Kadokawa Launches World Manga Atelier to Support Overseas Creators
The initiative formalizes a direct pipeline for non-Japanese creators to receive editorial feedback and potentially publish with Kadokawa, addressing a structural gap in the industry's global expansion.
Reporting from 1 sources: Animehunch.
Kadokawa Corporation has launched the KADOKAWA WORLD MANGA ATELIER (KWMA) initiative, starting April 30, 2026, to help overseas manga creators debut in Japan. The program includes an online portfolio review platform and in-person sessions, with the first OnSITE event at Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles from July 2 to July 5.
The Online Portfolio Review MOCHIKOMI platform is open year-round in English, accepting submissions from creators who can communicate in English or Japanese. The OnSITE Portfolio Review program sends Kadokawa editors to international conventions for face-to-face critiques; the first session runs during Anime Expo 2026 in Los Angeles, with reservations open until June 25 on a first-come, first-served basis. Additional OnSITE sessions are planned for Taiwan and other regions, though dates have not been set.
Kadokawa also expanded its World Manga Contest to accept dialogue-based works in five languages-Japanese, English, Spanish, French, and Traditional Chinese-alongside wordless entries. The previous Wordless World Manga Contest drew 1,126 entries from 104 countries and regions in its first edition.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.