is a Japanese entertainment company that provides artist management services. The artists include
idol
Idol or Idols may refer to:
Religion and philosophy
* Cult image, a neutral term for a man-made object that is worshipped or venerated for the deity, spirit or demon that it embodies or represents
* Murti, a point of focus for devotion or medit ...
s,
musicians, and so on.
Amuse produces TV and radio programs, commercial films, and movies. Other interests are in publication, music software, and patent agent businesses. The private
Amuse Museum
The , or simply Amuse Museum, was a private museum specializing in Japanese textile culture and ''ukiyo-e''. It opened on 1 November 2009 in Asakusa, Tokyo, not too far from Ueno Park, where multiple other museums are located. The museum was clo ...
, located in
Asakusa, Tokyo
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. It is known as the location of the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals, such as the .
History
The ...
, is owned by the company. It features
ukiyo-e
Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock prints and paintings
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surfac ...
and textile displays.
History
Amuse inc was created in 1978 when it signed with the rock band
Southern All Stars
, also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974.
The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda (dru ...
. Soon after in 1981, Amuse inc created its movie production and distribution subsidiary Amuse Cinema City Inc. and produced ''
Morning Moon Wa Sozatsu Ni
Morning is the period from sunrise to noon. There are no exact times for when morning begins (also true of evening and night) because it can vary according to one's lifestyle and the hours of daylight at each time of year. However, morning strict ...
'' (starring
Shin Kishida
Shin Kishida (17 October 1939 – 28 December 1982) was a Japanese television, film, and stage actor.
Biography
Shin Kishida was born at Kawakita General Hospital in Asagaya, Suginami, Tokyo. His uncle was playwright Kunio Kishida, and actres ...
) that same year, followed by ''
Aiko 16 sai
is a 1983 Japanese film directed by Akiyoshi Imazeki. It is based on the novel ''1980 Aiko 16 sai'' by Akemi Hotta.
Cast
* Yasuko Tomita
* Misa Kawai
* Hiroshi Inuzuka
* Yuki Matsushita
Reception
Yasuko Tomita won the Award for Best Newcome ...
'' (1983). In 1983, Amuse inc signed with the actress
Yasuko Tomita
is a Japanese actress. She won the Award for Best Newcomer at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival and at the 8th Japan Academy Prize for '' Aiko 16 sai''. She also won the award for best actress at the 9th Yokohama Film Festival for ''Bu Su''. In 1 ...
. The next year, Amuse inc opened its subsidiary in the United States.
Amuse Video Inc was created in 1990 as the video software production/sales subsidiary of the Amuse inc group. In 1995, Amuse created a joint-Ayers inc in a joint-venture with
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered in Irvine, California and Richmond ...
, and opened its first movie theater. In 2000, Amuse inc opened its Korean subsidiary. On 20 September 2001, Amuse inc was listed on the
Osaka Securities Exchange
, renamed from , is the largest derivatives exchange in Japan, in terms of amount of business handled.
, the Osaka Securities Exchange had 477 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of $212 billion. The Nikkei 225 Futures, intro ...
. Its distributed film ''
The Pianist'' won the
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
at the
2002 Cannes Film Festival
The 55th Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May 2002. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film '' The Pianist'' directed by Roman Polanski.
The festival opened with ''Hollywood Ending'', directe ...
.
In 2004, Amuse inc opened the internet shops Ambra. In 2007, it established its music label Taishita in joint-venture with Victor Entertainment. In 2008, the group invested in Brussels Co. Ltd., a company that develops Belgian beer bars. In 2009, the group launched its subsidiary Amuse Edutainment Inc. In 2012, Amuse Singapore was created. Amuse intended to give a second life to
J-pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
by promoting the bands
Flumpool
Flumpool (stylized as flumpool) are a Japanese rock band. The band, originally from Osaka Prefecture, was formed in January 2007. The band's name is a portmanteau of the words ''four'' (from the number of members in the band), ''lump'', and ''p ...
and WEAVER. In 2013, it produced and distributed the movie ''
The Eternal Zero
is a 2013 Japanese war drama film directed by Takashi Yamazaki and based on a novel by Naoki Hyakuta, published in English by Vertical Inc.
The film starts with a frame story set in 2004. A Japanese man in his twenties learns that he is the gra ...
''. In 2015, Amuse France inc was created.
In January 2016, Amuse established a partnership with
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
(NJPW) is a Japanese professional wrestling promotion based in Nakano, Tokyo. Founded on January 13, 1972, by Antonio Inoki, the promotion was sold to Yuke's, who later sold it to Bushiroad in 2012. TV Asahi and Amuse, Inc. own minority shares ...
, an event in which Amuse inc owes shares. In the US, Amuse launched J-Creation to develop ties between the Japanese and American production powerhouses. In October 2018, Amuse USA launched ''Apocrypha: The Legend of
Babymetal
(stylized in all caps) is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal" and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrume ...
''.
Notable artists
*
Masaharu Fukuyama
is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actor from Nagasaki. He debuted in 1990 with the single "Tsuioku no Ame no Naka".
Fukuyama is represented by the agency Amuse, Inc.
Career
While he can also be seen in Japanese television dramas, Fukuyama ...
*
Southern All Stars
, also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974.
The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), Hiroshi Matsuda (dru ...
*
Flow
Flow may refer to:
Science and technology
* Fluid flow, the motion of a gas or liquid
* Flow (geomorphology), a type of mass wasting or slope movement in geomorphology
* Flow (mathematics), a group action of the real numbers on a set
* Flow (psych ...
*
Flumpool
Flumpool (stylized as flumpool) are a Japanese rock band. The band, originally from Osaka Prefecture, was formed in January 2007. The band's name is a portmanteau of the words ''four'' (from the number of members in the band), ''lump'', and ''p ...
*
Gen Hoshino
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and writer.
Career Music
Since 2000, Hoshino has led the instrumental band Sakerock, where he plays marimba and guitar. They released over ten albums before disbanding in 2015. As a solo artist, ...
*
Dean Fujioka
, better known as , is a Japanese actor, singer-songwriter, musician, model and film director. He is a talent of Amuse, Inc.
Biography
Dean Fujioka was born in Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Moving with his family, he grew up in Kamagaya, ...
*
Cross Gene
Cross Gene (Korean: 크로스진; stylized as CROSS GENE) is a 6 member boy band based in South Korea which debuted on June 11, 2012. Signed under Amuse Korea, the group consists of South Korean member: Shin is the only member still under their ...
*
Kaori Asoh
is a Japanese voice actress and theatre actress. She is also a singer and a composer, and performed songs for the ''Wild Arms'' video game series. She is managed by Amuse, Inc. She voiced the title character Ririka Moriya/Nurse Angel in ''Nurse A ...
*
Jun Yoshinaga
(born May 7, 1993) formerly known by her stage name , is a Japanese actress and model.
Early life
Abe was born on May 7, 1993 in Osaka. She attended at the Osaka Prefectural Kitano High School, where she was part of the Aikido team. While in hi ...
*
Junko Takeuchi
is a Japanese actress and voice actress employed by Ogipro The Next Co. Inc. & BQMAP. Taking a well-trod path by many voice actresses, she often voices young male characters with generally very quirky and goofy personalities. One of her most wel ...
*
Shit Kingz
, also known as ST Kingz, is a Japanese dance and performance troupe who have also choreographed dances for multiple Japanese and South Korean artists.
Career
Shit Kingz first performed together in October 2007, as Daichi Miura's back-up dancer ...
*
Yuka Itaya
is a Japanese actress and caster. She is represented with Amuse, Inc.
Biography
*Itaya graduated from Kyushu International University Comes High School and Fukuoka Jo Gakuin Junior College.
*She worked as an exclusive model for ''PeeWee'' in 19 ...
*
Eri Murakawa
is a Japanese actress associated with Amuse, Inc. She attended Omiya Junior High School and Hinode High School.
Filmography
Drama
*'' Kaze no Haruka'' (2005)
*''My Boss My Hero'' (2006)
*''Sexy Voice and Robo'' (2007)
*''Good Job'' (2007)
*'' ...
*
Juri Ueno
is a Japanese actress. She first gained recognition in the 2005 film ''Swing Girls'' where she was a recipient of Newcomer of the Year prize at the Japanese Academy Awards. Ueno achieved mainstream success for playing the titular role in the live ...
*
Ruito Aoyagi
is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Gakuto Mukahi in ''The Prince of Tennis'' musicals. He is managed by Amuse, Inc.
Appearances
Musicals
* Musical Kuroshitsuji: That Butler, friendship (May 28, 2009 and June 7, ...
*
Ryo Yoshizawa
is a Japanese actor.
His breakthrough roles include Yūichi Katagiri in the ''Tomodachi Game'' live-action television drama and films and Okita Sogo in the ''Gintama'' live-action films. He is known for his expressive eyes and natural acting ...
*
Dori Sakurada
, born in December 7, 1991, is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Ryoma Echizen as part of the third generation Seigaku cast in ''The Prince of Tennis'' musicals, Tenimyu.
Biography
Career
Dori Sakurada was born i ...
*
Shuhei Nomura
*
Kento Kaku
is a Japanese actor born in Tokyo. He has appeared in a number of feature films, television series, and stage productions. He is represented by Amuse, Inc. His wife is actress Nana Eikura.
Biography
He made his acting debut in films in 2007. In ...
*
Shogo Sakamoto
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and singer affiliated with Don-crew.
Career
Early in his career, Sakamoto played Ryoma Echizen in the fourth generation Seigaku cast in ''Tenimyu'', ''The Prince of Tennis'' musical series. In 2009, he originat ...
*
Shouma Kai
Please don't delete this article because this actor is playing a lead or supporting role in the tokusatsu series "Kamen Rider Ex-Aid" and will continue his career and make more roles, either lead or supporting, after the end of the programme.
is ...
*
Yuta Koseki
is a Japanese actor and model.
Filmography
Theatre
Television
Film
Japanese dub
References
External links
*
*
21st-century Japanese male actors
Amuse Inc. talents
Japanese male musical theatre actors
Japanese male stage ...
*
Takuya Mizoguchi
*
Takuya Terada
is a Japanese actor, singer and model. He was a member of the Korean boy group Cross Gene. Takuya is also well known as the former Japanese Representative on Korean variety television Show, JTBC's Non-Summit.
Biography Early life
In 2008, Takuya ...
*
Ryohei Otani
is a Japanese actor and model. He began his modeling career in Japan, then entered Korean entertainment by being featured in a commercial for Dunkin' Donuts in 2003, followed by Hyundai Motors, Olympus and SK Telecom. His popularity helped him la ...
*
Perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...
*
Sakura Gakuin
was a Japanese idol girl group formed in 2010 by the Amuse talent agency. The group's membership fell within the age range of Japanese compulsory education, typically containing between 10 and 12 members at a time who fall between the ages of ...
*
Babymetal
(stylized in all caps) is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal" and Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrume ...
*
Mafumafu
is a Japanese singer. In addition to his solo work, he is a vocalist, lyricist and composer in the music duo After the Rain formed with fellow ''utaite'' singer Soraru. Mafumafu is also popularly known as . His broad vocal range, spanning well ...
*
Begin
*
Porno Graffitti
, also known as , are a Japanese rock band from Onomichi (formerly Innoshima), Hiroshima Prefecture. The band got their name from the album ''Pornograffitti'' by the band Extreme. They currently record under the SME Records label and their ag ...
*
Akane Sakanoue
is a Japanese actress from Kumamoto Prefecture and affiliated to the talent agency Amuse. She is also talented in gymnastics, a trait that was demonstrated in her role as Asuna Yamase in 2015 Ultra Series, ''Ultraman X''.
Filmography
Films
...
*
Yuriko Yoshitaka
is a Japanese actress. She has played numerous roles in film and television, including lead roles in ''Snakes and Earrings'', ''Yurigokoro'', and the NHK asadora ''Hanako to Anne''.
Career
At age 16, her first year of high school, Yoshitaka join ...
*
Riisa Naka
is a Japanese actress. She was given a Best New Talent award at the 2009 Yokohama Film Festival. Naka became famous by appearing in ''Hachi One Diver'' (2008) and played the lead, Hana Adachi, in '' Yankee-kun to Megane-chan'' (2010). Personal l ...
*
Kaya Kiyohara
is a Japanese actress, model and singer. She was named the Best Supporting Actress at the 45th Japan Academy Film Prize for her role in the film ''In The Wake''.
Biography
Kiyohara was born on January 30, 2002, in Osaka.
Kiyohara signed as a ...
*
Ayaka Miyoshi
is a Japanese actress, model and former idol. She is represented by the talent agency Amuse, Inc. and from 2010 to 2012 was a member of the agency's girl group Sakura Gakuin.
Discography
: ''For Ayaka Miyoshi's discography as a member of Saku ...
*
Eri Fukatsu
is a Japanese actress. She won the award for best actress at the 18th Yokohama Film Festival for '' Haru'' and the best actress award at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival for her performance in ''Villain''. She also received acclaim for her r ...
*
Frederic
*
Anna Yamada
is a Japanese actress represented by Amuse.
Career
In 2011 Yamada won the Grand Prix at Ciao Girl 2011 Audition, and joined the talent agency Amuse Inc. She attended the audition because she wanted the Nintendo 3DS, which was the prize of th ...
*
Airi Matsui
is a Japanese actress, model, and former singer. She is signed to the agency Amuse, Inc. and is a former member of Japanese idol group Sakura Gakuin.
In 2015, Matsui endorsed the Ghana chocolate brand. She also released her first photobook on ...
*
Alissa Yagi
, also known as Arisa Yagi, is a Japanese actress and model associated with Amuse, Inc. From 2008 to 2012, Yagi was an exclusive model for the pre-teen fashion magazine ''Nicola (magazine), Nicola''. Since 2012, she modeled exclusively for the ma ...
*
Asami Tano
is a Japanese actress and voice actress and former singer from Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. She is affiliated with Amuse Inc. Tano was part of the girl group Boystyle from 2001 to 2007. Her voice acting career began with ''Toriko'' in 2011, and ...
*
Hinata Satō
is a Japanese actress, voice actress, singer, and model affiliated with Amuse. She is a former member of Sakura Gakuin and is best known for voicing Junna Hoshimi in ''Revue Starlight'', Leah Kazuno in ''Love Live! Sunshine!!'', Noa Fukushima in ...
*
The Oral Cigarettes
, stylized as THE ORAL CIGARETTES is a four-member Japanese alternative rock band from Nara Prefecture, formed in July 2010. The band signed to A-Sketch in 2012 and have currently released five studio albums, two independent albums, one demo albu ...
*
Yuta Hiraoka
*
Sakura Fujiwara
in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and actress. She is managed by the agency Amuse Inc. and signed to SPEEDSTAR RECORDS.
Biography
Sakura Fujiwara was born on December 30, 1995, and grew up in Fukuoka prefecture, Ja ...
*
Team Nacs
is a Japanese theatrical and musical unit that was formed in 1996 by Hiroyuki Morisaki, Ken Yasuda, Shigeyuki Totsugi, Yo Oizumi, and Takuma Oto'o. It is often called . Prior to October 2005, the group name was formerly TEAM-NACS. They belong t ...
*
Rie Takahashi
is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with 81 Produce. She had a leading role in the anime series ''Seiyu's Life!'', where she became part of the musical unit Earphones. She voiced Futaba Ichinose in ''Seiyu's Life!'', Megumin in ''K ...
*
Yui Mizuno
is a Japanese musician, singer, model, and actress. She is a former member of the kawaii metal group Babymetal and the idol group Sakura Gakuin. In October 2018, she left Babymetal due to an undisclosed illness. She is managed by the Amuse, Inc. ...
*
Kenta Izuka
*
Erika Yamaguchi
*
IVE
Former artists
*
Haruma Miura
was a Japanese actor and singer. He made his acting debut in the television drama ''Agri'' (1997) and rose to popularity after starring in the film ''Koizora'' (2007), winning Newcomer of the Year at the 31st Japan Academy Prize. In the follow ...
*
One Ok Rock
(stylized in all caps as ONE OK ROCK) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 2005. Originally five members, the band currently consists of vocalist Takahiro Moriuchi, guitarist and bandleader Toru Yamashita, bassist Ryota Kohama, a ...
*
Takeru Satoh
is a Japanese actor. He is best known for his leading role as Ryotaro Nogami in the ''Kamen Rider Den-O'' franchise, and as Himura Kenshin in the live-action ''Rurouni Kenshin'' film and its sequels.
Satoh was born on 21 March 1989 in Iwatsuki ...
*
Ryunosuke Kamiki
*
Kimito Totani
is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He made his acting debut in the 2007 remake of ''Tsubaki Sanjuro''. He is currently known for his portrayal of Daiki Kaito/Kamen Rider Diend in the Kamen Rider Series ''Kamen Rider Decade
is the ...
*
Seishuu Uragami
*
Shota Taguchi
is a Japanese actor.
Biography
Taguchi was born in Saitama Prefecture. His mother was a big fan of Masaharu Fukuyama. When Taguchi was four years old, while he was not aware, his mother applied and recruited for Amuse's Amuse Kids (a child depar ...
*
Yu Takahashi
is a Japanese singer-songwriter. He debuted on a major label in 2010, with his singles "Subarashiki Nichijō" and "Honto no Kimochi".
Biography
Takahashi grew up in Yokote, Akita, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. He started to learn the electri ...
Other holdings
Amuse Models
Amuse Models is a division of Amuse. Amuse Models was founded in 2004, Their Kids division is sometimes called Amuse Kids.
In 2014 Amuse merged with Will Corporation and then established
modeling agency
A modeling agency is a company that represents fashion models, to work for the fashion industry. These agencies earn their income via commission, usually from the deal they make with the model and/or the head agency.
The top agencies work with bi ...
that now mainly consists of teenager talent. Talents who belonged to Amuse after their merger with Will Corporation include
Juri Ueno
is a Japanese actress. She first gained recognition in the 2005 film ''Swing Girls'' where she was a recipient of Newcomer of the Year prize at the Japanese Academy Awards. Ueno achieved mainstream success for playing the titular role in the live ...
and
Yuriko Yoshitaka
is a Japanese actress. She has played numerous roles in film and television, including lead roles in ''Snakes and Earrings'', ''Yurigokoro'', and the NHK asadora ''Hanako to Anne''.
Career
At age 16, her first year of high school, Yoshitaka join ...
.
See also
*
Television in Japan
Television in Japan was introduced in 1939. However, experiments date back to the 1920s, with Kenjiro Takayanagi's pioneering experiments in electronic television. Television broadcasting was halted by World War II, after which regular television ...
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Delivery Company
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amuse Inc
Talent agencies based in Tokyo
Entertainment companies established in 1978
Japanese companies established in 1978
Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange
Japanese talent agencies
Film production companies of Japan