Kadokawa Future Publishing

{{Infobox company

| name = Kadokawa Key-Process Co., Ltd.

| logo =

| logo_caption =

| type = Subsidiary

| native_name = 株式会社KADOKAWA KEY-PROCESS

| romanized_name = Kabushiki-gaisha KADOKAWA KEY - purosesu

| former_name = {{plainlist|

Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd. (1945–2003)
Kadokawa Holdings, Inc. (2003–2006)
Kadokawa Group Holdings, Inc. (2006–2014)
Kadokawa Corporation (2014–2019)
Kadokawa Future Publishing (2019–2023)

}}

| foundation = {{start date and age|1954|4|2}}

| traded_as = {{TYO was|9477}}

| founder = Genyoshi Kadokawa

| fate =

| defunct =

| key_people = Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (chairman)
Masaki Matsubara (president and CEO)
Shinichiro Inoue (SVP)

| location_city = Chiyoda, Tokyo

| location_country = Japan

| revenue =

| industry = Publishing

| area_served = Japan

| num_employees =

| parent = Kadokawa Corporation

| divisions = ASCII Media Works
Chukei Publishing
Enterbrain
Fujimi Shobo
Kadokawa Gakugei Publishing
Kadokawa Magazines
Kadokawa Shoten
Media Factory

| subsid = Building Book Center

| homepage = {{URL|keyprocess.kadokawa.co.jp}}

}}

{{nihongo|Kadokawa Key-Process Co., Ltd.|株式会社KADOKAWA KEY-PROCESS|Kabushiki-gaisha Kadokawa Key Process}} is the publishing arm of Kadokawa Corporation, publishing manga, novels, light novels, magazines, tabletop role-playing games and other type of content with eight different publishing brand companies that previously merged with it.{{cite web|url=https://ir.kadokawa.co.jp/global/bc.php|title=Brand Companies|publisher=Kadokawa Corporation|access-date=August 13, 2019|archive-date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814032115/https://ir.kadokawa.co.jp/global/bc.php|url-status=dead}} The company used to be the first iteration of {{Nihongo foot|Kadokawa Corporation|株式会社KADOKAWA|Kabushiki-gaisha Kadokawa}} and was the parent company of the Kadokawa Group companies, which brought together several affiliated companies related to Kadokawa Shoten. Kadokawa Dwango announced a restructuring in February 2019. On July 1, 2019, Kadokawa Corporation was reorganized; the publishing business remained and the company was renamed to Kadokawa Future Publishing. Kadokawa Dwango itself became the second iteration of Kadokawa Corporation. On December 1, 2023, the company was renamed to Kadokawa Key-Process.{{cite web |date=October 25, 2023 |script-title=ja:債権者各位 |lang=ja |trans-title=Creditor Notice |website=Kadokawa Group |url=https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/media-download/1140/7b2467149b304583/ |access-date=February 18, 2024 }}

History

The company was founded on April 2, 1954, as Kadokawa Shoten. It was renamed Kadokawa Holdings on April 1, 2003, transferring the existing publishing businesses to Kadokawa Shoten Publishing. The company was again renamed Kadokawa Group Holdings on July 1, 2006. The company inherited the management and integration businesses within Kadokawa Shoten Publishing in January 2007. The magazine businesses were transferred to the Kadokawa Magazine Group. The company was renamed Kadokawa Corporation on June 22, 2013.

On October 1, 2013, nine companies in the Kadokawa Group (ASCII Media Works, Chukei Publishing, Enterbrain, Fujimi Shobo, Kadokawa Gakugei Publishing, Kadokawa Production, Kadokawa Magazines, Kadokawa Shoten and Media Factory) were merged into Kadokawa Corporation. Eight of them operate now as brand companies. Kadokawa Production was dissolved and integrated into the General IP Business Headquarters.{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-03-28/kadokawa-to-merge-9-subsidiaries-into-1-company|title=Kadokawa to Merge 9 Subsidiaries Into 1 Company|publisher=Anime News Network|date=March 28, 2013|access-date=October 8, 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://ir.kadokawa.co.jp/investor/5-20130328.pdf|title=Notice of Absorption-Type Merger of Consolidated Subsidiaries and Partial Amendments to the Trade Name and the Articles of Incorporation|date=March 28, 2013|publisher=Kadokawa Corporation|access-date=October 9, 2013|format=PDF}} On December 30, 2013, Kadokawa had announced that the company has acquired 100% of publisher Choubunsha.{{cite web | url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-12-29/kadokawa-buys-barefoot-gen-publisher-choubunsha | title=Kadokawa Buys Barefoot Gen's Publisher Choubunsha | publisher=Anime News Network | date=December 30, 2013 | access-date=December 30, 2019}}

On May 14, 2014, it was announced that Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango, the owner of Niconico, would merge on October 1, 2014, and form the new holding company Kadokawa Dwango. Both Kadokawa and Dwango became subsidiaries of the new company.{{cite news|last=Schilling|first=Mark|date=May 14, 2014|title=Kadokawa and Dwango to Merge|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/asia/kadokawa-and-dwango-to-merge-1201181747/|publisher=Variety|access-date=April 13, 2015}}{{cite news|date=October 1, 2014|title=Publisher Kadokawa, Internet firm Dwango complete merger|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/10/01/business/corporate-business/publisher-kadokawa-internet-firm-dwango-complete-merger/|publisher=The Japan Times|access-date=April 13, 2015}} In February 2019, Kadokawa Dwango announced that Dwango would now be a direct subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation in a reorganization of the company.{{cite web |last=Ressler |first=Karen |title=Nobuo Kawakami Steps Down as Kadokawa Dwango President |url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2019-02-15/nobuo-kawakami-steps-down-as-kadokawa-dwango-president/.143351 |website=Anime News Network |date=February 15, 2019 |access-date=February 16, 2019 }}

On July 1, 2019, Kadokawa Corporation was reorganized; the publishing business remained and the company was renamed to Kadokawa Future Publishing. Kadokawa Dwango itself became the second iteration of Kadokawa Corporation.

On January 25, 2024, Kadokawa announced that it would acquire a majority stake in Vega from Média-Participations.{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-02-03/kadokawa-launches-joint-venture-business-with-french-publisher-dupuis/.207191|title=Kadokawa Launches Joint Venture Business With French Publisher Dupuis|work=Anime News Network|date=3 February 2024|access-date=19 February 2024|first=Adriana|last=Hazra}}