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 c ...

, 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 of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes from history and folk ...

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 (d ...

. Soon after in 1981, Amuse inc created its movie production and distribution subsidiary Amuse Cinema City Inc. and produced '' Morning Moon Wa Sozatsu Ni'' (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 actress ...

) that same year, followed by '' Aiko 16 sai'' (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 corporation, 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 ...

, 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, int ...

. 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'', direct ...

. 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 ...

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 ' ...

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 gr ...

''. 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 share ...

, 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 instru ...

''.

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, Fukuy ...

* Flow *

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 Kamagay ...

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 ...

* Jun Yoshinaga *

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 * Yuka Itaya *

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 li ...

* Ruito Aoyagi *

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 ...

* Shuhei Nomura * Kento Kaku *

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 origin ...

* Shouma Kai * Yuta Koseki *

Takuya Mizoguchi is a Japanese actor. Mizoguchi is also a member of the 5-dimensional idol group DearDream from ''DreamFes!'' Biography *Mizoguchi made his acting debut in 2007. His appearance in the film '' Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born!'' published in the same ...

* Takuya Terada *

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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

* Mafumafu * 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 a ...

* Akane Sakanoue * Yuriko Yoshitaka *

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 lif ...

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 * Eri Fukatsu * Frederic * Anna Yamada *

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), Ghana chocolate brand. She also released her ...

* Alissa Yagi *

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, a ...

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 a ...

* 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, ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 is a Japanese actor and television personality associated with Amuse Inc. He is known for roles in '' Musical: The Prince of Tennis, Kyō Kara Ore Wa!!'', and ''Shônen/Call Boy'' (2018), the television adaptation of ''Pornographer'' (2018) ...

Erika Yamaguchi Erika may refer to: Arts and Entertainment * Megatokyo, Hayasaka Erika (''Megatokyo)'' * Erika (Friends), Erika (''Friends'') * Erika (Pokémon), Erika (''Pokémon'') * Erika (Underworld), Erika (''Underworld'') * Girls und Panzer, Erika Itsumi ...

* 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 foll ...

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 ...

* Takeru Satoh * Ryunosuke Kamiki * Kimito Totani * Seishuu Uragami * Shota Taguchi *

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 b ...

that now mainly consists of teenager talent. Talents who belonged to Amuse after their merger with Will Corporation include

and Yuriko Yoshitaka.

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