Akahata

(Red Banner), daily newspaper; central organ of the Communist Party of Japan. Published since February 1928.

Until World War II, Akahata was printed illegally under the title Sekky. Publication of the newspaper under this name started again in Tokyo on Oct. 20, 1945. On Dec. 5, 1945, it was renamed Akahata. On a number of occasions it suffered repression and persecution. The paper was shut down during 1950–52 on orders of the American occupation authorities. Since 1959 it has published a Sunday issue with a circulation of over one million copies.