▁control . ▁After ▁Japan ' s ▁defeat , ▁strict ▁c ensor ship ▁of ▁the ▁press ▁continued ▁as ▁the ▁American ▁occup iers ▁used ▁government ▁control ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁in cul c ate ▁dem ocr atic ▁and ▁anti - comm un ist ▁values . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁the ▁American ▁occup iers ▁finally ▁returned ▁freedom ▁of ▁the ▁press ▁to ▁Japan , ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁situation ▁today ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Article ▁ 2 1 ▁of ▁the ▁Constitution ▁of ▁Japan . ▁ ▁Re produ ctions ▁of ▁Japanese ▁newsp apers ▁List ed ▁below ▁is ▁an ▁over view ▁of ▁reprodu ctions ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁major ▁Japanese ▁daily ▁newsp apers , ▁the ▁Y omi uri ▁sh in b un , ▁the ▁As ah i ▁sh in b un , ▁and ▁the ▁Main ichi ▁sh in b un . ▁ ▁These ▁historical ▁newsp apers ▁are ▁available ▁in ▁three ▁major ▁forms , ▁as ▁CD - ROM s , ▁as ▁micro film , ▁and ▁as ▁sh uk us ats ub an ▁( <0xE7> <0xB8> <0xAE> <0xE5> <0x88> <0xB7> 版 , ▁literally , ▁" redu ced - s ized ▁print ▁ed itions "). ▁Sh uk us ats ub an ▁is ▁a ▁technology ▁popular ized ▁by ▁As ah i ▁sh in b un ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁compress ▁and ▁archive ▁newsp apers ▁by ▁reducing ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁print ▁to ▁fit ▁multiple ▁pages ▁of ▁a ▁daily ▁newspaper ▁onto ▁one ▁page . ▁Sh uk us ats ub an ▁are ▁ge ared ▁towards ▁libraries ▁and ▁arch