The Rafu Shimpo began in April 1903 as a simple news sheet posted on local bulletin boards and today is the nation's leading bilingual Japanese American daily newspaper, read by over 45,000 each day. Rippo Iijima, Masaharu Yamaguchi and Seijiro Shibuya, attending the University of Southern California at the time, decided to publish a mimeographed newspaper from their small office at 128 N. Main Street in downtown Los Angeles. For a name, they combined the "ra" from the old Chinese name for Los Angeles, "Rashogiri," and "fu" meaning prefecture, then added the Japanese word for newspaper, "shimpo." The Rafu Shimpo attained a golden century mark in 2003. With a readership of 45,000, it is the leading English and Japanese daily newspaper in the Japanese and Asian American community.The Rafu Shimpo, the Los Angeles Japanese Daily News is a broadsheet newspaper serving the Japanese community of Los Angeles. It was established in 1903. The Los Angeles Rafu Shimpo is in the Los Angeles, CA DMA. The Los Angeles Rafu Shimpo offers ROP and insert advertising opportunities in its daily circulation. Echo Media has direct relationships with over 7,500 newspapers providing tremendous local coverage.