Column Day

What Is Column Day?

Every March 11th is also "Column Day" (コラムの日, Koramu no Hi) in Japan. On March 11, 1751, the London newspaper "The London Adviser and Literary Gazette" published what is considered the world's first newspaper "column" — a regular, separately designated space for a specific type of commentary content within the newspaper's pages. The designation of a named, recurring section for opinion and commentary established the "column" format that became one of journalism's most enduring structural elements.

The Newspaper Column's History

The word "column" in journalism derives from the Latin "columna" (pillar) and refers both to the vertical typographical division of newspaper pages into columns and to the practice of designating specific columns for regular features. The 1751 London paper's creation of a named commentary space was a milestone in the organizational differentiation of newspaper content — separating opinion and commentary from news reporting in a way that gave writers regular platforms for sustained commentary on public affairs.

Columns in Japanese Journalism

Japan's major newspapers have developed distinctive column traditions. The front-page column (一面コラム, ichimen koramu) — brief, personally written reflections on the day's news or cultural matters — appears daily in all major Japanese newspapers and is among the most carefully read sections. The Asahi Shimbun's "Tensei Jingo" (天声人語), the Yomiuri Shimbun's "Yoroku" (編集手帳), and the Mainichi Shimbun's "Yureku" (余録) are among Japan's most respected daily columns, with their selections occasionally used in university entrance examinations as models of concise Japanese writing.

Fun Facts

• Tensei Jingo collections: The Asahi Shimbun's "Tensei Jingo" (天声人語, "Voice of Heaven, Words of Man") front-page column has been collected in annual book form since the 1980s and is used in Japanese classrooms as a model of clear, thoughtful prose writing — reflecting the Japanese newspaper column's elevated cultural status.
• Column length: Japanese newspaper front-page columns (コラム) are notably brief — typically 600-800 characters — making them exercises in compression that pack substantive thought into minimal space. This brevity requirement places a premium on word choice and argumentative efficiency.