The Japanese Communist Party's newspaper reached its 20,000th issue Sunday since its launch in February 1928, despite many obstacles over the past 78 years.
In the commemorative edition, Shimbun Akahata (Newspaper Red Flag) carried reportage on its front page from Guam, where the U.S. will be relocating some forces from Okinawa.
The paper, initially called Sekki, published up to 187 issues during the war even though its publication was considered unlawful.
Revived shortly after the war, publication was temporary suspended by the Allied Occupation.
The number of subscribers reached 3.5 million in 1980. It has since fallen, dropping below 2 million in 2000 and is about 1.64 million at present.
The decline triggered financial difficulty and the paper has decided to close its Moscow bureau, which was established in 1960.