The Asahi Shimbun (朝日新聞, IPA: [asaçi ɕiꜜmbɯɴ], lit. 'morning sun newspaper', English: Asahi News) is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and 1.33 million for its evening edition as of July 2021, was second behind that of the Yomiuri Shimbun. By print circulation, it is the third largest newspaper in the world behind the Yomiuri, though its digital size trails that of many global newspapers including The New York Times.