, often referred to as just Universal Music Japan or UMJ, is a Japanese subsidiary of the

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

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. As of 2019, Universal Japan holds the second most shares in the Japanese music market, behind

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 Group Corporation and is opera ...

, and is followed by

Avex Avex Inc. ( kabushiki gaisha , commonly known as Avex and stylized as avex) is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi ...

History

Early years

The company was founded as PolyGram Co., Ltd. in 1990 with Koike Kazuhiko serving as president and CEO. In 1999, the company was restructured and renamed as Universal Music Co., Ltd., following

Seagram The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...

's acquisition of PolyGram, and its subsequent integration into

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

2009–2013: Renaming to Universal Music LLC

In 2009, the company was renamed as Universal Music LLC. Kazuhiko stepped down as CEO and

Keiichi Ishizaka was a Japanese music industry executive who was the chairman of Recording Industry Association of Japan. Personal life Born in Saitama-ken, he learned the music of Japan while studying Business Administration at Keio University. He graduated in ...

became CEO and president of the company.

2013–2014: Restructure following EMI purchase

In 2011, EMI agreed to sell its recorded music operations to Universal Music Group for £1.2 billion ($1.9 billion) and its music publishing operations to a

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

-led consortium for $2.2 billion. Among the other companies that had competed for the recorded music business was

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...

which was reported to have made a $2 billion bid. Universal Music Group completed their acquisition of

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

on September 28, 2012. In 2012, Ishizaka became CEO of

EMI Music Japan , 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. Wh ...

while Universal Japan was scheduled to hold a corporate swap in response of the merger. EMI Music Japan officially was absorbed into Universal Japan, became defunct as a company with

EMI Records Japan EMI Records Japan was a Japanese record label which operated as a sublabel of Universal Music Japan. Established in April 2013, it was the successor of its previous entity as a company, EMI Music Japan. The sublabel's headquarters was located a ...

as a successor to the EMI Music Japan label. Nine months after the merger, Ishizaka stepped down from his position of CEO from Universal Japan, and became a non-executive chairman. His successor, Naoshi Fujikura was appointed in 2014. In April 2014, Universal Japan was once again restructured. Many of its labels were rebranded and split multiple times, including EMI Records Japan which de-merged into two sublabels

EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a British multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company EMI in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succes ...

and

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

of which the latter rebranded as EMI R and then merged with

Delicious Deli Records was a Japanese record label owned by Universal Music Japan. It originally founded in 2009 under Universal Japan's western division, Universal International. Its headquarters were located in Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan. In August 2014, the label bec ...

to form

Virgin Music Virgin Music, known as Virgin Music Label & Artist Services until 2022 and originally as Caroline Distribution, was a music distributor of independent artists and record labels, most prominently Death Grips, Weezer, and Radiohead. Virgin Music ...

2015–present: New business model, push for streaming and worldwide distribution

In December 2015, Fujikura announced that Universal Japan "is a new business" and that the company would adopt a new business model to strengthen business. These changes were effective as of January 1, 2016. A new label, Universal-W was established in December 2015 with Japanese company Warlock. In August 2016,

Radwimps is a Japanese rock band who debuted independently in 2003 and signed with Toshiba EMI in 2005. The band's name, Radwimps, was formed from two English slang terms, " rad" and "wimp". According to the band, the coined word had several meanings, ...

released the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

for the 2016 Japanese animated film ''

Your Name is a 2016 Japanese animated romantic fantasy film written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, produced by CoMix Wave Films, and distributed by Toho. Inspired by the frequency of natural disasters in Japan, the film depicts the story of high scho ...

''. The album was a commercial success in Japan and in a rare feat, charted in the United States in 2017. In December of the same year, Universal Japan acquired , a music management agency (founded in 1992), and made it a fully-owned subsidiary; as a result, the latter's "Augusta Records" label became an affiliated label of Universal Japan. In 2017, the company announced it would relocate from Minato, Tokyo to the Jingumae Tower Building in Shibuya, Tokyo. The relocation took place from September 15, 2018, to October 9. In December 2017, Universal Japan announced they suspended the contract of

Hilcrhyme is a Japanese two member hip-hop group. The band's name is a pun on the Japanese pronunciation of hillclimb and the word rhyme. They are best known for their 2009 hit song "Shunkashūtō", which has been certified for 1,000,000 cellphone digital ...

member DJ Katsu following his arrest of possession of marijuana. He subsequently left the group following his arrest and the group lost their recording contract. In June 2018, Universal Japan announced an exclusive license agreement with

Disney Music Group Disney Music Group (DMG) is the music recording and publishing arm of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. It is located at the studio's headquarters in Burbank, California. The div ...

. In 2019, Universal Japan suspended the sales of

Junnosuke Taguchi in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan), is a singer-songwriter, actor, and model. He is a former member of the Japanese idol group KAT-TUN. He joined the talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1999 and officially debuted as part of KAT-TUN in 2006. A ...

's discography and removed his releases from digital stores following his arrest of possession of marijuana. In 2020, Universal Japan updated their corporate logo to match the same logo used by the main Universal Music Group company. In that same year, Universal launched the Virgin Music Label and Artist Services. The service was launched in many Universal subsidiaries, including Universal Japan. In 2021, Yoshimoto Music signed a distribution deal with Universal Japan for future releases. In July 2021, CEO and president Fujikura was listed on ''Billboard's'' International Power Players list. In an interview with ''

Billboard Japan ''Billboard Japan'' is a sister organization of the U.S.-based music magazine '' Billboard''. It is operated by the Japanese Osaka-based company Hanshin Contents Link (a subsidiary of Hanshin Electric Railway), holding an exclusive licence fr ...

'', Fujikura shared about his measures on increasing streaming revenue and strategies to have Universal Japan artists chart overseas. Universal Japan has since released previous releases of former and current artists under their labels worldwide digitally, including

Hikaru Utada , also known mononymously as Utada, is a Japanese and American singer, songwriter, and producer. She is considered to be one of the most influential and best-selling musical artists in Japan. She is best known by international audiences for w ...

Crystal Kay is a Japanese singer, songwriter, actress and radio host. After releasing her first single, "Eternal Memories" (1999), Crystal Kay gained fame for her third studio album, ''Almost Seventeen'' (2002), which debuted at number 2 on the Japanese O ...

, Radwimps, Mrs. Green Apple,

Che'Nelle Cheryline Ernestine Lim, known by her stage name Che'Nelle, is a Malaysian-Australian singer-songwriter. She gained popularity in Japan with the release of her debut studio album, '' Things Happen for a Reason'' (2007). Early life Cheryline Er ...

and Ai. In 2022, Fujikura was listed on ''Billboard's'' International Power Players list for a second year in a row. Fujikura became the first Japanese executive to appear on the list three times, including his first recognition in 2019. In an interview, Fujikura discussed plans for creating new marketplaces in Japan and developing them overseas, particularly in the United States. In September 2022,

Travis Japan Travis Japan is a Japanese boy band managed by Starto Entertainment formerly known as Johnny & Associates. Their name is a tribute to the American choreographer Travis Payne, who assisted in their 2012 group formation during the production of s ...

signed a record deal with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

, with distribution and marketing being handled by Universal Japan. In October 2022, following the success of '' Uta's Songs: One Piece Film Red'', Ado signed a record deal with

Geffen Records Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...

alongside her current record deal with Virgin Music. In December 2022, Universal Japan announced an organization change, effective on January 1, 2023. Universal J, which was founded in 2002, was split into two labels, UJ and

Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

. Imprints from Universal J including Johnny's Universe and Top J Records were transferred to UJ. The company also announced Augusta Records would become an imprint of Universal Sigma. In April 2023, Fujikura was listed on the ''Billboard'' International Power Players list for a third year in a row. In July 2023, Universal Japan announced a new imprint label under EMI, Holo-n, in partnership with Japanese virtual YouTuber agency

Hololive Production (; stylized in lowercase) is a virtual YouTuber agency owned by Japanese tech entertainment company Cover Corporation. In addition to acting as a multi-channel network, Hololive Production also handles licensing, merchandising, music product ...

. In January 2024, Universal Japan announced personnel changes for Virgin Music and Office Augusta. In May, Fujikura was listed on the ''Billboard'' International Power Players list for a fourth consecutive year. Including his initial listing in 2019, Fujikura became the first Japanese CEO to appear on the Power Players list five times total. In February 2025, Universal Japan acquired

A-Sketch is a Japanese entertainment company that provides artist management services. The artists include idols, musicians, and more. Amuse produces TV and radio programs, commercial films, and movies. Other interests are in publication, music softwa ...

from

Amuse Inc. is a Japanese entertainment company that provides artist management services. The artists include idols, musicians, and more. Amuse produces TV and radio programs, commercial films, and movies. Other interests are in publication, music softwa ...

for an undisclosed amount.

Labels

Current labels

** Perfume Records ** Asse!! Records ** Utahime Records * UJ ** Over the Top ** TJ Project ** Project K&P * Universal Sigma ** Hehn Records ** DCT Records ** Yoshimoto Universal Tunes ** U Cube * Lighthouse Music *

Universal D Universal D is a record label division under the Universal Music Group in Japan. Artists and projects * Ahn Jae-wook * Aira Mitsuki * Allen Kim *alpaca * Ayumi Shibata * Bananaman *BIRTH *Brand new vibe * Boys Republic *CNBLUE (distribution only) ...

** Holo-n **

Eastworld is a Japanese record label owned by Universal Music Japan. It was originally founded in 1978 under Toshiba-EMI. In 2012, Eastworld's parent company, EMI Music Japan, was acquired by Universal Music Japan following the acquisition of EMI by Un ...

** Go Good Records ** Mercury Tokyo * Universal Gear *

Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The l ...

** Kinashi Records **

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

* USM Japan **

Universal International Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American film production and distribution company headquartered at the Universal Studios complex in Universal City, ...

** UM & Brands * Augusta Records ** AU(G)TUNES ** Augment Records ** Newborder Recordings * Universal Classics and Jazz * Be-U *

** Astro Voice ** DMM Music

Former labels

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...

* EMI R * Nayutawave Records *

* Universal Victor * Nippon Phonogram * Mercury Music Entertainment *

Kitty Records Kitty Films Co., Ltd. (キティフィルム ''Kabushiki-gaisha Kiti Firumu'') was a production company established in 1972 in Japan. They were a pioneer in releasing full anime television series in a single set. The sound recording work by Ken' ...

* Zero-A * Far Eastern Tribe Records * Universal-W * Universal J * Zen Music *

A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...

* Universal Music IST

Notes

References

External links

* *
Universal Music Japan History page
{{Coord, 35, 40, 14.8692, N, 139, 42, 24.33894, E, display=title Universal Music Group Record label distributors 1990 establishments in Japan