CORPORATE HISTORY


Digital Transformation to an Era of Worldwide Connections Using IP:2020–

On November 6, 2020, Tokorozawa Sakura Town, one of Japan's largest facilities disseminating pop culture, opens. KADOKAWA promotes production and distribution reform in the publishing business and work style reform through digital transformation (DX) and advances the intangible experience business. It grows as a mega content publisher responding to changing times. KADOKAWA advances a global media mix strategy, which focuses on steadily creating a variety of intellectual property and expanding overseas.  



  • 2020

    “READPIA”, a new brand of reading drama production is launched.
    Business Produce Division wins the Google2019 Partnership Award Display Monetization award.
    The light novel series Slayers from the “Fantasia Bunko” label commemorates its 30th anniversary.
    Agreement on regional security has been concluded between Tokorozawa city, Tokorozawa Police station, and KADOKAWA.
    Agreement on crime prevention urban development plan has been concluded between Saitama prefecture, Saitama Prefectural Police, and KADOKAWA.
    Official online merchandise store for overseas customers “EJ ANiME STORE” was launched.
    KADOKAWA Connected fully starts “Smart City Lab” and DX advisory service.
    The movie Fukushima 50 is released.
    For the people staying at home to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus infection, numerous e-books including children’s books, light novels, comics, and study guides has been provided free for a limited time on platforms such as “BOOK☆WALKER””ComicWalker””Kimirano” and “Yomeruba”.
    In response to school closures caused by novel coronavirus, KADOKAWA DWANGO GAKUEN N High School and DWANGO started to provide online study app “N Yobiko” and online classes for free to the public.
    “Ncon”, a new business by DWANGO is launched.
    There Is No Other by Yama Wayama won the New Artist Award in the manga category of the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival and the Short Story Award of the 24th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
    Ryusei Calling by Toru Kawabe won the grand prize in the novel category of the 10th Hiroshima Book Grand Prix.
    “Tokorozawa Sakura Town” was constructed.
    “SAKURATOWN AFTER-SCHOOL CLUB” opened.
    Swan by Katsuhiro Go won the New Artist Award of the 41st Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Prize and the 73rd Mystery Writers of Japan Awards〈in the long and serial short story category〉.
    “Musashino Reiwa Shrine” (Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation) was constructed.
    “Tokorozawa Sakura Town” pre-opened.
    Illustration advertisements were presented on Japan's first "LED manholes," which have been installed in Tokorozawa City, Saitama.
    “Canteen KADOKAWA” opened.
    “ComicWalker” exceeded 200 million PVs per month.
    Monthly overseas sales of “BOOK☆WALKER” exceeded 100 million yen.
    Gotcha Gotcha Games Inc. was established.
    The headquarters system was abolished, and the whole group was restructured into 13 area groups.
    “EJ ANIME HOTEL” opened.
    Pan Dorobo by Keiko Shibata won the 11th LIBRO Picture Book Award and 1th TSUTAYA Picture Book Award.
    N High School's project-based learning "Project N" won the Good Design Award 2020.
    The movie Seven Days War won the Award for Best Motion Picture at the 53rd Sitges Film Festival.
    “Tokorozawa Sakura Town” opened.
    “Kadokawa Culture Museum” (Kadokawa Culture Promotion Foundation) opened.
    “DA VINCI STORE” was opened.
    “Ramen Walker Kitchen” was opened.
    KADOKAWA is in the 75th anniversary of its foundation.
    “niconico” changes its service logo to “ニコニコ”.
    In the 71st NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen (music program), YOASOBI, a duo who participated in the program for the first time, performed live from Bookshelf Theater of Kadokawa Culture Museum.
    “Newtype” and “ASUKA” marked their 35th anniversary. “Monthly The Television” and “Monthly COMIC BEAM” marked their 25th anniversary. “DENGEKI ONLINE” marked its 20th anniversary. “DENGEKI Daioh” marked its 15th anniversary. “BOOK☆WALKER” marked its 10th anniversary. “Weekly The Television” published the 1900th issue.

  • 2021

    D.LEAGUE, Japan's first professional dance league, opens. KADOKAWA DREAMS participates in the league.
    The film "Fukushima 50" won the most awards including the best awards in 6 categories and the excellence awards in 12 categories at the 44th Japan Academy Awards, and won Best Picture at the 63rd Blue Ribbon Awards.
    The film "MOTHER" won Best Film of the 75th Mainichi Film Awards.
    KADOKAWA Manga Gakushu Series World History first published.
    Prototype City: Global Innovation Taking Place in Shenzhen wins the special prize at the Ohira Masayoshi Memorial Foundation's presentation of the 37th Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize.
    New comic magazine, “Aokishi” launched.
    Joins J-Novel Club.
    Kieta Mama Tomo by Hiroko Nohara wins the 25th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Awards Short Story Prize.
    Tezcatlipoca by Kiwamu Sato wins the 34th Yamamoto Shugoro Prize and the 165th Naoki Sanjugo Prize.
    Educational pictorial book series Kadokawa no Atsumeru Zukan GET! first published.
    Studio KADAN Co., Ltd. founded.
    “The Tokorozawa Campus” is presented the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry 34th Nikkei New Office Award.
    Megumi Semitani wins the New Writer Award for Bakemono Shinju at the 10th Japan Historical Writers' Association Awards.
    KADOKAWA Connected begins providing “QRouton”, the unified QR code management tool.
    “Tatesc Comic” electronics comic service is launched.
    Nemurenu Yoru wa Cake wo Yaite by Gogo wins the Comics Award at the 8th Recipe Book Awards in Japan.
    The corporate logo of Vantan Inc. is redesigned.
    BOOK WALKER Co., Ltd. and TRISTA Co., Ltd. are absorbed.
    The cumulative total global shipments of the game series Danganronpa exceeds 5,000,000.
    The cumulative total number of visitors to Tokorozawa Sakura Town and Kadokawa Culture Museum exceeds 1,000,000.
    Kadokawa Culture Museum wins the Excellence Award in the cultural/public facility category of the 40th Display Industry Awards, and the Special Award at the the 3rd Noma Publishing Culture Awards.
    KADOKAWA TAIWAN CORPORATION launches the new serial story platform  “KadoKado”.
    Kokurojo by Honobu Yonezawa wins the 166th Naoki Sanjugo Prize and the 12th Yamada Futaro Prize.  
    Pan Dorobo Vs. Nise Pan Dorobo by Keiko Shibata wins the 2nd TSUTAYA Picture Book Award and the Grand Prize in the children's book/new work category of the 9th Shizuoka Booksellers' Awards.
    “STUDIO koemee” label for ki ku anime is launched.
    The company history book KADOKAWA on Media Mix Zenshi: Subculture no Sozo to Hatten is published.
    Lockheed Gigoku - Kakuei wo Homuri Kyoaku wo Nogasu by Mikio Haruna wins the Grand Prize in the cultural contribution category of the 21st Waseda Journalism Awards in memory of Ishibashi Tanzan.
    “Kadokawa Film Festival” is held celebrating the 45th anniversary of Kadokawa Movie.
    DARK SOULS of FromSoftware, Inc. selected as the Ultimate Game of All Time in the Golden Joystick Awards 2021.
    The 45th anniversary of the foundation of CHOUBUNSHA PUBLISHING CO., LTD.; the 35th anniversary of the foundation of FromSoftware, Inc.; the 20th anniversary of the foundation of ATX; the 10th anniversary of the foundation of MOVIE WALKER Co., Ltd.; and the 5th anniversary of the foundation of YenPress LLC, KADOKAWA AMARIN COMPANY LIMITED and the Anime Tourism Association.
    The 35th anniversary of the first publication of “Weekly Famitsu”, the 20th anniversary of the first publication of “Gundam Ace”, “Kadokawa Beans Bunko”, and “Dengeki Nintendo” the 15th anniversary of the first publication of “B's Log Bunko” and “Monthly Comic Alive”, the 15th anniversary of the launch of “niconico” the 10th anniversary of the first publication of “Monthly Comic Gene” the 5th anniversary of the launch of “Kaku Yomu”.

  • 2022

    Chara-ani Corporation, a consolidated subsidiary, is merged into KADOKAWA CORPORATION.
    The film Belle was awarded the Animation of the Year award and the Outstanding Achievement in Music award in the 45th Japan Academy Film Prize.
    Over 10 million copies of the Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation series sold.
    Sales of the ELDEN RING game begin. Units shipped worldwide hit 13.4 million, with domestic shipments exceeding 1 million. (As of March 31, 2022)
    J-GUIDE Marketing Co., Ltd. changes its name to KADOKAWA Global Marketing Co., Ltd.
    Transfer to the Prime Market, a new market segment in the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
    Kyoshitsu no Katasumi de Seishun ga Hajimaru by Natsuko Taniguchi wins the Creative Award of the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. Iitoshiwo by Izumi Okaya wins the Short Story Award of the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.  
    Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru by Mashiro wins the Grand Prize of the 6th Tsutaya Comic Award.
    Changes from a company with a board of corporate auditors to a company with an audit & supervisory committee.
    KADOKAWA CORPORATION takes over the production business of KADOKAWA DAIEI STUDIO CO., LTD. through an absorption-type company split.  
    Sells the latest video game of the CALL OF DUTY® series and enters into the game distribution business.
    The film My Broken Mariko wins the Best Screenplay Award of the Fantasia International Film Festival.
    The KADOKAWA Group publishes its first integrated report, “KADOKAWA INTEGRATED REPORT 2022.”
    ELDEN RING wins the Game of the Year at Japan Game Awards 2022.
    Onna no Nyobo by Megumi Semitani wins the 10th Nomura Kodo Prize.
    KADOKAWA KPLUS CO., Ltd. (former TIMO Japan) becomes a consolidated subsidiary.
    ANIME NEWS NETWORK LLC (former ANIME NEWS NETWORK INC.) becomes a consolidated subsidiary.
    The 25th anniversary of the foundation of DWANGO Co., Ltd.; the 5th anniversary of the foundation of Cool Japan Travel, Inc.
    The 70th anniversary of “Haiku”, the 40th anniversary of “The Television”, the 35th anniversary of “DVD & Movie Data” and “Lettuce Club”, the 30th anniversary of “Kadokawa Ruby Bunko”, the 25th anniversary of “Weekly ASCII”, and the 20th anniversary of “B's-LOG”, “DENGEKI MOEOH”, “VOICE Newtype” and “MF Bunko J”.

  • 2023

    Changes from a company with an audit & supervisory committee to a company with a Nominating Committee, etc.
    The 60th anniversary of the foundation of Glovision Inc.; the 40th anniversary of the foundation of Kadokawa Media House Inc.; the 10th anniversary of the foundation of KADOKAWA DAIEI STUDIO CO., LTD.; the 5th anniversary of the foundation of KADOKAWA Architecture Co., Ltd. and KADOKAWA Global Marketing Co., Ltd. and ENGI Co.Ltd. and KADOKAWA QINGYU (SHANGHAI) CULTURE & CREATION CO., LTD.
    The 55th anniversary of “Kadokawa Sensho”, the 40th anniversary of “Comptiq”, the 35th anniversary of “Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko”, “Fujimi Fantasia Bunko” and “DRAGON MAGAZINE”, the 30th anniversary of “Kadokawa Horror Bunko” and “Dengeki Bunko”, the 25th anniversary of “Famitsu Bunko”, the 10th anniversary of “MF Books” and “Harta”.
    Newly established a corporate mission "A Platform for Creativity".