The Yomiuri Shimbun Group () is a Japanese media conglomerate, and theholding company of Yomiuri Shimbun, a newspaper company. Overview On July 1, 2002, Yomiuri Shimbun was divided into two companies: the holding company Yomiuri Shimbun, and the Yomiuri Shimbun Tokyo Headquarter, which was responsible for publication of newspapers. At the same time, one of the subsidiary company, Yomiuri Co., Ltd., was absorbed and split. As a result, "Yomiuri Shimbun" became a general term referring to Yomiuri Shimbun's Tokyo Headquarter, as well as its Osaka Headquarter and Western Headquarter. Currently, the Yomiuri Shimbun Group is a holding company, consisting of aforementioned three Headquarters that publish newspapers; a publishin company named Chuokoron Shinsha; the management base of the professional baseball team Yomiuri Giants; and a number of amusement parks, leisure and public sports facilities such as Yomiuri Land. In addition, by making it a holding company, the Osaka Headquarter, which was the only one of the three headquarters that survived before the liquidation, became a pure operating company, and the shares of the broadcasting station, etc. owned by the company were absorbed by corporate split. History April of 1870 (Meiji 3): Established as a partnership company called "Nisshusha" in present-day Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. January of 1873 (Meiji 6): Published the English-Japanese dictionary, Eiwa Jii . November 2, 1874 (Meiji 7): Formed Yomiuri Shimbun as the news division of Nisshusha. December 1, 1917 (Taisho 6): Nisshusha was renamed Yomiuri Shimbun. February 25, 1924 (Taisho 13): Due to financial difficulties, the company was sold to Matsutarō Shōriki, the former director of Metropolitan Police Department. December 26, 1934 (Showa 9): Shoriki founded the Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club, the predecessor of Yomiuri Giants. June 10, 1940 (Showa 15): Established the prototype of the current company flag. August 5, 1942 (Showa 17): Merged with Hochi Shimbun. February 15, 1947 (Showa 22): The company was renamed Yomiuri Kogyo. It acquired all shares of Great Japan Tokyo Baseball Club at the same year. January 25, 1950 (Showa 25): Yomiuri Giants separated from Yomiuri Kogyo. March 30, 1951 (Showa 26): Yomiuri Giants merged back with Yomiuri Kogyo. October 20, 1952 (Showa 27): Established a Headquarter in Osaka. November 25, 1952 (Showa 27): "Osaka Yomiuri Newspaper" was launched in Osaka. May 1, 1959 (Showa 34): Yomiuri Shimbun established its Hokkaido branch in Sapporo, Hokkaido, and started printing local version of Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper. May 25, 1961 (Showa