Kodansha Establishes American Publishing Subsidiary

Japanese publisher Kodansha has set up a U.S. subsidiary “to publish and sell translations of its Japanese manga” in the U.S. begining in September. Kodansha USA launched on July 1 with $2 million in capital. The move to self-publishing is explained as an effort to maximize profits by direct distribution in place of licensing distribution rights to other publishers. However, Del Rey Manga, which predominantly publishes Kodansha properties in America, has confirmed that Kodansha will continue to license manga titles to independant American publishers.

Source: ICv2 & Anime News Network