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Kadokawa Key-Process Co., Ltd.
Native name	株式会社KADOKAWA KEY-PROCESS
Romanized name	Kabushiki-gaisha KADOKAWA KEY - purosesu
Formerly	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);
Company type	Subsidiary
Traded as	TYO: 9477
Industry	Publishing
Founded	April 2, 1954; 70 years ago
Founder	Genyoshi Kadokawa
Headquarters	Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan
Area served	Japan
Key people	Tsuguhiko Kadokawa (chairman); Masaki Matsubara (president and CEO); Shinichiro Inoue (SVP)
Parent	Kadokawa Corporation
Divisions	ASCII Media Works; Chukei Publishing; Enterbrain; Fujimi Shobo; Kadokawa Gakugei Publishing; Kadokawa Magazines; Kadokawa Shoten; Media Factory
Subsidiaries	Building Book Center
Website	keyprocess.kadokawa.co.jp

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.^[1] The company used to be the first iteration of Kadokawa Corporation^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4]^[5] On December 30, 2013, Kadokawa had announced that the company has acquired 100% of publisher Choubunsha.^[6]

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.^[7]^[8] In February 2019, Kadokawa Dwango announced that Dwango would now be a direct subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation in a reorganization of the company.^[9]

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.^[10]