Japanese newspapers emerged in their current format at the end of the 19th century.  Before that, news about wars, disasters, and gossip was conveyed by one-page tabloids called "kawaraban," or one-block prints, which had only very limited circulation.  In the 20th century, the following new factors came into play:

• Rapid modernization at the onset of the century
• The consolidation of newspapers before World War II
• Rapid economic growth following the war

Under the influence of these factors, Japanese newspapers grew rapidly in popularity and circulation while developing at the same time into their unique format.