OTOBANK Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yuya Kubota, hereinafter "OTOBANK") announces the July audiobook monthly rankings (June 1 to June 30, 2026) for "audiobook.jp," its audiobook distribution service with over 3 million members and the No. 1 lineup of audiobook titles (※1).

※1. Survey conducted by Japan Marketing Research Organization in November 2023. Survey on the number of Japanese audiobook titles.

We will announce the Top 10 rankings for "Single Purchase Titles" (※3) and "All-You-Can-Listen Titles" for July (June 1 to June 30, 2026), based on the number of downloads or unique playback users for audiobook titles (※2) on "audiobook.jp." (※4)

※2. Limited to audiobook titles based on books. Excludes podcasts, etc.

※3. The ranking for "Single Purchase Titles" targets titles released within the last 3 months (April 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026).

※4. The ranking for "Single Purchase Titles" is based on download numbers, and the ranking for "All-You-Can-Listen Titles" is based on playback user numbers.

Ranking Summary

In the single purchase ranking, "How 'Chance' Makes You: The Meaning of Living in This Complex World Where Everything Influences Each Other," which had already garnered significant attention on social media, rapidly increased its downloads after its audiobook release on June 19, securing the top spot. Furthermore, led by "My Stocks Are Plummeting! Should I Sell? The Mindset of People Who Profit from Stocks" at number 2, four out of the top 10 titles were related to investment and money management. Amidst a historic stock market rally, with the Nikkei average exceeding 70,000 for the first time in mid-June, the high public interest in personal asset formation is strongly reflected in the selection of audiobooks.

On the other hand, the "All-You-Can-Listen" ranking saw "Novels and Literary Works" dominate over half of the top 10. At number 1 is "Mangan," a masterpiece of mystery short stories that won three major mystery awards, including "This Mystery Is the Best!," and the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize. Additionally, at number 4, "Inariyama Seizo: Calling Rainbows in the Hawaiian Sky," a sequel to "Inariyama Seizo: Blue Sky After the Storm," which won a special award at the Audiobook Awards 2025, made its appearance. This exhilarating entertainment novel, featuring the active Naniwa grandpa Inariyama Seizo and its fast-paced banter in Kansai dialect, is a work that leverages the unique appeal of audio, making it "even more interesting to listen to," and has gained user support.

"audiobook.jp" Single Purchase Ranking Top 10 - July (June 1 to June 30, 2026)

1st Place: "How 'Chance' Makes You: The Meaning of Living in This Complex World Where Everything Influences Each Other"

How 'Chance' Makes You: The Meaning of Living in This Complex World Where Everything Influences Each Other

- Author: Brian Klaas, translated by Hiroyuki Shibata

- Publisher: Toyo Keizai Inc.

- Narrator: Toshiaki Arai

- Distribution URL: https://audiobook.jp/product/275100

- Release Date: June 19, 2026

- Work Description: It's a big lie that life is up to you.

Your life is ruled by chance, and this world is a product of happenstance.

Success and failure, evolution and history, are all influenced by a accumulation of small coincidences.

We control nothing, yet we influence everything.

A grand and moving book that explores the origins of the world and life by freely traversing diverse knowledge from chaos theory, evolutionary biology, history, and philosophy.

2nd Place: "My Stocks Are Plummeting! Should I Sell? The Mindset of People Who Profit from Stocks"

My Stocks Are Plummeting! Should I Sell? The Mindset of People Who Profit from Stocks

- Author: Shunsuke Kakei

- Publisher: Diamond, Inc.

- Narrators: Tsutomu Bingo, Emi Hirazawa

- Distribution URL: https://audiobook.jp/product/274654

- Release Date: April 30, 2026

- Work Description: Elite trading company employee Eri Namino finds himself with enormous unrealized losses after trusting the stocks recommended by experts and influencers. Driven to the brink, he visits the mysterious "Hibari Investment Clinic" for help, where he is met with a ruthless diagnosis and an unforgiving prescription for becoming a "profitable investor."

Thoroughly and clearly explains the "mindset of people who profit from stocks." The decisive difference between "winning investors" and "losing investors" lies here!

3rd Place: "Why Do Some People's Writing Feel So Good? Techniques for Not Losing Out in Writing Discovered by an Editor Over 10 Years"

Why Do Some People's Writing Feel So Good? Techniques for Not Losing Out in Writing Discovered by an Editor Over 10 Years

- Author: Ren Shoji

- Publisher: Diamond, Inc.

- Narrator: Hiroto Yoshida

- Distribution URL: https://audiobook.jp/product/274856

- Release Date: May 23, 2026

- Work Description: The "writing style of people who feel good" that went viral on NewsPicks and note is now available in a book!

As an editor, I have been observing the writing of "people who feel good" for over 10 years. From that experience, I believe there are commonalities in "writing that conveys feelings" and "writing that gathers empathy from many people." This book, in a lecture format, considers "what kind of writing should one do to avoid losing out?" in an era where text is paramount.

4th Place: "Naruse Runs Through the Capital"

(Mina Miyajima, Shinchosha Publishing)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274029

5th Place: "The Art of Spending Money: How Should You Use Your Money in a Once-in-a-Lifetime?

(Morgan Housel, translated by Osamu Kojima, Diamond, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/275091

6th Place: "Learn Economics from Geography! [Completely Revised Edition]"

(Shusaku Miyaji, Diamond, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274852

7th Place: "Aim for 100 Million Yen in US Stock Investment! Starting with Zero English Skills and Knowledge"

(Eru, Diamond, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274642

8th Place: "Deep Driver: How to Verbalize What You Truly Want to Do"

(Takeshi Furukawa, BOWBOOKS)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274680

9th Place: "Earn 100,000 Yen a Month and Live Richly: A Guide to Post-Retirement Jobs"

(Takashi Sakamoto, Diamond, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274658

10th Place: "The World is Made of 'Invisible Boundaries'"

(Maxime Samson, translated by Shigeru Someta, translated by Shigeru Someta, Kanki Publishing)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274644

"audiobook.jp" All-You-Can-Listen Ranking Top 10 - July (June 1 to June 30, 2026)

1st Place: "Mangan"

Mangan

- Author: Hoshinori Yonezawa

- Publisher: Shinchosha / Pico House

- Narrators: Yuki Hoshi, Nozomi Sasaki

- Distribution URL: https://audiobook.jp/product/274886

- Release Date: May 18, 2026

- Work Description: A masterpiece of short story collections that surprised a wide range of readers, winning three major mystery awards.

"It's fine now." The woman who killed someone withdraws her appeal and quietly serves her sentence... The title story, where the true motive emerges with a brilliant conclusion, "Death Inn," where the protagonist seeking to reunite with their lover visits, "Pomegranate," a sensual and chilling tale of beautiful middle school sisters, and the gripping masterpiece "Manto" where a businessman faces the worst situation, and others. Includes a total of six stories: "Night Watch," "Sekimori," and "Manto." A masterpiece of mystery short stories that achieved the first-ever triple crown. Winner of the Yamamoto Shugoro Prize.

2nd Place: "What to Learn After 50: How to Acquire Wisdom for a Smarter Life"

What to Learn After 50: How to Acquire Wisdom for a Smarter Life

- Author: Akira Ikegami

- Publisher: PHP Institute, Inc.

- Narrator: Fūjin Nishimura

- Distribution URL: https://audiobook.jp/product/274042

- Release Date: January 11, 2026

- Work Description: "Wisdom is the 'strongest weapon' that doesn't immediately prove useful." What does it mean to live, what is life?

Age 50, which arrives quickly amidst a busy life, is a time when everyone must reconsider how they will live from now on.

"I ran headlong until my children became independent, but what was my life really about?" "What can I do with the rest of my life?" "How long will I have to work?" "Is this okay as it is?" ... This book is packed with hints for sublimating past experiences and knowledge into wisdom.

3rd Place: "The Whale That Sings at 52 Hertz"

The Whale That Sings at 52 Hertz

- Author: Sonoko Machida

- Publisher: Chuo Koron Shinsha, Inc.

- Narrator: Aimi Yasuda

- Distribution URL: https://audiobook.jp/product/274835

- Release Date: April 30, 2026

- Work Description: Winner of the 2021 Bookstore Grand Prize.

A whale that sings at a high frequency that other whales cannot hear, it is the only whale in the world that sings alone. Nothing reaches it, and it can reach nothing. Therefore, it is said to be the loneliest in the world.

Kiko, a woman whose life has been exploited by her family, and a boy called "Mushi" who has been abused by his mother. They meet due to their loneliness and desire for love, are betrayed, and a new story of souls is born.

4th Place: "Inariyama Seizo: Calling Rainbows in the Hawaiian Sky"

(Yasu Kasumi, Discover 21 Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/275221

5th Place: "What Smart People Think Before They Speak"

(Yuya Adachi, Diamond, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/267463

6th Place: "Listening In"

(Hiroki Nagaoka, Futabasha Publishers Ltd.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/275028

7th Place: "Makan Maran - The Midnight Snack Cafe"

(Kazue Furuuchi, Chuo Koron Shinsha, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/275041

8th Place: "The Courage to Be Disliked: Adler's Teachings, the Source of Self-Help"

(Ichiro Kishimi, Fumitake Koga, Diamond, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/174867

9th Place: "Naruse Runs Through the Capital"

(Mina Miyajima, Shinchosha Publishing)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274029

10th Place: "Strength Training After 40 Will Lead You to Success in Life"

(Testosterone, PHP Institute, Inc.)

https://audiobook.jp/product/274496

"audiobook.jp" All-You-Can-Listen Plan Details

This is an audiobook plan that allows you to listen to eligible titles for a monthly fee of 1,330 yen (tax included). We offer a wide range of audio content, including business books, novels, radio dramas, news, and rakugo. A free trial is available for the first 2 weeks (14 days).

Details URL: https://audiobook.jp/user/membership/options/unlimited

[Inquiries Regarding Audiobooks]

OTOBANK Co., Ltd. Public Relations Office Email: [email protected]

For other inquiries, please contact: https://www.otobank.co.jp/contact/

What is an Audiobook?

An audiobook is a "book to listen to" where a narrator or voice actor reads a book aloud. Since you can enjoy reading with your ears alone, it allows for "reading while doing other things" in various scenes of life, such as while running, commuting by train or car, or doing housework, as well as for those who have difficulty reading text.

In recent years, with the rapid improvement of the environment for using audio content due to the spread of smartphones and wireless earphones, and the introduction of subscription plans that offer unlimited listening to various works for a fixed fee, the number of audiobook users has surged. Currently, audiobooks are expanding as the third form of books, following print and e-books.

[Reference] "Easy to Understand! Audiobooks" - From the Production Process to Recommended Titles https://bit.ly/3Xg8mFJ

audiobook.jp

This is Japan's largest audiobook distribution service operated by OTOBANK Co., Ltd.

Renewed from "FeBe," which began distribution in 2007, the service launched in March 2018. We aim to expand the platform for the widespread adoption of audiobooks. In February 2024, the number of members exceeded 3 million. https://audiobook.jp/

[Service Overview]

- Service Name: "audiobook.jp"

- Site URL: https://audiobook.jp/

- App Store Page: https://app.audiobook.jp/ios

- Google Play Page: https://app.audiobook.jp/android

- Pricing System:

The All-You-Can-Listen plan is 1,330 yen (tax included) per month. You can use it for free for two weeks from enrollment.

Individual purchases are available for each title. (Mainly distributed at prices similar to single-volume books (around 1,200 to 1,500 yen).)

OTOBANK Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Yuya Kubota)

Founded in 2004 with the slogan "Creating a Culture of Listening," OTOBANK is an audio platform company. It operates "audiobook.jp," Japan's largest audiobook distribution service, and produces and distributes tens of thousands of audiobooks. The company's origin stems from the experience of its founder, Ueda, whose grandfather suffered from glaucoma, inspiring a desire to create a world where reading could be enjoyed through listening. Currently, OTOBANK also plans and produces podcasts that enhance corporate brand value and offers audio services for corporations to support human resource development. Through promoting reading accessibility and proposing a new lifestyle called "ear activity," the company aims to realize a prosperous society created by sound. https://www.otobank.co.jp/

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: press_release
  • Organizations: BOWBOOKS