What is Kodansha Creators’ Lab?

Kodansha’s mission is to “Inspire Impossible Stories.” From journalism to culture to academics, our publications cover a vast range of genres. We are one of Japan’s top three publishers, with numerous bestsellers including Akira, Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Mottainai Grandma, and Attack on Titan.

The work of our henshu-sha, meaning editors, is all-encompassing. As assistants and partners, we offer each author personalized guidance and all the resources needed to nurture creative talent and produce meaningful works.

At Creator’s Lab, we seek to shape a new future of entertainment through the democratization of creativity. We are extending our reach beyond publishing to connect with creators of any genre, such as games, films, anime, XR, and more. Together, let’s make something new and different.

—— Director Ryoichi Suzuki

What we can do for you.

We go beyond genres to connect with creators around the world,
answer your creative needs, and expand your business.

Online/Face to Face Academy

Kodansha’s henshu offer their expertise in content creation through seminars and workshops. With our intimate knowledge of Kodansha’s diverse operations and years of experience supporting manga and novel publication, we can deliver personal feedback, resources for creators, storytelling tips, and more.

The Magic of Creation

We will apply our extensive experience in publication to teach aspiring creators how to make compelling stories.

Game/Manga Traveling Editorial Department

We will bring our expertise as Kodansha editors across the globe upon request. We may even find new talent along the way.

Holding Contests

FAIRY TAIL／Hinata & Hikari

Illustration contests are an effective promotional strategy for sales and rebranding. It creates intrigue for your brand and offers many opportunities for publicity. Every announcement is a chance to reach more people, and you’ll make connections with a variety of artists.
With our digital platform that matches over 400 creators to editors a year, we can hold contests that meet your needs and vision.

Finding Global Creators

Kodansha’s editors are experts at producing captivating content. Our work goes beyond editing—we support authors as assistants, producers, and partners. These finely honed skills can help creators in other genres, such as games and film. With your vision, our experience, and the creators’ inspiration, we’ll produce a work the world has never seen before.

GCLA －Game Creator’s Lab Audition

Our doors are always open for new game projects. Since the original contest, we have gathered over 3,500 titles in just three years, with three titles released in 2024 and over 20 titles currently in production.

CINEMA CREATORS’ LAB.

Once a year, we have a worldwide open call for films of all genres—live-action, animation, CG, etc. In the first year, we produced five films that were selected and awarded at film festivals in Japan and abroad. The second year is currently ongoing with three films in production.

License Out

Characters and stories that capture the viewers’ hearts can help you overcome a multitude of challenges. Why not expand your range through collaborating, licensing, and creating content with original IP, by utilizing our easy-to-use and trustworthy rights handling?

HUNDRED NOTE/hamyuchu

YouTube, social media, adaptations, murder mysteries, in-person events, merchandise…You can use these characters in an infinite number of ways.

META TAXI

In META TAXI, a creative new IP, passengers ride in a cab driving through Tokyo at night as avatars. We are open to sponsorships, advertisements, and merchandise production.

BOKURA

Over 700,000 units sold worldwide! We’ve produced and published a hit game available in 29 languages and played in over 162 countries. The characters  in the game are all the rage right now!