Migrated 10+ Kashiwabara Group affiliate sites to a Cloudflare / microCMS environment

Centralizing Security and Operations While Preserving Each Site's Structure

We rebuilt the infrastructure for more than 10 websites operated by Kashiwabara Corporation and its group companies, using Cloudflare as the shared foundation.
Across the group, there are multiple websites with different purposes and operating structures, including corporate sites, brand sites, recruitment sites, and campaign sites.
Rather than replacing every site with the same technology, this project consolidated DNS, security, delivery, and monitoring into Cloudflare while preserving the structure and operating methods of each site.

For the main corporate and brand sites, we updated the frontend using Astro and microCMS, balancing stronger group-wide governance with flexible operation suited to each site.

Project Background

As the group expanded its business and strengthened its branding, the number of websites and the volume of content, such as videos and images, increased. Because each site was built at a different time with different technologies and operating structures, the following challenges emerged.

• Server and DNS management was distributed across individual sites.
• Security measures and maintenance practices differed from site to site.
• The growing number of high-resolution videos and images increased page loading demands.
• Multiple stakeholders, including external vendors, operated different environments.
• OS and middleware updates, along with failure monitoring, created ongoing maintenance costs.
• It was difficult to get a cross-cutting view of all websites across the group.

Simply migrating servers would not resolve these challenges, so we rebuilt the web infrastructure for more than 10 public websites operated by Kashiwabara Corporation and its group companies, using Cloudflare as the shared foundation.

A Migration Design That Doesn't Force Everything Into One Structure

Changing every site in the group to the same CMS or framework would significantly disrupt existing operational workflows and integrations with external vendors. We therefore organized each site's role, update frequency, operating entity, and future renovation plans, and selected a migration approach suited to each one.

Overall Migration Design Workflow

1. Investigated each group site's structure, DNS, servers, CMS, and operating setup
2. Organized each site's role, update process, and related vendors
3. Classified sites to modernize versus sites to keep on their existing architecture
4. Rebuilt key sites on an Astro × microCMS architecture
5. Separated sites that continue using their existing CMS from the key sites' environment
6. Consolidated DNS and traffic routing for all sites under Cloudflare
7. Unified security settings and monitoring practices under a shared group-wide policy
8. Migrated in stages, transitioning into post-launch operations and monitoring

While respecting the circumstances of each site, we placed a shared Cloudflare foundation on top, balancing flexibility with governance.

Building a shared foundation with Cloudflare

We consolidated DNS and traffic routing for more than 10 websites under Cloudflare.
Even though each site runs on different servers or CMSs, unifying the point of contact with the internet through Cloudflare makes it easier to apply consistent security and delivery policies across the entire group.

Centralized DNS management

We consolidated DNS management, which had been scattered across individual sites, into Cloudflare.
Administrators can now view the configuration status of each domain at a glance, and we established an operational foundation that easily accommodates adding sites, migrations, and configuration changes.

Content delivery via CDN

Serving static files such as images, videos, CSS, and JavaScript through Cloudflare's network reduces the load on origin servers.
We built a delivery foundation that supports stable display even for sites that rely heavily on rich content.

Unified security policy

We placed Cloudflare in front of each site, creating a setup that leverages security features such as WAF and DDoS protection.
Rather than relying solely on individual servers, traffic is controlled at a shared group-wide entry point, making it easier to standardize security measures that previously differed from site to site.

Built shared Astro × microCMS components and rolled them out across multiple sites

For major corporate and brand sites, we adopted Astro and microCMS to renew both the frontend and the content management foundation.

Rather than building each site's environment from scratch, we organized implementations and configurations that could be shared across multiple sites and built common components on Astro. Each site then used these shared components as a foundation while we individually implemented its design, content, and required features.

The architecture respects each site's brand and operational policies while keeping quality, maintainability, and development efficiency at a consistent level across the group's sites.

Sharing the foundation while preserving each site's identity

Rather than unifying all sites under the same design or features, we shared only the technical foundation.
Each site's design, content structure, and required features can be designed individually, so the benefits of a shared base can be realized without compromising brand-specific expression or operational methods.

A frontend that loads only where needed

Through Astro's islands architecture, JavaScript runs only where interactive functionality is needed.
By avoiding loading JavaScript uniformly across entire pages, we balanced rich visual expression using video and high-resolution images with lightweight web pages.

Content management with microCMS

We adopted microCMS, a headless CMS, for content management.
By separating the frontend that handles display from the CMS that manages information, we flexibly designed each site's design and features while enabling staff to update content on a daily basis.

A foundation that is easy to develop and maintain

By leveraging a shared package, we curbed the unchecked proliferation of differing implementations and configurations across sites.
This makes it easier to build new sites, add features to existing sites, and update shared components, realizing a development foundation that allows multiple group sites to be operated over the medium to long term.

By adopting a architecture centered on static delivery, we have reduced the operational burden of managing OS and middleware that was previously required. This creates an environment where our team can focus on content operations and site improvements rather than spending resources on maintenance alone.

Reference article
https://www.liberogic.jp/topics/20250804-AstroComponent/

Separating environments to preserve existing CMS platforms

For recruitment and campaign sites that prioritize collaboration with external vendors and rapid content updates, we continue to use existing CMSs such as WordPress and Movable Type. However, for security reasons, we have separated their servers and operating environments rather than running them alongside our primary sites.
This structure makes it easier to limit the scope of impact if any issue arises in one of the CMSs or servers.
It strengthens group-wide risk management without significantly changing existing production and operational workflows.

Connecting site-specific architectures via Cloudflare

Our primary sites and existing CMS-based sites operate in independent environments.
Meanwhile, DNS, networking, security, and monitoring are managed under a unified policy centered on Cloudflare.

As a result, each site maintains technologies and operational structures suited to its needs, while the group as a whole operates on a unified and well-governed web foundation.

Changes after implementation

Rather than "standardizing" multiple sites, we "integrated" them

Rather than moving all of the more than 10 websites onto the same technology, this project maintained configurations suited to each site's purpose and operational structure.

On top of that, we integrated DNS, connectivity, security, and monitoring by using Cloudflare as a shared foundation across the group.

Key sites were modernized with Astro × microCMS, while sites that continue to use their existing CMS were separated into independent environments, achieving a balance of performance, operability, and security.

Rather than forcing different sites into uniformity, the key to this web infrastructure renewal was organizing the environment so that the whole can be managed while leveraging each site's differences.

A project made possible by team understanding and cooperation

Spanning more than 10 websites, this project migrated each site to a shared foundation while keeping its operations running. It was a highly challenging undertaking, not only technically but also in terms of coordination among stakeholders.

We were able to organize each site's different purposes, operational structures, and existing production workflows and migrate them to a new foundation built for the future. This was made possible by the deep understanding and forward-thinking support of the KASHIWABARA Group, who embraced change and drove the project forward.

We also extend our sincere thanks to NDC Inc., which led branding and creative direction, and Original Text Inc., which supported the overall project progress and structure, as well as to all the partner companies involved in the production and operation of each site for their extensive cooperation.

By bringing together members with different perspectives and areas of expertise, each contributing their own knowledge while respecting existing systems and working toward the shared goal of a better web foundation, the team was able to bring this project to completion.