HinaProject Inc.
Corporate brand
UnclaimedJapanese company operating Shōsetsuka ni Narō, one of Japan's largest web novel publishing platforms.
Last updated September 26, 2026
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Overview
HinaProject Inc. (株式会社ヒナプロジェクト) is a Japanese company headquartered in Hirakata, Osaka, best known as the operator of Shōsetsuka ni Narō ("Let's Become a Novelist"), one of Japan's largest web novel posting platforms. The company was established on March 17, 2010, to take over the corporate operation of the site, which had begun in 2004 as a personal project by Yūsuke Umezaki. HinaProject's business spans website and digital content planning, production, and management, with the novel platform at its core. The company's flagship service, Shōsetsuka ni Narō, allows registered users to publish novels for free and has grown into a major source of commercially published light novels, manga, and anime. According to the company, more than 12,000 books and comics have been published from works originating on the platform. HinaProject also operates related services including the reading site Shōsetsu o Yomou!, the R18 sites Nocturne Novels, Moonlight Novels, and Midnight Novels, the image-sharing service Mitemin, and the R18 illustration site Epalette. In 2024 the company marked its 20th anniversary by announcing a new corporate vision focused on supporting creators' aspirations. HinaProject is a private company with capital of 3.5 million yen. Its representative director is Yukiya Aoyama, with Kazunari Shiokawa serving as a director. The company maintains partnerships with numerous media and publishing companies and continues to expand its platform services, including the release of the Moonlight Novels app "Moon Books" in 2024 and the launch of the "Narō Cheers Program" in 2025.
History
HinaProject's origins trace back to the early 2000s, when Yūsuke Umezaki, motivated by a desire to read more web novels, began developing a writing and posting system for mobile phones. In 2004, he launched Shōsetsuka ni Narō as a personal website, a mobile-oriented novel posting site built on the idea that "anyone who posts a novel is a novelist." The site grew alongside the Japanese mobile novel boom, and in 2008 its operation shifted to the HinaProject group. In 2010, HinaProject Inc. was established on March 17 to formalize corporate operation of the services. During the 2010s, the platform expanded its service lineup and became a major source of commercially published works. Related companies were established, including Night Lantern Inc. in 2010 to manage the R18 novel sites, and Hinax LLC (now Hinax Inc.) in 2011. The company also launched and later closed several services, such as the secondary-creation sites Nijifan and NOS (closed in 2012) and the mobile version of the reading site (ended in 2019). In 2022, HinaProject absorbed Night Lantern, bringing the R18 novel sites back under direct management. In 2023, it released the adult illustration site onaco. In 2024, the company announced a new vision and saw the retirement of founder-directors Yūsuke Umezaki and Kō Hirai from the representative director role, with Yukiya Aoyama becoming representative director. By 2026, anime adaptations of works originating from Shōsetsuka ni Narō surpassed 200 titles.
Yūsuke Umezaki launches Shōsetsuka ni Narō as a personal mobile novel posting site
Nocturne Novels (male-oriented R18 novel site) launches
Moonlight Novels (female-oriented R18 novel site) launches
Shōsetsu o Yomou! reading site launches
Site operation shifts to the HinaProject group
HinaProject Inc. established
Night Lantern Inc. established to manage R18 novel sites
Hinax LLC (now Hinax Inc.) established
Secondary-creation sites Nijifan and NOS close
Midnight Novels (male-oriented R18 novel site) launches
Products and positioning
A creator-support platform company centered on Japan's largest web novel community, bridging amateur writing and commercial publishing.
Shōsetsuka ni Narō
Japan's largest web novel posting platform, allowing free publication and reading.
Shōsetsu o Yomou!
Companion reading site for works posted on Shōsetsuka ni Narō.
Nocturne Novels
Male-oriented R18 novel site.
Moonlight Novels
Female-oriented and boys' love R18 novel site.
Midnight Novels
R18 novel site for adult works not primarily focused on eroticism.
Mitemin
Image posting and user interaction service linked with Shōsetsuka ni Narō.
Epalette
R18 illustration search and viewing site linked to Mitemin.
Moon Books
Official app for Moonlight Novels released in 2024.
onaco
Adult illustration sharing and creation site released in 2023.
Sources6 sources
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