SOZO, the Singapore-based pop culture events company behind Anime Festival Asia (AFA), announced that it has officially become a consolidated subsidiary of KADOKAWA Corporation. The move formalises a longstanding relationship between the two companies, with the aim of further growing Japanese pop culture across Asia.
SOZO will continue to operate as an independent entity with its current leadership. The company reaffirmed its commitment to being a neutral platform open to all partners within the anime, comics, and games (ACG) ecosystem. According to Shawn Chin, Managing Director of SOZO, “Our mission remains unchanged — SOZO continues to be a neutral platform that welcomes all partners across the ACG ecosystem.”
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KADOKAWA, one of Japan’s leading content companies, operates across publishing, video, games, education, and digital platforms. The acquisition of SOZO aligns with its “Global Media Mix with Technology” strategy to expand Japanese content globally through collaborations and regional partnerships.
As part of its regional footprint, SOZO has organised over 60 events, including AFA, which has drawn close to 3 million attendees since its inception in 2008. Last year's AFA Singapore 2024 welcomed approximately 130,000 attendees over three days.
In 2025, SOZO has supported and produced a variety of Japanese pop culture-related events and concerts in Asia, including shows by MAN WITH A MISSION, YOASOBI, YUURI, and the Ghibli Original Singers Symphony, as well as AFA Creators Super Fest in Jakarta and Japan Music Festival Asia in Singapore.
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KADOKAWA CEO Takeshi Natsuno stated, “We see tremendous synergy between our companies, and this partnership represents a long-term commitment to growing the Japanese pop culture ecosystem together.”
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