wikipedia says it was founded in 1957.)

Gendai Shicho-sha was a philosophical companion during my youth.

I express my gratitude and respect for their many years of achievement.