Masao Kawakami
Founder at DWANGO CO., LTD.
Net worth: 119 M $ as of 2024-03-30
Profile
Masao Kawakami is the founder of DWANGO Co., Ltd.
(founded in 1997) and currently holds the position of Chairman.
He is also currently the Chairman at smiledge Co., Ltd., Virtual Cast, Inc., Khara, Inc., Kadokawa Corp., Reinforce, Inc., KADOKAWA ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc., Gzbrain, Inc., and Vaka, Inc. In the past, he served as an Outside Director at Kadokawa Future Publishing KK from 2011 to 2013 and as a Director at BOOK WALKER Co., Ltd.
Known holdings in public companies
| Company | Date | Number of shares | Valuation | Valuation date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
KADOKAWA CORPORATION
4.78% | 2023-09-29 | 6,781,000 ( 4.78% ) | 119 M $ | 2024-03-30 |
Masao Kawakami active positions
| Companies | Position | Start |
|---|---|---|
| DWANGO CO., LTD. | Founder | 1997-08-05 |
| KADOKAWA CORPORATION | Director/Board Member | 2014-09-30 |
smiledge Co., Ltd.
 smiledge Co., Ltd. Advertising/Marketing ServicesCommercial Services Smiledge Co., Ltd. is an advertising agency that plans and produces advertising materials. The joint venture company is based in Tokyo, Japan. | Chairman | 2013-02-28 |
| Khara, Inc. | Director/Board Member | 2013-05-31 |
| Reinforce, Inc. | Director/Board Member | 2014-03-02 |
| KADOKAWA ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc. | Director/Board Member | 2014-05-31 |
| Gzbrain, Inc. | Director/Board Member | 2017-06-30 |
| Vaka, Inc. | Director/Board Member | 2018-01-31 |
| Virtual Cast, Inc. | Chairman | - |
Former positions of Masao Kawakami
| Companies | Position | End |
|---|---|---|
| ░░░░ ░░░░░░ ░░░░ ░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ | - |
| ░░░░░░░░ ░░░░ | ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░ | - |
Experiences
Positions held
Connections
1st degree connections
1st degree companies
Male
Female
Members of the board
Executives
Linked companies
| Listed companies | 1 |
|---|---|
| KADOKAWA CORPORATION | Consumer Services |
| Private companies | 10 |
|---|---|
Kadokawa Future Publishing KK
 Kadokawa Future Publishing KK Publishing: Books/MagazinesConsumer Services Kadokawa Future Publishing KK engages in the content development, production, supply, and sale of publications and videos. Its operations are carried out through the following segments: Publication Business, Video Business, and Cross Media Business. The Publication Business segment deals with publication, sale, and distribution of books, novels, magazines, comics, and others. The Video Business segment includes planning, production, and distribution of films, movies, dramas, and animations. The Cross Media Business segment provides publication and sale of information magazines and guides. It is involved in the licensing of content. The company was founded on November 10, 1945 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. | Consumer Services |
Dwango Co., Ltd.
 Dwango Co., Ltd. Packaged SoftwareTechnology Services Dwango Co., Ltd. develops software games and applications for cellular phones and manages mobile content services. The company was founded by Nobuo Kawakami, Robert E. Huntley and Toyoki Ota on August 6, 1997 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. | Technology Services |
BOOK WALKER Co., Ltd.
 BOOK WALKER Co., Ltd. Commercial Printing/FormsCommercial Services BOOK WALKER Co., Ltd. engages in the production, distribution, and sales of electronic content including e–books and video streams. It publishes books, magazines, comics, and journals through the Internet. The firm also develops software applications for games, novel distribution, and mobile devices. The company was founded on December 1, 2005 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. | Commercial Services |
smiledge Co., Ltd.
smiledge Co., Ltd. Advertising/Marketing ServicesCommercial Services Smiledge Co., Ltd. is an advertising agency that plans and produces advertising materials. The joint venture company is based in Tokyo, Japan. | Commercial Services |
| Khara, Inc. | |
| Reinforce, Inc. | |
| KADOKAWA ASCII Research Laboratories, Inc. | |
| Gzbrain, Inc. | |
| Vaka, Inc. | |
| Virtual Cast, Inc. |
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