Kadokawa Corporation

Headquartered in the Kabukiza Tower within Chiyoda, Tokyo, Kadokawa Corporation operates as a major Japanese media conglomerate and one of the country's Big Four film studios. The current entity was formally established on October 1, 2014, following the merger of the original Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango Co., Ltd., though its lineage traces back to the 1945 founding of Kadokawa Shoten by Shigeo Kadokawa. Today the group manages five primary business segments: Publishing and IP Creation, Animation and Live-Action Production, Gaming, Web Services, and Education.

The company holds significant influence across multiple entertainment sectors through a vast portfolio that includes manga, light novels, and video game publishers. Notably, it maintains a majority stake in FromSoftware, the developer behind global hits like Elden Ring and the Dark Souls series. As a member of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ), it competes directly with industry giants such as Shueisha, Kodansha, and Aniplex while aggressively expanding its global reach through strategic acquisitions.

Recent years have seen intense scrutiny regarding financial performance and leadership structures. In June 2026, activist shareholders attempted to remove CEO Toshiaki Kurokawa citing profit leakage related to the management of the Elden Ring franchise, yet he retained his position following the shareholder meeting. Later that year, reports highlighted a significant loss in the anime division despite rising revenue from titles like Re:Zero, prompting a September 2026 announcement to consolidate five anime studios into a new unified entity known as Studio One Base. [edit]