King Records (Japan)

Japanese record label

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Record label

King Record Co., Ltd.

Parent company| Parent:
Kodansha
Shareholders:
TBS (2005 – present)
Founded| January 1931; 94 years ago (January 1931)
Status| Active
Genre| Various
Country of origin| Japan
Location| Bunkyo, Tokyo
Official website| company.kingrecords.co.jp/en/
King Records head office

King Record Co., Ltd. (キングレコード株式会社, Kingu Rekōdo Kabushiki gaisha),[1] commonly known as King Records, is a Japanese record company founded in January 1931 as a division of the Japanese publisher Kodansha. 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 magazine published by Kodansha from 1924 to 1957.

## Sub-labels

[edit]

Its Starchild label, was managed by animation producer Toshimichi Ōtsuki, specialised in anime music and film. King Records also distributes the Up-Front Works–owned and –operated labels Piccolo Town and Rice Music, and also released video games for the PC-88, Famicom, Game Boy Advance, and MSX2 platforms. On February 1, 2016, King Records restructured Starchild and renamed it King Amusement Creative.[2]

Paddle Wheel Records is a division of King Record Co.[3]

You! Be Cool was the official sub-label for AKB48.

Venus-B is the company's official urban music imprint.

Evil Line Records is the label's new division, established in April 2014, and comprises artists like Momoiro Clover Z and Meg, among others.[4][5][6]

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

[edit]

Main category: King Records (Japan) artists

* Bolbbalgan4[7]
* Stomu Yamashta
* Inoran
* Kana Uemura
* Diedrich Hartmann
* Nogod
* Takeshi Terauchi
* Hiroko Moriguchi
* Morning Musume
* Tomomi Itano
* Atsuko Maeda
* Yuki Kashiwagi
* Momoland[8]
* Miss Monochrome
* Aice5 (Evil Line)
* Earphones (Evil Line)
* Hypnosis Mic (Evil Line)
* Charisma House (Evil Line)
* Otsuki Miyako
* Momoiro Clover Z (Evil Line, formerly Starchild)
* Meg (Evil Line)
* Lynch.
* Theatre Brook
* Haruka Fukuhara
* Sawa (Bellwood)
* Park Junyoung
* Hiroki Nanami
* Jan Linton (as dr jan guru) "Planet Japan"
* Rock A Japonica (Evil Line)
* Senri Kawaguchi
* Block B[9]
* Nana Mizuki (King Amusement Creative)
* Mamoru Miyano (King Amusement Creative)
* Suneohair (King Amusement Creative)
* Ryoko Shiraishi (King Amusement Creative)
* angela (King Amusement Creative)
* Ai Nonaka (King Amusement Creative)
* Yoko Takahashi (King Amusement Creative)
* Soichiro Hoshi (King Amusement Creative)
* Sumire Uesaka (King Amusement Creative)
* Inori Minase (King Amusement Creative)
* Shouta Aoi (King Amusement Creative)
* Satomi Sato (King Amusement Creative)
* Yuuma Uchida (King Amusement Creative)
* Yui Horie (King Amusement Creative)
* Niji no Conquistador (King Amusement Creative)
* B2takes! (King Amusement Creative)
* Miho Okasaki (King Amusement Creative)
* AMATSUKI
* AIMI (King Amusement Creative)
* Mardelas (Nexus)
* Light Bringer (Nexus)

## Former artists

[edit]

* Alice Nine (2005-2010; to Tokuma Japan Communications)
* AKB48 (You, Be Cool!) (2008-2023; to Universal Music Japan)
* CHAGE and ASKA (1985-1999; to Toshiba EMI)
* Eri Kitamura (2011-2016; to TMS Music)
* GFriend (2018-2021)
* Kagrra,
* Masumi Asano
* Matenrou Opera (to self-owned amairo records)
* Mikako Komatsu (2012-2016; to Toy's Factory)
* Megumi Hayashibara (1991-2019; freelance)
* Masami Okui (1993-2004; to Geneon until 2011 when she signed with Lantis)
* Michiyo Azusa
* Miho Nakayama
* Minori Chihara (2004)
* Sung Si-kyung (2023 -)
* Neko Jump (2006-2011; Former overseas partner of Kamikaze)
* Sound Horizon to Pony Canyon
* the pillows (1994-2006; to avex trax)
* The Gazette (2005-2010; to Sony Music Japan)
* TWO-MIX (1995-1998; to Warner Music Japan)
* YuiKaori
* Yui Sakakibara to 5pb. Records
* Yui Ogura (2012-2022; King Amusement Creative; to Nippon Columbia)[10]
* Yukari Tamura
* Yuki Uchida
* Yuko Ogura

## See also

[edit]

* Starchild, the former label under King Records

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "会社情報". Archived from the original on 2022-07-02. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
2. ^ "Starchild Label Restructured as King Amusement Creative". Anime News Network. January 30, 2016. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
3. ^ "New York Unit – Now's the Time" (CD liner notes). Paddle Wheel Records. KICJ 108.
4. ^ "Evil Line Records". Archived from the original on 2019-11-02. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
5. ^ "Evil Line Records". Discogs. Archived from the original on 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
6. ^ "Evil Line Records Official Store". Archived from the original on 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
7. ^ "BOL4 Profile". Archived from the original on 2020-11-02. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
8. ^ "Momoland Profile". Archived from the original on 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
9. ^ "Block B Profile". Archived from the original on 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
10. ^ 📝 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

## External links

[edit]

* King Records Japan (in Japanese)
* King Records Japan (in English)
* King Records Japan corporate websites
* King Records Japan NEWS websites
* King Records Japan PLAYLIST websites
* King Records Japan Twitter
* King Records Japan Instagram
* King Records Japan TikTok
* King Amusement Creative (in Japanese)
* EVIL LINE RECORDS (in Japanese)
* HEROIC LINE (in Japanese)

* King Records's channel on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

IFPI members in Japan

* Avex Group Holdings Inc.
* JVCKenwood Victor Entertainment Corp.
* King Record Co. Ltd.
* Nippon Crown Co. Ltd.
* Pony Canyon Inc.
* Pryaid Records Inc.
* Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.
* Teichiku Entertainment Inc.
* Tokuma Japan Communications Co. Ltd.
* Universal Music LLC
* VAP Inc.
* Warner Music Japan Inc.

* v
* t
* e

Music of Japan

"Kimigayo" (National anthem)

Traditional|

Instruments

| Genres and styles|

*     * Bugaku
* Bushi
* Dainichido Bugaku
* Danmono
* Gagaku
* Gigaku
* Jōruri
* Kouta
* Min'yō
* Nagauta
* Rōkyoku
* Saimon Ondo [ja]
* Komori-uta (lullaby)
* Warabe Uta [ja]
* Kazoe Uta [ja]
* Ekaki Uta [ja]
* Temari Uta [ja]

|

Post Meiji Restoration

(1868–present)|

* Commercial song [ja]
* Gakusēka (student song) [ja]
* Kōka (school song) [ja]
* Ryōka (dormitory song) [ja]
* Daigaku-Ōenka (cheering song of university) [ja]
* Enzetsuka/Enka
* Gunka (military song)
* Jazz
* Kayōkyoku
* Senji-kayō [ja]
* Gunkoku-kayō [ja]
* Radio calisthenics song
* Ryūkōka
* Shichōsonka (municipality song) [ja]
* Shōka [ja]
* Manshū-Shōka [ja]
* Shin-min'yō [ja]

Post-War

(1945–present)|

| 1945–present|

* Kayōkyoku
* Mood-kayō [ja]
* Idol-kayō [ja]
* Group Sounds
* Image song
* J-pop
* Rock

|

1970–present|

* Anime song
* Chiptune
* City pop
* Denpa song
* Disco [ja]
* Electro
* Electropop
* Eurobeat
* Disco [ja]
* Hardcore punk
* Hip hop
* Metal
* Noise
* Noise rock
* Nu-music [ja]
* Ōenka (cheering song)
* Reggae
* Synth-pop
* Ska
* Visual kei
* Italo Disco
* Italo House
* Juliana’s techno

1990–present|

* Bitpop
* Grime
* Being-kei [ja]
* J-core
* Japanese net label scene
* Kawaii metal
* Komuro-kei [ja]
* Onkyokei
* Shibuya-kei
* Akishibu-kei
* Utaite
* Visual kei
* Eroguro kei
* Nagoya kei
* Vocaloid music

Ethnic and regional|

* Ainu music
* Rekuhkara
* Southern Islands

Charts|

| Oricon|

* Singles Chart
* Combined Singles Chart
* Albums Chart
* Combined Albums Chart
* Karaoke Chart

|

Billboard Japan|

* Hot 100
* Hot Albums

Other|

* RIAJ Digital Track Chart (discontinued)

Achievements|

* List of best-selling music artists in Japan
* List of best-selling Western artists in Japan
* List of best-selling albums in Japan
* List of best-selling singles in Japan

Record companies|

| "Big 10"

(as of 2025[update])|

* Avex Group
* Sony Music Entertainment Japan
* Universal Music Japan
* King Record Co.
* J Storm
* Victor Entertainment
* Being Inc.
* Warner Music Group
* Pony Canyon
* Teichiku Entertainment

|

Others|

* Major
* Independent

Musicians|

* List of musical artists from Japan
* List of Japanese musical groups
* List of J-pop artists
* List of Japanese composers
* List of Japanese hip hop musicians
* List of Japanese singers

Timeline and years|

* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023

Online distributors|

* iTunes Store
* Apple Music
* Google Play Music
* Amazon Music
* Spotify
* KKBox (the successor of LISMO Unlimited)
* RecoChoku [ja]
* Music.jp [ja]
* Mora
* Dwango.jp
* E-Onkyo music
* Oricon Music Store
* Line Music
* MySound [ja]
* OTOTOY [ja]
* AWA [ja]

Other topics|

* Awards
* Shinto music
* Min-On Concert Association

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz label

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