, commonly known as King Records, is a Japanese record company founded in January 1931 as a division of the Japanese publisher

Kodansha is a Japanese privately-held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha is the largest Japanese publishing company, and it produces the manga magazines ''Nakayoshi'', ''Afternoon'', ''Evening'', ''Weekly Shōnen Magazine'' an ...

. It initially began operating as an independent entity in the 1950s. It later became part of the Otowa Group. Today, King Records is one of Japan's largest record companies which is not owned by a multinational entity. The label's headquarters are in Bunkyo, Tokyo. The label's name is actually based from the now-defunct ''

Kingu Kingu, also spelled Qingu (, ), was a god in Babylonian mythology, and the son of the gods Abzu and Tiamat. After the murder of his father, Abzu, he served as the consort of his mother, Tiamat, who wanted to establish him as ruler and leader of ...

'' magazine published by Kodansha from 1924 to 1957.

Sub-labels

Its Starchild label, was managed by animation producer Toshimichi Ōtsuki, specialised in

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

music and film. King Records also distributes the Up-Front Works–owned and –operated labels

Piccolo Town is a Japanese holding company for various entertainment companies. Its subsidiaries include the talent agency Up-Front Promotion and Up-Front Works, a music production and sales company that manages such record labels as Zetima, Piccolo Town, ...

and

Rice Music is a Japanese holding company for various entertainment companies. Its subsidiaries include the talent agency Up-Front Promotion and Up-Front Works, a music production and sales company that manages such record labels as Zetima, Piccolo Town, ...

, and also released

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

s for the

PC-88 The , commonly shortened to PC-88, are a brand of Zilog Z80-based 8-bit home computers released by Nippon Electric Company (NEC) in 1981 and primarily sold in Japan. The PC-8800 series sold extremely well and became one of the three major Japane ...

Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

, and

MSX2 MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by Microsoft and ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, then vice- ...

computers. On February 1, 2016, King Records restructured Starchild and renamed it King Amusement Creative. Paddle Wheel Records is a division of King Record Co. You! Be Cool is the official sub-label for

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...

. Venus-B is the company's official

urban music Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...

imprint. Evil Line Records is the label's new division, established in April 2014, and comprises artists like

Momoiro Clover Z is a Japanese idol girl group, commonly abbreviated as MCZ or . The four members of MCZ are known for energetic performances, incorporating elements of ballet, gymnastics, and action movies. MCZ is notable for being the first female group to ho ...

and Meg, among others. Nexus is the label's division specialized for metal/underground music from Japan also overseas. Notable artists in it label are Earthshaker, etc. Seven Seas is the label's division focusing on world music from overseas artists in many genres.

Notable artists

Bolbbalgan4 Bolbbalgan4 (), also known as BOL4 or Blushing Youth, is a South Korean musical act formed by Shofar Music in 2016. They appeared on '' Superstar K6'' in 2014 before signing a contract with their current agency. BOL4 was originally a duo consistin ...

Stomu Yamashta Stomu Yamashta (or Yamash'ta), born , is a Japanese percussionist, keyboardist and composer. He is best known for pioneering and popularising a fusion of traditional Japanese percussive music with Western progressive rock music in the 1960s and 1 ...

Inoran , better known exclusively by his stage name Inoran, is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Luna Sea since 1986. He started his solo career in 1997. Luna Sea disba ...

Kana Uemura , known professionally as Ka-Na, is a Japanese singer-songwriter, who debuted in 2004. She is best known for her song "Toilet no Kamisama", an acoustic ballad about her grandmother, which became a hit in 2010. Biography Uemura first became int ...

Diedrich Hartmann Diedrich is both a masculine German given name and a German surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name *Diedrich Bader (born 1966), American actor, voice actor and comedian * Diedrich A. Bohlen (1827–1890), German-born American arc ...

Nogod Nogod (stylized as NoGoD) is a Japanese visual kei heavy metal band formed in 2005 by vocalist Dancho. Originally named , the band has been using simply Nogod since signing to the major label King Records in 2010. History 2005–2009: Formati ...

Takeshi Terauchi , also known as Terry, was a Japanese instrumental rock guitarist. His preferred guitar was a black Mosrite with a white pickguard. His guitar sound was characterized by frenetic picking, heavy use of tremolo picking and frequent use of his gu ...

Miho Nakayama is a Japanese singer and actress. She is affiliated with Big Apple Co., Ltd. Nakayama is nicknamed , and sometimes uses the pseudonyms or when she writes the lyrics. Biography History Nakayama was born in Saku, Nagano, Japan. Following her ...

Hiroko Moriguchi (born June 13, 1968 in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan), better known by her stage name is a female Japanese singer and tarento. Moriguchi is affiliated with the talent agency NoReason Inc., where she also serves as Second Production Departme ...

(You, Be Cool!) *

Morning Musume , formerly simply and colloquially referred to as , are a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most top ten singles with an ...

Tomomi Itano is a Japanese recording artist, songwriter, dancer, model, and actress. She is a former member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. She was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. In 2011 she debuted solo with a single titled " Dear J", which wa ...

Atsuko Maeda is a Japanese actress and singer. She is a former member of the idol girl group AKB48, and was one of the most prominent members in the group at the time, regarded as the group's "absolute ace", "immovable center", and the "Face of AKB." After ...

Yuki Kashiwagi is a Japanese idol and singer. She is a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 and a former member of NMB48 and NGT48. She auditioned for AKB48 on December 3, 2006, and is now a member of AKB48's Team B. She was previously the captain of T ...

(

) *

Momoland Momoland () is a South Korean girl group formed by MLD Entertainment (formerly known as Duble Kick Company) through the 2016 reality show ''Finding Momoland''. The show's winners Hyebin, Yeonwoo, Jane, Nayun, JooE, Ahin, and Nancy served as the ...

Miss Monochrome is an original character created and voiced by Japanese singer and voice actress Yui Horie, first appearing as a 3D virtual singer in March 2012 at the concert . A 13-episode anime television series by Liden Films aired in Japan between Octobe ...

Aice5 is an all-female Japanese pop group that comprises five voice actresses: Yui Horie, Chiaki Takahashi, Akemi Kanda, Masumi Asano and Madoka Kimura. Yui Horie founded the group on October 29, 2005. Two of the songs they produced, "Yūjō Monogatar ...

(Evil Line) *

Earphones Headphones are a pair of small loudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user's ears. They are electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound. Headphones let a single user listen to an au ...

(Evil Line) * Hypnosis Mic (Evil Line) * Otsuki Miyako *

(Evil Line, formerly Starchild) * Meg (Evil Line) *

Lynch. Lynch (stylized as lynch.) is a Japanese visual-kei metal band formed in 2004. The band's concept is "uniting heavy music with beautiful melodies." As of 2021, the group has released three EPs, eleven albums, and 25 singles. History Lynch was ...

Theatre Brook Theatre Brook (シアター・ブルック ''Shiatā Burukku'') is a Japanese funk rock band that made its debut in 1986. The band's current line-up are: Taiji Sato (vocals & electric guitar), Takashi Nakajo (bass), Takashi Numazawa (drums), an ...

Haruka Fukuhara is a Japanese actress, singer and model from Saitama Prefecture. From 2009 to 2012, she starred in ''Cooking Idol! I! My! Main'' as Main Hiiragi, portraying the character in both animated and live-action segments. Following the series' end, she h ...

Sawa Sawa may refer to: Places * Sawa, Nepal, a village development committee * Sawa, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, a village * Saveh, sometimes transliterated Sāwa, Iran, a city * Sawa Lake, Iraq People * Sawa (Hrycuniak) (born Michał Hrycunia ...

(Bellwood) * Park Junyoung *

Hiroki Nanami Hiroki Nanami (七海ひろき, ''Nanami Hiroki'') is a Japanese actress, singer, voice actor, and former otokoyaku (male role) star of the Takarazuka Revue (2003–2019). Troupe History * 2003–2015, Cosmos Troupe * 2015–2019, Star Troup ...

Jan Linton Jan Linton is a British singer, musician and producer from Warrington who helped internationalise the music scene in Tokyo, Japan. Biography Jan Linton studied violin from the age of four, moving briefly onto piano, before discovering pop ...

(as dr jan guru) "Planet Japan" *

Rock A Japonica is a Japanese girl idol group managed by Stardust Promotion. It was formed in 2015 with five members from 3B Junior (out of 26 in total): Ami Uchiyama, Luna Naitō, Ruka Shiina, Chiho Takai, and Misato Hirase. The name of the group implies the ...

(Evil Line) * Senri Kawaguchi *

Block B Block B ( ko, 블락비) is a South Korean boy band managed by KQ Entertainment, and consists of seven members: Taeil, B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-Kwon, Park Kyung, Zico, and P.O. Block B has received several accolades, including nominations for seven ...

Yuki Uchida (born November 16, 1975) is a Japanese actress, and a popular 1990s idol, model and singer. Biography Uchida was born in Tokyo. She practiced fencing in high school, and ranked 3rd in a tournament in Tokyo in 1991. She began her career as a mod ...

Nana Mizuki is a Japanese voice actress, singer and narrator from Niihama, Ehime. She is represented by the agency StarCrew. Mizuki was trained as an enka singer, releasing one single under her birth name, Nana Kondō, in 1993 and made her debut as a voice ...

(King Amusement Creative) *

Mamoru Miyano is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known for his roles on '' Steins;Gate'', ''Durarara!!'', ''Death Note'', '' Soul Eater'', ''Wolf's Rain'', ''Ouran High School Host Club'', '' Ajin: Demi-Human'', '' Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood'', ' ...

(King Amusement Creative) * Suneohair (King Amusement Creative) *

Ryoko Shiraishi is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Kashiba, Nara. She is affiliated with Aoni Production. Possessing a husky voice, Shiraishi voices young to teenage men as well as young girls and teenage women. However, in a break from tradition, on ...

(King Amusement Creative) * angela (King Amusement Creative) *

Ai Nonaka is a Japanese voice actress and singer. She works for Aoni Production and was formerly a member of the voice actor unit Drops, which included fellow voice actor Akemi Kanda, Tomoko Kaneda, Mariko Kōda, and Ryōko Shiraishi. In high school in Fu ...

(King Amusement Creative) *

Yoko Takahashi is a Japanese singer, who is best known for her work throughout the 1990s, most particularly for her singles which were performed for and featured in anime, most notably the ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' franchise. Career Takahashi began her ...

(King Amusement Creative) * Soichiro Hoshi (King Amusement Creative) *

Sumire Uesaka is a Japanese voice actress and singer associated with Voice Kit. She won the Best Rookie Actress at the 10th Seiyu Awards. She made her singing debut in April 2013 under King Records. Life and career Uesaka became a regular on the web radio ...

(King Amusement Creative) *

Inori Minase is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Axl One. In March 2016, she won the Best Lead Actress Award in the 10th Seiyu Awards for her leading roles as Jun Naruse in the box office hit ''The Anthem of the Heart'' and as Yuki Tak ...

(King Amusement Creative) *

Shouta Aoi , is a Japanese singer and actor. Under the stage name Showta (stylized as "SHOWTA."), he debuted as a singer with the song "Negaiboshi" in 2006 and released his first studio album, ''Eve'', in 2008. In 2009, he left his agency and briefly releas ...

(King Amusement Creative) *

Satomi Sato is a feminine Japanese given name which is also used as a surname. Possible writings Satomi can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *里美, "hometown, beauty" *怜美, "wise, beauty" *聡美, "wise, beauty" *智美, "wisd ...

(King Amusement Creative) *

Yuuma Uchida is a Japanese voice actor and singer who works for Intention. His big roles have included Yuuma Kousaka in ''Gundam Build Fighters Try'', Nagisa Kiryū in '' Classroom Crisis'', Megumi Fushiguro in '' Jujutsu Kaisen'', Eishirō Yabuki in ''The ...

(King Amusement Creative) *

Yui Horie is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with VIMS and Starchild. She has been affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "''My best friend''" on . Since then, sh ...

(King Amusement Creative) * Niji no Conquistador (King Amusement Creative) * B2takes! (King Amusement Creative) *

Miho Okasaki is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Okayama Prefecture who is affiliated with I'm Enterprise. She debuted as a voice actress in 2017, playing mostly background roles in anime series, as well as playing some roles in a number of video ga ...

(King Amusement Creative) * AMATSUKI

Former artists

Alice Nine is a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in Tokyo in 2004. They were a part of PS Company until 2014. The band had King Records as its record label until 2010, when they joined Tokuma Japan. Then, in 2013, the band joined Universal Music Grou ...

(2005-2010; to

Tokuma Japan Communications is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, m ...

) *

CHAGE and ASKA were a Japanese popular music duo composed of male singer-songwriters from Fukuoka Prefecture: and . To date they have sold over 31 million albums and singles in Japan. History They were formed in the late 1970s at the suggestion of the A&R ...

(1985-1999; to

Toshiba EMI , formerly , was one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. on June 30, 2007, after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. Its CEO and president was Kazuhiko Koike. Whe ...

) * Eri Kitamura (2011-2016; to TMS Music) *

GFriend GFriend (stylized in all caps; ) was a South Korean girl group formed by Source Music in 2015. The group consisted of six members: Sowon, Yerin, Eunha, Yuju, SinB, and Umji. They debuted with the extended play (EP) '' Season of Glass'' on Jan ...

(2018-2021) *

Kagrra, was a Japanese visual kei folk rock band. They were originally signed to the now defunct Key Party Records under the name "Crow". The group changed its name when they signed to PS Company in 2000. History The band's major debut was in 2004 wit ...

Masumi Asano is a Japanese voice actress, singer and narrator who worked for Aoni Production, but now as of January, 2021 a Freelancer. Biography Asano was born on August 25, 1977 in Noshiro, Akita and studied at the Kokugakuin University Faculty of Literatu ...

Matenrou Opera is a Japanese visual kei power metal band. The band was formed in 2007 by Sono and Yuu who were previously the vocalist and drummer of Jeniva.

(to self-owned amairo records) *

Mikako Komatsu is a Japanese voice actress and singer. Career Komatsu passed an audition held at the first corner of Nippon Broadcasting System "Takashi Fujii's All Night Nippon R". A member of "Younger Sister", she left the group in September 2007. She worke ...

(2012-2016; to

Toy's Factory is a Japanese record label founded in the late 1980s as a subsidiary of the entertainment company VAP, based in Japan. On May 30, 1990, it was established as an independent company. Toy's Factory, as of the first half of 2012, is the four ...

) *

Megumi Hayashibara is a Japanese voice actress, singer, lyricist and radio personality from Kita ward in Tokyo and is affiliated with self-founded Woodpark Office. One of the most prominent Japanese voice actresses since the 1990s, Hayashibara is best known for he ...

(1991-2019; freelance) *

Masami Okui is a Japanese singer and songwriter from Itami, Hyōgo. She began her professional musical career at age 21 as a concert backup singer. From almost the very beginning of her career, Masami has sung themes for anime television and movies. She ...

(1993-2004; to

Geneon (abbreviated as NBCUEJ) is a Japanese music, anime, and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Tokyo, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo. It is primarily involved in the production and distributi ...

until 2011 when she signed with Lantis) *

Michiyo Azusa Michiyo Azusa ( ja, link=no, 梓みちよ) (4 May 1943 - 29 January 2020) was the stage name of Michiyo Hayashi , a Japanese singer and actresses known for her 1963 song ''Konichiwa Akachan'', or ''Hello Baby''. Born in Fukuoka, Hayashi trained a ...

Minori Chihara is a Japanese voice actress and former singer who has had roles in several anime series.Doi, Hitoshi"Chihara Minori" ''Seiyuu Database''. January 3, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2011. She is well known for her voice role as Yuki Nagato in '' The ...

(2004) * Neko Jump (2006-2011; Former overseas partner of

Kamikaze , officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...

) *

Sound Horizon Sound Horizon is a Japanese symphonic rock musical group with composer () as the leader and only permanent member. They describe themselves as a "fantasy band" and have released works that closely resemble classical suites. Their songs often r ...

Pony Canyon , also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...

the pillows are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in 1989. The group has released 22 studio albums, several Extended play, EPs and compilations, and over 40 singles. Outside Japan, they are best known as the group responsible for the soundtrack to the ...

(1994-2006; to avex trax) *

the GazettE The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

(2005-2010; to

Sony Music Japan , often abbreviated as SMEJ or simply SME, and also known as Sony Music Japan for short (stylized as ''SonyMusic''), is a Japanese music arm for Sony. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, SMEJ is directly owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation and is ...

) *

TWO-MIX Two-Mix (temporarily known as II MIX⊿DELTA) is a Japanese pop duo formed in 1995 by Minami Takayama (vocals and composer) and Shiina Nagano (synthesizer, composer and lyricist). Their style is fast electronic pop. History They met in the earl ...

(1995-1998; to

Warner Music Japan Warner Music Group's labels include the following. Flagship labels *Atlantic Records *Elektra Records *Parlophone Records *Warner Records Atlantic Records Group * 1st & 15th Entertainment * Nipsey Hussle, All Money In * Mike Caren, Artist Par ...

) *

YuiKaori was a Japanese idol group consisting of Yui Ogura and Kaori Ishihara is a Japanese voice actress and singer managed by Style Cube. She was formerly part of Up-Front Agency in which she was involved with Happy! Style and Team Dekaris. She was ...

* Yui Sakakibara to 5pb. Records *

Yui Ogura is a Japanese voice actress and singer from Gunma Prefecture. Career In 2009, Ogura performed the motion capture for Hatsune Miku in the game '' Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA''. Ogura was a member of the Japanese idol duo YuiKaori with Kaori ...

(2012-2022; King Amusement Creative; to

Nippon Columbia , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...

)📝 小倉唯が所属レーベルを日本コロムビアに移籍。第1弾シングルを今冬リリース予定
/ref> *

Yukari Tamura is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Amuleto (formerly Arts Vision and I'm Enterprise). She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "Yūki o Kudasai" on March 26, 1997. Her role as Nanoha Takamachi in th ...

Yuko Ogura is a Japanese gravure idol and model who typically aimed for the cute, innocent schoolgirl look prior to her 2011 marriage. She is represented by Platinum Production. History Ogura was born in Mobara, Chiba, and regularly, if not entirely serio ...

References

External links

King Records Japan

King Records Japan

King Amusement Creative

Venus-B
* {{Authority control 1931 establishments in Japan Bunkyō Mass media companies based in Tokyo IFPI members Japanese record labels Kodansha Pop record labels Record labels established in 1931

Sub-labels

Notable artists

Former artists

See also

References

External links