Japanese board and card game producer Japon Brand and CMON Limited have reached an agreement for Japon Brand to become part of CMON Limited, the companies announced. Japon Brand will continue as an independent agent serving the Japanese and worldwide markets, with the benefits of CMON's infrastructure and management.

Japon Brand was formed in 2006 to produce and promote Japanese tabletop games for the world market and will continue its mission of bringing Japanese-designed games to the world post-merger. Japon Brand titles include American hits Love Letter and Machi Koro.

Board game designer and Japon Brand director Nomura Akio has been appointed President of the company.  “The conditions surrounding Japan’s tabletop games industry have continued to change over the last 10 years,” he said in a statement accompanying the announcement. “More independent designers want to exhibit their work overseas, and more buyers are visiting Tokyo Game Market from abroad. Unfortunately, social and economic circumstances make overseas distribution a far-off prospect for most independent designers…. We will do our best to make sure that the world knows the immense talent we have here in Japan and what that talent is capable of.”

CMON COO David Preti also commented on the transaction. “Japon Brand has always been an incredible ambassador of Japanese game design to the rest of the world,” he said. “This core value is extremely important to me, and we’re honored to be a part of that long tradition.”

CMON, long known as a crowdfunding-focused company, recently signed an exclusive deal with crowdfunding platform Gamefound (see “CMON Inks Deal with Gamefound”).