LOS ANGELES_The Rafu Shimpo, one of the last Japanese-English daily newspapers in the U.S., said it has enough new revenue to stay open through 2017. The paper warned in the spring that it could close at year-end.
The 113-year-old paper, based in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles, was able to stay open through a combination of new subscribers and newfound sources of revenue, said Ellen Endo, a former Rafu editor who is interim chief operating officer for the paper.
The Rafu netted about 1,500 new online subscribers since Rafu publisher Michael Komai wrote a front-page letter in March about the paper's dire financial situation. He urged community members to purchase $50 online subscriptions to the paper.
That was well short of Komai's goal of 10,000 new online subscribers and $500,000 in revenue. But print subscriptions also increased.
Endo said the newspaper staff attended numerous Japanese American community festivals and events and set up tables to sell subscriptions.
"It's just been overwhelming, the support we've received from the community," said Gwen Muranaka, English editor-in-chief.
"I'm focusing first of all on making sure we can live within our means," Endo said. "Second, to make sure the product is as good as it can be."
The paper has started to digitize its archives, starting with the years leading up to and following World War II. It plans to license them to universities, museums and libraries in the U.S. and abroad.
The Rafu has also hired a head of sales, longtime columnist George Toshio Johnston.
