uSonar Partners with Oya Soichi Bunko to Utilize 7.32 Million Magazine Article Titles
— Enabling Checks on Magazine Article Titles Linked to Companies and Executives via Meishi Sonar —

uSonar Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Nami Fukutomi; President: Katsuhito Nagatake; hereinafter "uSonar") is pleased to announce a partnership with the Oya Soichi Bunko Public Interest Incorporated Foundation (Main Library: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Board Chair: Eiko Oya; hereinafter "Oya Bunko"). Under this agreement, Oya Bunko will provide uSonar with its digitized database of 7.32 million historical magazine article titles (indexes). These titles will be accessible via our corporate business card management service, "Meishi Sonar," allowing users to check the history of magazine coverage for specific companies and executives. This marks the first time Oya Bunko has provided its index data in bulk to a private enterprise. Moving forward, uSonar remains committed to enhancing the value provided to the corporate community through the continued expansion of the features and content within Meishi Sonar.

Meishi Sonar is a mobile business card management application provided by uSonar for corporate use. Unlike standard business card management services that focus on photographing and sharing exchanged cards within a company, Meishi Sonar allows users to quickly check detailed data, the latest news, and industry reports on companies of interest, regardless of whether a business card has been exchanged. It functions as a "mobile business card management service with an integrated corporate database," and its exceptional convenience has led to a growing number of corporate adoptions. It is powered by "LBC," one of Japan's largest corporate databases, covering 8.2 million domestic business locations. A PC browser version, "GuideSonar" (without business card scanning functionality), is also available.
Learn more about Meishi Sonar here: https://meishisonar.jp/

Established in 1971, this is Japan's first library dedicated to magazines. It carries on the magazine collection of journalist and critic Soichi Oya (1900–1970), housing over 800,000 volumes across 13,500 titles spanning more than 150 years, from the Meiji era to the present day. To ensure these magazine articles serve as valuable resources, the library has created detailed indexes and digitized the collection, making it accessible not only to library visitors but also to major universities, public libraries, and members via an online network.

The high precision and convenience of these indexes are widely acclaimed. Furthermore, users can request copies of the full magazine articles (for a fee), making the library a vital resource for writers, editors, media professionals, and researchers.
Learn more about Oya Soichi Bunko here: https://www.oya-bunko.or.jp/

Exterior of Oya Soichi Bunko, Japan's first magazine library (Setagaya-ku, Tokyo)

It is generally said that the majority of corporate transactions occur between businesses, known as B2B transactions. In such scenarios, managing exchanged business cards, prospecting for new clients, and verifying the creditworthiness of business partners are essential tasks.
Meishi Sonar consolidates the necessary functions for these tasks into one platform, providing enhanced convenience.

When viewing the details page of a company you wish to research—such as one you have exchanged business cards with—you will find a section for the Oya Soichi Bunko. Here, you can view information including magazine names, article titles, and publication dates. Currently, a total of 90,000 magazine article titles linked to company names are available for viewing.
Please note that if you wish to read the full text of an article, you may contact the Oya Soichi Bunko to utilize their document retrieval service (fees apply).

The Oya Soichi Bunko archive, which houses over 800,000 volumes.

uSonar Co., Ltd. has been a corporate supporting member of the Oya Soichi Bunko for many years, utilizing our convenient and useful magazine article index search system, which led to this partnership. Until now, the use of our index search has been primarily limited to media professionals and researchers. Moving forward, we hope that general corporate users will also effectively utilize the Oya Soichi Bunko content through Meishi Sonar, serving as a bridge to further business development.

Oya Bunko Contact Information:
Oya Soichi Bunko Public Interest Incorporated Foundation
3-10-20 Hachimanyama, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0056
TEL: 03-3303-2000

Contact Information Regarding This Matter:
Public Relations, uSonar Co., Ltd. Email: ir@usonar.co.jp
(*Information in this press release is current as of the date of the announcement. Please check our website for the latest information, as details may change depending on future developments.)

*The latest business card management application currently provided is mSonar. Meishi Sonar was the former name of mSonar prior to December 2023, or the name adopted for "THE Meishi Kanri Business" provided by NTT DATA NJK Corporation following the transfer of the service in December 2024.