Kobunsha revived bis twice — then let it go irregular for good

bis launched in 2001 as a Kobunsha fashion title aimed at young women who wanted to hold onto a "girly" aesthetic into adulthood. It stopped publishing in 2006, sat dormant for eleven years, and was revived in October 2017 as a bimonthly under the same positioning — one of a wave of 2010s magazine revivals betting that nostalgia could rebuild a print readership that had largely moved online.

The revival throttled down gradually rather than closing outright. In May 2024, bis dropped from six issues a year to four, becoming a quarterly. On September 1, 2025, the magazine's editorial team announced on Instagram, and Kobunsha confirmed by press release on October 31, that the Winter 2026 issue — on sale December 1, 2025 — would be its last on a fixed schedule. bis would continue, but only as unscheduled, irregular issues going forward; even its official website and social accounts were only committed to running through the end of January 2026.

Kobunsha gave no single cause, framing the move as adapting to how readers and business partners now want fashion content. It followed weeks after Japan's book-and-magazine industry reported estimated 2025 print sales falling below ¥1 trillion for the first time, with fashion titles specifically named as a category losing regular publication.