San Francisco-based Viz Media, a company that publishes Japanese manga and anime in the U.S. and around the world, is taking steps toward increasing its access to popular Japanese manga titles.

On June 19, Viz Media announced the formation of a new company called Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions Co. Ltd., which will act as its main merchandising subsidiary. Masao Yagi has been named president of the new company.

The new company was formed by two of Viz Media’s parent companies, Shueisha Inc. and Shogakukan Production Company Ltd. Hidemi Fukuhara, CEO of Viz Media, hopes that the new company will speed the licensing process for release of future manga outside of Japan.

The old merchandising company, ShoPro, gave Viz Media access to popular Shogakukan manga, such as Pokémon, Doraemon, and Inuyasha. As a result of this new formation of Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Viz Media hopes to have even greater access to the next big hits in titles handled by both Shogakukan and Shueisha.

Fukuhara said, “We look forward to working with Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions to prepare new properties for release in North America as well as for other emerging markets in Europe and Oceania.”
Viz Media was established in 1986 and is headquartered in San Francisco. It publishes and distributes Japanese manga for English-speaking audiences in North America, the United
Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. It offers a wide array of products coming from Japan, such as graphic novels, DVDs, and magazines such as Shonen Jump and Shojo Beat.