Kodansha's licensing business is expanding year by year in step with the globalization of the world economy, and has evolved into one of the company's key business areas.

Licensing popular characters, manga or works of fiction for live-action TV drama, anime, computer games and product merchandising can unlock significant new revenue streams in both domestic and international markets. Recently, the Korean sales of the translated version of the manga Kami no Shizuku actually exceeded those of the domestic version--a striking example of Kodansha's global presence.