INI (Japanese boy group)Japanese boy groupINI (アイエヌアイ, Aienuai) is a Japanese boy band formed through the reality competition show Produce 101 Japan 2. The group is composed of eleven members: Masaya Kimura, Hiromu Takatsuka, Shogo Tajima, Kyosuke Fujimaki, Takumi Ozaki, Hiroto Nishi, Jin Matsuda, Fengfan Xu, Rihito Ikezaki, Yudai Sano and Takeru Goto. Like the winners of the first season of Produce 101 Japan, INI is intended to be a permanent group.
Sony Music Entertainment JapanSony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. (SMEJ), also known as Sony Music Japan, is a Japanese entertainment company wholly owned by Sony Group Corporation. SMEJ's extensive operations encompass record labels, music publishing, anime production, and event organization. Founded in 1968 as CBS/Sony, the company operates independently from the United States–based Sony Music Entertainment due to its diversity and strength in the Japanese market.
JO1JO1 (Japanese: ジェイオーワン, Hepburn: Jeiōwan) is a Japanese boy band formed through the first season of Produce 101 Japan by Lapone Entertainment. The band is composed of nine members: Issei Mamehara, Ren Kawashiri, Takumi Kawanishi, Ruki Shiroiwa, Keigo Sato, Syoya Kimata, Junki Kono, Sukai Kinjo, and Sho Yonashiro. Originally formed as an eleven-member group, Shion Tsurubo and Shosei Ohira left the band in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
Universal Music JapanUniversal Music LLC (Japanese: ユニバーサル ミュージック合同会社, Hepburn: Yunibāsaru myūjikku Gōdō gaisha), often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the Universal Music Group founded in 1990. It is the largest subsidiary for a foreign company in Japan regarding music distribution. The company is responsible for marketing and distribution in Japan for Japanese releases under Universal.DXTeenDXTeen (Japanese: ディエックスティーン, Hepburn: Diekkusutīn; commonly stylised in all caps) is a Japanese boy band formed in 2023 by Lapone Entertainment, a joint venture between Yoshimoto Kogyo and CJ ENM. The group is composed of six members: Taichi Taniguchi, Ayuta Fukuda, Koshin Terao, Nalu Okubo, Ken Hiramoto, and Shotaro Tanaka. They are the first group under Lapone that was not formed through a survival show.
South Korean wonThe South Korean won, sometimes known as the Republic of Korea won (symbol: ₩; code: KRW; Korean: 대한민국 원), is the official currency of South Korea. Each won (the base unit) is technically divided into 100 jeon, but the jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions and appears only in foreign exchange rates. The currency is issued by the Bank of Korea, based in the capital city of Seoul.
Yoshimoto KogyoYoshimoto Kogyo Holdings Co., Ltd. (吉本興業ホールディングス株式会社, Yoshimoto Kōgyō Hōrudeingusu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in 1912, Osaka, as a traditional theatre, and has since grown to be one of the most influential companies in Japan, employing most of Japan's popular owarai (comedy) talent, producing and promoting the shows they appear in. The two main headquarters are stationed in Osaka and Tokyo.Record label"Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it.
CJ ENMCJ ENM Co., Ltd (Korean: 씨제이이엔엠, CJ Entertainment aNd Merchandising) is a South Korean entertainment and retail company founded in 1994. CJ ENM was established as a result of the merger of two CJ Group subsidiaries, CJ E&M and CJ O Shopping respectively, on July 1, 2018. In 2020, the company established a first look deal with Warner Horizon.
Chief operating officerVanessa Pappas, former COO of TikTokA chief operating officer (COO), also called chief operations officer, is an executive in charge of the daily operations of an organization (i.e. personnel, resources, and logistics). COOs are usually second-in-command immediately after the chief executive officer (CEO), and report directly to them, acting on their behalf in their absence.Produce 101 Japan season 1Produce 101 Japan (プロデュース ワンオーワン ジャパン) is a 2019 Japanese reality competition show, co-produced by Yoshimoto Kogyo and CJ E&M. It is a spin-off of the South Korean Produce 101 franchise. The show follows 101 contestants with the intention of producing a permanent eleven-member boy group. It premiered on September 25, 2019, on TBS. The first episode was rerun on the streaming platform GyaO!
Kabushiki gaishaA kabushiki gaisha (Japanese: 株式会社; pronounced [kabɯɕi̥ki ɡaꜜiɕa] ; lit. 'share company') or kabushiki kaisha, commonly abbreviated K.K. or KK, is a type of company (会社, kaisha) defined under the Companies Act of Japan. The term is often translated as "stock company", "joint-stock company" or "stock corporation".Talent agencyA talent agency is a company that represents actors, authors, musicians, models, athletes, writers, dancers, and other professionals in various industries. Talent agencies specialize, either by creating departments within the agency or developing entire agencies that primarily or wholly represent one specialty.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.