KADOKAWA Establishes New Subsidiary "KADOKAWA Retail Ventures" in North America to Strengthen "Manga Spot" Bookstore and Merchandise Shop Operations
KADOKAWA has established "KADOKAWA Retail Ventures, LLC" (KRV) in New York to accelerate its retail strategy in North America. KRV will take over and expand the operations of "Manga Spot," a direct retail chain selling manga, light novels, and character merchandise, enhancing direct fan engagement and group synergy.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 27, 2026 at 19:12
- 🔍 Collected: April 27, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 28, 2026 at 03:24 (16h 52m after Collected)
KADOKAWA Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Director, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO: Takeshi Natsuno; hereinafter "KADOKAWA") is pleased to announce the establishment of "KADOKAWA Retail Ventures, LLC" (Headquarters: New York, USA; President: Kurt Hassler; hereinafter "KRV") and the transfer of business operations from KADOKAWA WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, INC. (hereinafter "KWE"), the holding company for North American operations. The primary goal is to strengthen the retail business in the North American market.
### Background and Objectives
The KADOKAWA Group is pursuing a fundamental strategy called "Global Media Mix with Technology," which focuses on stably creating Intellectual Property (IP) from its diverse portfolio and expanding it globally. The group has been strengthening and expanding its business foundations in overseas bases, particularly in North America, Greater China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Currently, the market for physical comic and light novel books is expanding rapidly in North America, driven by the explosive popularity of Japanese anime. Under these market conditions, the KADOKAWA Group has established a solid foundation for its translation and publishing business through local subsidiaries, and the physical book business in North America has been performing well.
On the other hand, despite the strong demand, there are still many regions where physical stores where fans can directly touch and purchase books and IP-related goods are lacking. To meet the needs of fans and establish a new sales channel, KWE, which oversees KADOKAWA's North American operations, opened the directly managed book and goods shop "Manga Spot" in New York in October 2023. "Manga Spot" has received high support from local fans due to its extensive lineup linked to the publishing business, store-exclusive items, and event developments such as autograph sessions and anime tie-ins. It has now expanded to 10 locations.
Based on these achievements, KADOKAWA is convinced that building direct touchpoints with fans through retail business is key to further growth in the North American market. Consequently, in February 2026, KRV was established as a new specialized organization. Kurt Hassler, President of the North American subsidiary YEN PRESS, LLC, who has many years of experience in the translation and publishing of Japanese comics, has been appointed as the representative. Under this new structure, KADOKAWA aims to promote swift business development leveraging professional expertise.
KRV positions "Manga Spot" as an important hub for the global media mix strategy and will本格的に accelerate the expansion of the store network in North America, promoting the maximization of group synergy. At the same time, it aims to improve store operation efficiency and further strengthen cooperation with the publishing and MD (merchandise) businesses to improve the overall profitability and sustainable growth of the group. By maximizing the use of physical stores as a direct point of contact with fans, the KADOKAWA Group will deliver the diverse content it creates to fans in North America.
### Overview of KRV
- **Company Name:** KADOKAWA Retail Ventures, LLC
- **Location:** New York, USA
- **Established:** February 2026
- **Representative:** Kurt Hassler
- **Business Description:** Operation of "Manga Spot" book and merchandise stores
### Impact on Financial Results
The impact of this matter on the consolidated financial results for the current period is minor.
### About KADOKAWA Corporation
KADOKAWA is a comprehensive entertainment company that develops businesses such as publishing, anime/live-action film, games, web services, and education/EdTech. The company discovers talent from all over the world to create diverse IP (Intellectual Property) and expands them across various media. Under the strategy of "Global Media Mix with Technology," it aims to deliver created IP to the world using technology and promote the maximization of IP value.
https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/
[Reference: KADOKAWA Group Bases in North America]
- **KADOKAWA WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.:** Oversees North American operations and supports publishing (print/digital), digital bookstores, news media, and retail/merchandise businesses across the board.
### Background and Objectives
The KADOKAWA Group is pursuing a fundamental strategy called "Global Media Mix with Technology," which focuses on stably creating Intellectual Property (IP) from its diverse portfolio and expanding it globally. The group has been strengthening and expanding its business foundations in overseas bases, particularly in North America, Greater China, Southeast Asia, and Europe.
Currently, the market for physical comic and light novel books is expanding rapidly in North America, driven by the explosive popularity of Japanese anime. Under these market conditions, the KADOKAWA Group has established a solid foundation for its translation and publishing business through local subsidiaries, and the physical book business in North America has been performing well.
On the other hand, despite the strong demand, there are still many regions where physical stores where fans can directly touch and purchase books and IP-related goods are lacking. To meet the needs of fans and establish a new sales channel, KWE, which oversees KADOKAWA's North American operations, opened the directly managed book and goods shop "Manga Spot" in New York in October 2023. "Manga Spot" has received high support from local fans due to its extensive lineup linked to the publishing business, store-exclusive items, and event developments such as autograph sessions and anime tie-ins. It has now expanded to 10 locations.
Based on these achievements, KADOKAWA is convinced that building direct touchpoints with fans through retail business is key to further growth in the North American market. Consequently, in February 2026, KRV was established as a new specialized organization. Kurt Hassler, President of the North American subsidiary YEN PRESS, LLC, who has many years of experience in the translation and publishing of Japanese comics, has been appointed as the representative. Under this new structure, KADOKAWA aims to promote swift business development leveraging professional expertise.
KRV positions "Manga Spot" as an important hub for the global media mix strategy and will本格的に accelerate the expansion of the store network in North America, promoting the maximization of group synergy. At the same time, it aims to improve store operation efficiency and further strengthen cooperation with the publishing and MD (merchandise) businesses to improve the overall profitability and sustainable growth of the group. By maximizing the use of physical stores as a direct point of contact with fans, the KADOKAWA Group will deliver the diverse content it creates to fans in North America.
### Overview of KRV
- **Company Name:** KADOKAWA Retail Ventures, LLC
- **Location:** New York, USA
- **Established:** February 2026
- **Representative:** Kurt Hassler
- **Business Description:** Operation of "Manga Spot" book and merchandise stores
### Impact on Financial Results
The impact of this matter on the consolidated financial results for the current period is minor.
### About KADOKAWA Corporation
KADOKAWA is a comprehensive entertainment company that develops businesses such as publishing, anime/live-action film, games, web services, and education/EdTech. The company discovers talent from all over the world to create diverse IP (Intellectual Property) and expands them across various media. Under the strategy of "Global Media Mix with Technology," it aims to deliver created IP to the world using technology and promote the maximization of IP value.
https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/
[Reference: KADOKAWA Group Bases in North America]
- **KADOKAWA WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, INC.:** Oversees North American operations and supports publishing (print/digital), digital bookstores, news media, and retail/merchandise businesses across the board.