Sony Music Entertainment Japan
Encyclopedia
is Sony
's music arm in Japan
. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment
due to its strength in the Japanese music industry.
Its subsidiaries including the anime
production enterprise, Aniplex
, which was established in January 1997 as a joint-venture between Sony Music Entertainment Japan and Sony Pictures Entertainment
, but which in 2001 became a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. It was prominent in the early to mid 90's producing and licensing music for Anime such as Roujin Z
from acclaimed Manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo and Capcom
's Street Fighter
anime series.
Until March 2007, Sony Music Japan also had its own North America
n sublabel, Tofu Records
. Releases of Sony Music Japan now appear on Columbia Records
or Epic Records
in North America
.
Releases on Columbia Records
in other countries appear on Sony Records in Japan because a competitor, Columbia Music Entertainment
, owns the rights to the trademark there.
With Sony Corporation of America
's buyout of Bertelsmann
's stake in Sony BMG, Sony Music Entertainment Japan stepped in to acquire outstanding shares of BMG Music Japan from Sony BMG, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.
between Sony Corporation and U.S. conglomerate CBS
to distribute the latter's music releases in Japan
. The company was incorporated as CBS/Sony Records and with Sony co-founder Akio Morita
as president.
Norio Ohga
was part of the management team from the formation of the company and served as president and representative director since April 1970. In 1972, when CBS/Sony was generating robust profits, Ohga was named chairman and at the same time gained further responsibility and influence within Sony. He would continue to work for the music company one morning a week. In 1980 Toshio Ozawa succeeded Ohga as president.
In 1983 the company was renamed CBS/Sony Group.
In March 1988, four wholly owned subsidiaries were folded into CBS/Sony Group: CBS/Sony Inc., Epic/Sony Records Inc., CBS/Sony Records Inc. and Sony Video Software International.
The company was renamed Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc.
Shugo Matsuo was named new president in January 1992, replacing Toshio Ozawa, who was appointed to the post of chairman.
Overall sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1991 were 83.8 billion yen with a pretax profit of 9.2 billion yen.
In June 1996, Ryokichi Kunugi became new president. Shugo Matsuo was named chairman.
Shigeo Maruyama
was appointed to the new post of CEO on October 1, 1997 and replaced Kunugi as president in February 1998.
As of 2007, Naoki Kitagawa is the current CEO of the group.
Since then it was said that SMEJ ceded to Avex's challenge, but SMEJ bounced back and regained leadership from its indie rival.
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's music arm in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
due to its strength in the Japanese music industry.
Its subsidiaries including the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
production enterprise, Aniplex
Aniplex
, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
, which was established in January 1997 as a joint-venture between Sony Music Entertainment Japan and Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. is the television and film production/distribution unit of Japanese multinational technology and media conglomerate Sony...
, but which in 2001 became a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan. It was prominent in the early to mid 90's producing and licensing music for Anime such as Roujin Z
Roujin Z
is a 1991 Japanese anime film directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo and written by Katsuhiro Otomo.-Plot:Roujin Z is set in Japan during the early 21st century. A group of scientists and hospital administrators, under the direction of the Ministry of Public Welfare, have developed the Z-001, a...
from acclaimed Manga artist Katsuhiro Otomo and Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
's Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
anime series.
Until March 2007, Sony Music Japan also had its own North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n sublabel, Tofu Records
Tofu Records
was a US record label of Sony Music Entertainment Japan that was launched in 2003 to distribute Japanese Sony artists in the United States, and that closed in 2007. Their first signed artist was T.M.Revolution, and they used the anime fandom community to spread the word. T.M.Revolution's U.S...
. Releases of Sony Music Japan now appear on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
or Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Releases on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in other countries appear on Sony Records in Japan because a competitor, Columbia Music Entertainment
Columbia Music Entertainment
is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as . It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK Columbia trademarks in 1931. The company changed its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. It used the Nippon Columbia name until...
, owns the rights to the trademark there.
With Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America , based in New York, is the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo. It is the umbrella company under which all Sony companies operate in the United States....
's buyout of Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann AG is a multinational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 102,983 workers , which makes it the most international media corporation in the world. In 2008 the company reported a €16.118 billion consolidated...
's stake in Sony BMG, Sony Music Entertainment Japan stepped in to acquire outstanding shares of BMG Music Japan from Sony BMG, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.
History
Sony Music Entertainment Japan was officially incorporated in March 1968 as a Tokyo-based 50/50 joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between Sony Corporation and U.S. conglomerate CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
to distribute the latter's music releases in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The company was incorporated as CBS/Sony Records and with Sony co-founder Akio Morita
Akio Morita
Akio Morita KBE was a Japanese businessman and co-founder of Sony Corporation along with Masaru Ibuka.-Early life:...
as president.
Norio Ohga
Norio Ohga
, otherwise spelled Norio Oga, was the former president and chairman of Sony Corporation, credited with spurring the development of the compact disc as a commercially viable audio format.-Early career:...
was part of the management team from the formation of the company and served as president and representative director since April 1970. In 1972, when CBS/Sony was generating robust profits, Ohga was named chairman and at the same time gained further responsibility and influence within Sony. He would continue to work for the music company one morning a week. In 1980 Toshio Ozawa succeeded Ohga as president.
In 1983 the company was renamed CBS/Sony Group.
Sony Acquires CBS Records in 1988
In January 1988, after more than a year of negotiations, Sony acquired CBS Records and the 50% of CBS/Sony Group that it did not already own.In March 1988, four wholly owned subsidiaries were folded into CBS/Sony Group: CBS/Sony Inc., Epic/Sony Records Inc., CBS/Sony Records Inc. and Sony Video Software International.
The company was renamed Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc.
Shugo Matsuo was named new president in January 1992, replacing Toshio Ozawa, who was appointed to the post of chairman.
Overall sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1991 were 83.8 billion yen with a pretax profit of 9.2 billion yen.
In June 1996, Ryokichi Kunugi became new president. Shugo Matsuo was named chairman.
Shigeo Maruyama
Shigeo Maruyama
is the founder of Epic/Sony Records, former chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment and former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. He is known for discovering artists such as Motoharu Sano and Tetsuya Komuro.- External links :*...
was appointed to the new post of CEO on October 1, 1997 and replaced Kunugi as president in February 1998.
As of 2007, Naoki Kitagawa is the current CEO of the group.
Increased competition
The company's leading role on the Japanese market was increasingly challenged by labels such as Avex (where SMEJ formerly owned 5 percent of shares). Net sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1997 were down 10% to 103 Billion Yen, while net income fell 41% to 7.7 billion yen. The market share at that time was less than 18%. In August 1997, Dreams Come True, till then Sony Music Entertainment Japan's best-selling act, signed a worldwide multi-album deal with competing U.S. label Virgin Records America.Since then it was said that SMEJ ceded to Avex's challenge, but SMEJ bounced back and regained leadership from its indie rival.
Active
- AniplexAniplex, formerly known as Sony Pictures Entertainment Visual Works Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment Visual Works Inc., is a Japanese anime and music production and distribution enterprise owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and established in January 1997...
- Antinos Records was launched in 1994 with Sony Music director Shigeo MaruyamaShigeo Maruyamais the founder of Epic/Sony Records, former chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment and former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. He is known for discovering artists such as Motoharu Sano and Tetsuya Komuro.- External links :*...
as its president. The first releases on August 21 were a mini-album by indie group Confusion and singles by the groups Aniss, Neverending Story, and Ginji Itoh. - Ariola JapanAriola Japan, is a Japanese record label precedently part of BMG Japan and now subsidiary of Sony Music Japan. It is home to both former BMG Japan artists and new artists, including Buck-Tick, The Cro-Magnons, Deen, GO!GO!7188, Kenichi Asai, AZU, Takako Matsu, Misia, Kazumasa Oda, Seamo, Shikao Suga, Sukima...
- BMG Music Japan
- DefSTAR RecordsDefSTAR Records, is a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-History:*1997 - Takashi Yoshida, the president of Warner Music Japan, founded the label as ....
- founded in 1997 as a Warner Music sublabel.Acquired in 2000. - Epic Records Japan
- Ki/oon RecordsKi/oon Recordsis a Japanese record label, a subsidiary of Sony Music Japan.-Artists:Their artists include L'Arc-en-Ciel, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, FLOW, Home Made Kazoku, Puffy AmiYumi, Polysics, Pushim, chatmonchy, Denki Groove, The Babystars, DOES, Guitar Wolf, Miki Furukawa, Nico Touches the Walls, plingmin,...
- launched as Ki/oon Sony Records on April 1, 1992- Fritz Beat
- Haunted Records
- Ki/oon Records2
- NeOSITE
- Siren Song
- Trefort
- OKeh was launched in 1994 and headed by Sony Music deputy president Hiroshi Inagaki.
- SME Records
- Sony Music Records
- Sony Records
- gr8! records - founded April 2003
- MASTERSIX FOUNDATION
- Niagara Records
- VVV Records
- Sony Music Associated Records
- onenation
- tributelink
- TERRY DOLLAR RECORD$
- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Records
- Sony Music House
- Village Music
- Music Ray'n
- Red Cafe (An CafeAn Cafeis a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2003 and signed to the independent label Loop Ash. They are an oshare kei band, but now describe themselves as "Harajuku Dance Rock". The group has released five full-length albums and three EPs...
's label)
- Red Cafe (An Cafe
- Sony Music Distribution - oversees distribution of labels which have a distribution contract with SMEJ.
Key People
- Norio OhgaNorio Ohga, otherwise spelled Norio Oga, was the former president and chairman of Sony Corporation, credited with spurring the development of the compact disc as a commercially viable audio format.-Early career:...
- Akio MoritaAkio MoritaAkio Morita KBE was a Japanese businessman and co-founder of Sony Corporation along with Masaru Ibuka.-Early life:...
- Toshio Ozawa
- Shugo Matsuo
- Ryokichi Kunugi
- Shigeo MaruyamaShigeo Maruyamais the founder of Epic/Sony Records, former chairman of Sony Computer Entertainment and former CEO of Sony Music Entertainment. He is known for discovering artists such as Motoharu Sano and Tetsuya Komuro.- External links :*...
- Takashi Yoshida (now on Warner Music)
- Hiroshi Inagaki (now on Avex Group)
- Naoki Kitagawa
- Kazutomo Enomoto
- Yaz Noya (Tofu RecordsTofu Recordswas a US record label of Sony Music Entertainment Japan that was launched in 2003 to distribute Japanese Sony artists in the United States, and that closed in 2007. Their first signed artist was T.M.Revolution, and they used the anime fandom community to spread the word. T.M.Revolution's U.S...
founder)
See also
- Sony Music EntertainmentSony Music EntertainmentSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
- BMG Japan
- Dreamusic IncorporatedDreamusic Incorporatedis a Japanese record label also working as a subsidiary of TY Limited Incorporated.Its chairman is Tom Yoda, ex-chairman of Avex Group.-Domestic:* Funky Monkey Babys* Yōichi Aoyama* Yūzō Kayama* Hiroko Nakamura* Ayaka Hirahara* Ryoko Moriyama...
: SMEJ is one of its shareholders. - Music On! TVMusic On! TV, also known as , is a cable television network operated by , a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Inc. .Its official motto is We Believe in Music.-History:* March 2, 1998 - Music On! TV, Inc. was founded by the Sony Music management as ....
: SMEJ-owned cable TV network
Key Rivals
- Avex Group (formerly an affiliate of Sony Music, also the 2nd biggest record label in Japan.)
- Universal Music Japan
- Warner Music Japan
- EMI Music Japan
External links
- Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. official website
- sme.co.jp - Corporate website