Older elementary school kids lose their magazines

Publisher Shogakukan announced on October 26 that it would cease publication of two of its oldest magazines: "Shogaku Gonensei" ('Fifth Graders') and "Shogaku Rokunensei" ('Sixth Graders'). Both were founded in 1922, but circulation has fallen to around one-tenth of peak print runs from 1973.

Shogakukan blamed the 'diversification of children's tastes' on falling sales. Yes, elementary school students are too sophisticated for this monolithic mass media idea of a 'fifth grader' or 'sixth grader.' Kids these days don't want to be boxed into this idea of 'good students.' Like fashion magazines, we need mags for future juvenile delinquents -- perhaps "Young Boy's Egg" -- and future fashion victims -- maybe "Young Boy's Nonno."

The publisher has a bigger problem to contend with, however: Japan's complete lack of children. Thanks to decades of a tragically low birth rate, youth now make up the smallest proportion of Japan's population at any time in the last century, if not ever.

The elementary-school student magazines are meant to be educational tools, but with celebs on the cover and hit manga like "Doraemon," "Shogaku Gonensei" and "Shogaku Rokunensei" were at one time the ultimate entertainment mags for kids. And it always felt really badass to read a year ahead. Imagine the scandal of fifth graders tapping into the secrets of sixth-grade life one year early.

Younger kids need not fret. Shogakukan will still publish "First Graders," "Second Graders," "Third Graders" and "Fourth Graders" -- until there are no more first graders, second graders, third graders and fourth graders.