nationwide Japanese daily newspaper, one of the “big three” in influence and circulation, printed in Tokyo, Ōsaka, and several other regional centres and also as an English-language-edition daily in Tokyo.

Founded in Ōsaka in 1879, Asahi has been in the hands of the Murayama and Ueno families since 1881. Asahi is particularly noted for its political coverage and its foreign news. The paper is known for its liberal and progressive views. It has correspondents in major cities in Europe, Asia, and the United States and subscribes to more than 20 international news services. Like the other two major Japanese newspapers, Yomiuri and Mainichi, Asahi publishes a much greater proportion of foreign news than is usual in the West. Its daily circulation of morning and evening editions is one of the largest in the world, with more than 12 million subscribers by the turn of the 21st century. The main readership of the Asahi is drawn from the upper and middle classes.