NEWS RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
KADOKAWA Announces Acquisition of First Page Pro by Thai Subsidiary
KADOKAWA Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takeshi Natsuno; hereinafter "KADOKAWA") has announced today that its Thai subsidiary KADOKAWA AMARIN COMPANY LIMITED (Headquarters: Bangkok, Thailand; Managing Director: Taro Iwasaki; hereinafter "KADOKAWA AMARIN") and First Page Pro Company Limited (Head office: Bangkok, Thailand; President: Montree Tipprasert; hereinafter "First Page"), a publisher of manga and light novels in Thailand, have reached an agreement with respect to the majority acquisition of First Page on December 21, 2023. The impact of this matter on the consolidated business results for the current fiscal year is expected to be immaterial.
KADOKAWA AMARIN was established in 2016 to engage in a Thai translation and publishing business of Japanese manga and light novels in Thailand. KADOKAWA AMARIN is one of the largest publishers in the Thai market, currently publishing over 400 manga and light novels annually. First Page was established in 2014 as a Thai translation and publishing business of Japanese manga and light novels. First Page currently publishes over 120 books annually for the core Japanese content fans in Thailand. With this acquisition, KADOKAWA aims to further strengthen its leading position in the Thai manga and light novel market.
With respect to this announcement, Montree Tipprasert, President of First Page, and Taro Iwasaki, Managing Director of KADOKAWA AMARIN, stated the following respectively.
Montree Tipprasert (President, First Page)
We are pleased to join KADOKAWA AMARIN, which is a successful role model for Japanese content translation and publishing business in Thailand. The market demand for Japanese content continues to grow, and we are confident that the synergies generated by both companies will significantly benefit the overall growth of the company.
Taro Iwasaki (Managing Director, KADOKAWA AMARIN)
We are delighted to establish a partnership relationship with First Page, which continues to grow steadily with its core fan base. We expect to see complementary effects between KADOKAWA AMARIN handling a broader range of genres, and First Page that enables us to further publish Japanese content in Thailand by strengthening our publishing resources.
About KADOKAWA AMARIN COMPANY LIMITED
Established in 2016, KADOKAWA AMARIN COMPANY LIMITED primarily engages in the publication and distribution of Japanese light novels, manga, the production and sale of character merchandise. Currently, the company is expanding its business in a wide range of areas, including the translation and publication of works by non-Japanese publishers and the licensing of Thai IP globally.
About First Page Pro
Established in 2014, First Page Pro Ltd. continues to grow with its core business of translating and publishing Japanese light novels and manga, particularly favored by the core fans. The company also has a strong product planning capability, including the sale of character goods developed in-house.
About KADOKAWA CORPORATION
KADOKAWA CORPORATION develops a wide range of entertainment including publication, videos, games, Web services, education, operating IP experiential facilities such as TOKOROZAWA SAKURA TOWN. By utilizing technology, KADOKAWA CORPORATION implements a global media mix strategy, focusing on stable Intellectual Property (IP) creation and delivering it to the world in a variety of forms.
https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/global/
Public Relations Department, KADOKAWA Co.
E-mail : pr-dept@kadokawa.jp
