PUBLICATION/IP CREATION

BUSINESS OVERVIEW

Creating New Content Centered Around Publishing

The KADOKAWA group continuously publishes new creative works in a wide range of categories, amounting to some 5,000 titles each year including literature, comics, light novels, children’s books, business books and many other works. They are an important source from which we roll out content for different types of media (media mix).
In addition to paper and digital publishing, we also connect our publishing operations to other operations such as video distribution, events and merchandise. We have also developed various e-book platforms mainly including “BOOK☆WALKER”, a comprehensive e-book store. Aside from discovering new talented people on contribution platforms and social media, we are also working to expand overseas by, for example, simultaneously releasing Japanese and multilingual versions of the works that we publish. By doing this, we deliver attractive publications to readers and fans around the world.

Books
e-books
Media

Books

Literature

We operate different imprints, including “KADOKAWA Bunko”, “KADOKAWA Horror Bunko”, and publish more than 300 works of fiction, primarily novels, including the works published in “Shosetsu Yaseijidai”, a literary e-magazine. We work on a broad range of genres and publish famous literary award winners and novels that served as the basis for the much-talked-about video adaptation, among many other works that we publish.

Business books, how-to books, lifestyle books, and non-fiction

We provide content related to work, living, and learning that increases readers’ quality of life and knowledge. A wide variety of books are included in this category, such as business books, how-to books, lifestyle books, non-fiction, translations, essays told in pictures, study guides, language learning books, academic books, and dictionaries. The “KADOKAWA Shinsho”, “KADOKAWA Sophia Bunko”, and “KADOKAWA Sensho” imprints are also included. We also hold seminars and other events.

Light novels and new literature

Since we established the light novel category, we have consistently published hit series. Our media mix includes animation, games, comics created based on novels etc., and goods.We publish light novels that have continued to start various movements as well as new web and UGC-based literature that is rising in popularity. Different labels are always discovering new talent from among the writers winning new-writer awards and from the Web and user-generated content (UGC) platforms and providing entertaining novels that are adored by readers.

Children’s books

KADOKAWA publishes books that provide a wonderful reading experience for different growth stages, including picture books for infants to preschool children, character books, the “KADOKAWA Manga Gakushu Series”, including Nihon no Rekishi (History of Japan), and “KADOKAWA Tsubasa Bunko”, a collection of books for children.

Comics

KADOKAWA has published many works targeting readers aware of trends in society under the theme, “always anticipating the needs of the times” and has received many manga awards. In recent years, it publishes an increasing number of works translated into various languages for overseas fans and electronic works distributed through the “Kadocomi” free manga distribution website before the publication of printed magazines. KADOKAWA also publishes works for overseas markets.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999
©MASHIRO/COMICSMART INC.

We launched “TATESC COMICS”, a label that publishes vertically scrolling comics that are easily viewable on smartphones, and domestically and internationally distribute many vertically scrolling comics from Japan in vivid full color, ranging from popular KADOKAWA titles to original series. In 2023, we started hosting the TATESC COMICS Global Awards which collect works from all over the world published in six different languages.

e-books

e-books, online platforms

Digitalization that responds to changes in the market continues to progress at KADOKAWA group. We sell both paper and electronic formats for many books and magazines, and these are offered through various e-book stores.
Over a million e-books from over 1,400 publishers are sold on ”BOOK☆WALKER”, a comprehensive e-book store directly operated by our Group.
We also operate ”Kadocomi”, a free manga site, and ”Kakuyomu”, a web novel site, and work to discover UGC (User Generated Content).
We will continue to expand our services for both paper and digital formats so that customers can enjoy content on a variety of devices.

https://bookwalker.jp/

https://comic-walker.com/

https://kakuyomu.jp/

Media

Magazines and mooks

We distribute magazines for a variety of generations and hobbies. This includes “Lettuce Club”, a lifestyle informational magazine, “Monthly The Television“, an informational magazine on TV, “Weekly Famitsu”, a comprehensive game magazine, “Chara Parfait”, character and game informational magazine for girls, “Newtype”, which includes the latest anime information, “Da Vinci”, which introduces seasonal books and comics.

Web media

We operate web media in a variety of genres, including: “Walkerplus”, a trend and trip information website; “WEB The Television”, an art and entertainment information website; “Da Vinci Web”, a portal site for books and comics; “Lettuce Club” (WEB), a lifestyle information website; “ASCII.jp”, a comprehensive IT information website; and “Famitsu.com”, an general entertainment information website.

https://www.walkerplus.com/

https://thetv.jp/

https://ddnavi.com/

https://www.lettuceclub.net/

https://ascii.jp/

https://www.famitsu.com/

Group companies

KADOKAWA ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc.

Widely engaged in research, consulting, marketing, the solution business, publishing, educational support projects, and more as the media research lab for the KADOKAWA Group. They work towards resolving customers' problems by comprehensively showcasing the Group's abundance of strengths in content, media, and research.
KADOKAWA UPLINK INC.

KADOKAWA UPLINK, headquartered in Okinawa, supports the base of the comprehensive content, including books, magazines, movies, animation and games, of KADOKAWA under different brands.
KADOKAWA UPLINK transmits a range of different types of entertainment information.
KADOKAWA KEY-PROCESS Co., Ltd.

KADOKAWA KEY-PROCESS is a production company that continues to evolve prepress techniques and completely control data to produce multiple types of publication content.
KADOKAWA Game Linkage Inc.

KADOKAWA Game Linkage is attempting to create new value related to games. It develops game media, including publications under the brands of “Famitsu” and “Game no Dengeki”, online services and video distribution, produces gaming team “FAV gaming”, plans e-sports events, and products goods.
It will increase the excitement from games to users and will bring the fun of games to more people.
Kadokawa Book Navi Co.

Kadokawa Book Navi promotes sales for a variety of publications of the KADOKAWA group. Staff nationwide regularly visit bookstores and propose displays based on information about hit products and video adaptations. The motto is “Be a bridge between KADOKAWA and readers through the maintenance of displays at bookstores.”
KADOKAWA LifeDesign Inc.

KADOKAWA LifeDesign is engaged in the publishing and advertising business of the magazine “Lettuce Club” and “3 Minutes Cooking”, as well as the mail-order business for seniors through mail-order catalogs such as “Mainichi ga Hakken”.
GeeXPlus, Inc.

A marketing company that employs non-Japanese influencers who love Japanese anime, manga, light novels, and games. They plan promotions using their own influences, create video, and distribute this video, targeting the English-speaking world.
CHOUBUNSHA PUBLISHING CO., LTD.

CHOUBUNSHA publishes primarily children’s books. It has published a number of serials, which are placed in schools and public libraries. The company aims to publish books that call for children to think about the importance of life and peace, primarily the two bestselling series Hadashi no Gen and Sekai de Ichiban Mazushii Daitoryo.
Building Book Center Co.,Ltd.

Building Book Center plays an important role to connect content and customers, including production of the KADOKAWA group’s publications and online sales of books and goods. Equipped with the cutting-edge digital equipment inside “TOKOROZAWA SAKURA TOWN”, the Book Manufacturing and Distribution Factory enables small-quantity, high-quality production. It publishes and distributes books faster than ever.
BOOK WALKER Co.,Ltd.

In addition to operating BOOK☆WALKER, a comprehensive e-book store, and the Global Store aimed at the English market, they conduct business related to the various aspects of e-books. They also develop and operate NicoNico Manga, a manga submission service, bookmeter, a reading management service, and d Magazine, an e-book distribution business focused on the KADOKAWA Group's content in cooperation with NTT docomo.
ANIME NEWS NETWORK LLC

Anime News Network LLC engages in the media business focused on distribution of the latest news concerning Japanese anime, manga, light novels and other entertainment content to its English-speaking market userbase in North America and other parts of the world. ANN also operates a content database and community forums for its users to interact on its website and has established its position as one of the largest platforms specialized in its field in North America.
BOOKWALKER TAIWAN CO. Ltd.

Since February 2016, BOOKWALKER TAIWAN has offered the ”BOOK☆WALKER TAIWAN” service, a traditional Chinese language e-book store. They offer a pleasant digital reading environment through comprehensive technical cooperation with Japan's “BOOK☆WALKER”, as well as showcasing the charm of Japanese e-books to Chinese readers (traditional characters) focusing mainly on Taiwan.
GUANGZHOU TIANWEN KADOKAWA ANIMATION & COMICS CO., LTD.

Since it was founded in Guangzhou, China in 2010, the company has developed original Chinese intellectual properties and rolled them out globally, in addition to translating and publishing light novels, literary novels, manga and collections of paintings.
Aside from selling merchandise, the company also operates in non-publishing categories such as animation, games and digital products and actively promotes the media mix.
JNC Nina GmbH

Established in 2023. JNC Nina builds upon the English language market success of J-Novel Club in distributing Japanese light novels and manga by expanding its electronic book publications and subscription-based services to readers in the French and German-speaking markets.
J-Novel Club LLC

Founded in 2016, J-Novel Club (JNC) engages in the English publication of Japanese light novels and manga and operates a digital subscription service platform. For North America and other English-speaking markets, JNC streams the latest translated chapters through its digital subscription service platform and distributes e-Book format publications of the same titles through major English online stores.
KADOKAWA AMARIN COMPANY LIMITED

KADOKAWA AMARIN was founded in 2016 by KADOKAWA and AMARIN, the largest publisher in Thailand. To date, the company has been operating a wide range of businesses such as the translation and publication of Japanese light novels and comics, e-commerce, film distribution and the production of animation-inspired and copyrighted merchandise.
KADOKAWA GEMPAK STARZ SDN. BHD.

KADOKAWA GEMPAK STARZ is a major publisher of comics and books for children in Malaysia. In 2015, KADOKAWA acquired a stake in it. The company publishes original content, including the Primal Power series, in Japan, greater China, English-speaking countries and Southeast Asian countries. Going forward, the company will strive to maximize the value of its content by means of its media mix.
KADOKAWA HONGKONG LTD.

Founded in 2005 as a Japanese media company in Hong Kong. Having established its self-operated e-commerce (EC) site in 2021, the company sells specially bound editions and products related to animation, comics and games (ACG) imported from Taiwan and Japan.
The company will continue to operate the e-commerce site and exhibit at events to interact with ACG fans, thereby increasing fan satisfaction beyond their expectations while staying up to date on the needs of the market.
KADOKAWA TAIWAN CORPORATION

Founded in 1999. With eyes fixed on the future of the market of e-books in traditional Chinese characters, BOOKWALKER TAIWAN was founded in 2015 as a subsidiary to transplant the system and knowledge from “BOOK☆WALKER”, a Japanese e-book site.
The company established novel contribution platform “KadoKado” in 2021 and accelerated its digital transformation in accordance with the customs of this new age of book reading. Taiwan KADOKAWA has become the core of the KADOKAWA Group's overseas strategy. For example, it develops and improves original intellectual properties in greater China.
YEN PRESS, LLC.

YEN PRESS was established in 2016 as a joint venture with Hachette Book Group, a major US publisher. YEN PRESS is a leading company in the Japanese light novel market in North America. It is also actively expanding business, including development of original works and entry into other English-speaking countries.