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I found this page with a short list of 通信{つうしん} from the publisher Tosuisha for its magazine Ichiraci, and I was wondering what exactly 通信 are. Here's an example cover of one:

the cover of a tsuushin

There are several people listed as working on different sections in each book, the sections being

  • 表紙 (cover page)
  • 描下し２Pまんが (2-page manga)
  • キャラインタビュー (character interview)
  • 燃えよ☆萌魂 (moeyo ☆ moetama)
  • キャラ日記 (character's diary)
  • すぺしゃる４コマ (special 4-koma)

The page also mentions exchanging Ichiraci back issues for points of some kind. (配布終了後のバックナンバーは、１１号～１８号まで各 ２ポイント で交換出来ます♪)

Does anyone know what exactly these are? I would assume they're some sort of mini-booklet distributed every month or so with special features of some sort for currently-running manga, but I'm hoping that someone else knows more.

eefara
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1 Answers1

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According to a search on jisho.org, 通信{つうしん} by itself can mean "correspondence," "communication," "transmission," "news," "signal," or "telecommunications."

However, further down the page (the third entry), there is another word that combines 通信 with 販売{はんばい} ("sales," "selling," or "marketing") to form 通信販売{つうしんはんばい}, which refers to any kind of mail order service (including shopping online and getting a delivery by mail).

Taking my best educated guess, these booklets are likely a promotional item or extension of the magazine distributed by mail, and 通信 is used as an abbreviation for 通信販売 (as that compound seems to carry the most relevant meaning to this question).

HotelCalifornia
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