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 Hachama.
Artists
Up-Front Promotion
All groups under Up-Front Promotion are collectively known as
Hello! Project
is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups under Up-Front Promotion, a subsidiary of Up-Front Group. The name was initially used as Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume's fan club name in 1999, but ...
.
Groups
*
Morning Musume
, formerly and commonly known as and colloquially referred to as , is a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most to ...
*
Angerme
*
Juice=Juice
*
Camellia Factory
*
Beyooooonds
** Chica#Tetsu
** Rain Forest River Ocean
** SeasoningS
*
Ocha Norma
*
Rosy Chronicle
Soloists/Entertainers
*
Sayumi Michishige
*
Chinami Tokunaga
*
Risako Sugaya
Trainees
*
Hello Pro Kenshūsei
Up-Front Works
Groups
* Bitter & Sweet
* Brothers 5
*
Dream Morning Musume
*
Sharam Q
*
Up Up Girls Kakko Kari
Soloists/Entertainers
*
Ai Takahashi
*
Airi Suzuki
is a Japanese singer, actress, model, and radio personality associated with Up-Front Works. In 2002, she joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Project Kids and later debuted as the lead vocalist of the Japanese idol girl group Cute (Japan ...
* Akira Inaba
* Akira Kagawa
*
Chisato Moritaka
(born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.
*
Chisato Okai
*
Eric Fukusaki
*
Erina Mano
* Gen Takayama
* Hirofumi Bannba
* Jirou Sugita
* Junko Yanagisawa
*
Kan
*
Mai Satoda
*
Maimi Yajima
*
Mari Yaguchi
*
Miki Fujimoto
*
Miyabi Natsuyaki
*
Natsumi Abe
is a Japanese singer and actress, a former member of Morning Musume, and a member of Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
She was born in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan.
Career
On August 13, 2003, she released her first single, "22 Sai no Watash ...
*
Nozomi Tsuji
*
Reina Tanaka
*
Saki Nakajima
*
Shoko Aida
is a Japanese singer and actress. She was a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink, after which she became a solo artist.
Career
She debuted as a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink.
She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 199 ...
*
Takao Horiuchi
*
Tsunku
*
You Kikkawa
*
Yuko Nakazawa
is a Japanese pop and enka singer, and actress, best known as one of the original members of the all-female J-pop group Morning Musume. She is also a member of Japanese pop group Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
Yuko Nakazawa was born in Ky ...
Subsidiaries
Zetima
was originally founded in May 1993 as , a joint venture between the Up-Front Group and
Warner Music Japan. In April 1998, Up-Front merged One Up with Y.J. Sounds to form Zetima. At the same time, Up-Front ended its distribution deal with Warner Music Japan and switched to
Sony Music Entertainment 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 ...
.
;Artists
*
Shoko Aida
is a Japanese singer and actress. She was a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink, after which she became a solo artist.
Career
She debuted as a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink.
She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 199 ...
*
Beyooooonds
*
Camellia Factory
*
Hello! Project shuffle units
was a Japanese idol project group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2000 and associated with Hello! Project. Beginning in 2000, the Shuffle Unit project was a yearly collaboration among existing Hello! Project acts, where members were recombined ...
* Akira Inaba
* Jōjō Gundan
*
Kan
*
Aya Matsuura
is a former Japanese pop singer and actress, from Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Career
2000–2009: Hello! Project
Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become ...
*
Chisato Moritaka
(born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.
*
Morning Musume
, formerly and commonly known as and colloquially referred to as , is a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most to ...
* Takui Nakajima
*
Yuko Nakazawa
is a Japanese pop and enka singer, and actress, best known as one of the original members of the all-female J-pop group Morning Musume. She is also a member of Japanese pop group Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
Yuko Nakazawa was born in Ky ...
*
Ocha Norma
*
Pink Cres.
*
Rosy Chronicle
*
Airi Suzuki
is a Japanese singer, actress, model, and radio personality associated with Up-Front Works. In 2002, she joined Hello! Project as a member of Hello! Project Kids and later debuted as the lead vocalist of the Japanese idol girl group Cute (Japan ...
;Former artists
*
Buono!
*
Cute
*
Country Girls
*
Magnolia Factory
was a Japanese girl Japanese idol, idol group, formed by Up Front Group under the umbrella of Hello! Project in January 2015. The group was initially composed of eight girls who were members of Hello Pro Kenshusei. Their sister group was Camelli ...
*
Dream Morning Musume
*
Lovendor
*
Ongaku Gatas
*
Sharam Q
Hachama
has a distribution deal with
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
.
;Artists
*
Angerme
*
Juice=Juice
*
Akari Uemura
;Former artists
*
Alma Kaminiito
*
Eric Fukusaki
*
Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
* Yuubi Matsui
*
Peaberry
Piccolo Town
had a distribution deal with
King Records from April 2001 to August 2013, when it switched to
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
in September 2013.
;Artists
* Bitter & Sweet
;Former artists
*
Aa!
*
Berryz Kobo
*
Ciao Bella Cinquetti
*
Gomattō
*
Maki Goto
is a Japanese singer, lyricist, and former actress. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, Goto began her musical career in 1999 when she joined Morning Musume as the only third generation member. Her first single with the group, "Love Machine (Mo ...
*
Sayaka Ichii
*
Yui Okada
*
v-u-den
*
ZYX
Rice Music
was originally founded in March 1995 as . After being absorbed into Zetima in 1998, the label was resurrected in September 2004 to focus on
Kayōkyoku
is a Japanese pop music genre, which became a base of modern J-pop. ''The Japan Times'' described ''kayōkyoku'' as "standard Japanese pop" or "Shōwa period, Shōwa-era pop".
''Kayōkyoku'' represents a blend of Western and Japanese musical s ...
and
enka
is a Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern ''enka'', however, is a relatively recent musical form which adopts a more traditional musical style in its vocalism than ''ryūkōka'' music, pop ...
. Like Piccolo Town, Rice Music had a distribution deal with
King Records from September 2004 to August 2013, when it switched to
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
in September 2013.
;Artists
* Hirofumi Banba
*
Takao Horiuchi
* Akira Kagawa
* Jirō Sugita
* Gen Takayama
* Masayuki Yuhara
;Former artists
* Akira Fuse
*
Sanae Jōnouchi
* Yuki Maeda
* Nori Yamaguchi
Up-Front Works
is Up-Front Group's in-house label that specializes in limited edition releases that are sold either online or exclusively at music chains such as
Tower Records
Tower Records is an international retail franchising, franchise and online music store that was formerly based in Sacramento, California, United States. From 1960 until 2006, Tower operated retail stores in the United States, which closed when ...
. The label previously had distribution deals with
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which distributes music, films, home video, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyo ...
, Daiki Sound, and
Universal Music Japan before 2019.
;Artists
*
Natsumi Abe
is a Japanese singer and actress, a former member of Morning Musume, and a member of Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
She was born in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan.
Career
On August 13, 2003, she released her first single, "22 Sai no Watash ...
* Akira Inaba
*
You Kikkawa
*
Hello! Project
is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and groups under Up-Front Promotion, a subsidiary of Up-Front Group. The name was initially used as Michiyo Heike and Morning Musume's fan club name in 1999, but ...
* Kamiishinaka Kana
*
Sayumi Michishige
*
Karin Miyamoto
*
Chisato Moritaka
(born 11 April 1969) is a Japanese pop singer who also is notable as a songwriter. She is affiliated with Up-Front Create, a subsidiary of the Up-Front Group.
*
Saki Nakajima
* Asahi Tasaki
* Temiyamn
*
Maimi Yajima
Up-Front Indies
is Up-Front Group's indie in-house label founded in May 2019.
;Artists
*
Hello Pro Kenshusei
Chichūkai Label
was founded in 2003, with music inspired by those of the countries by the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
, most prominently
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
and
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
, or even
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...
s of songs from those countries. The label was handled by
Epic Records Japan until December 2009, when Up-Front consolidated it with Zetima.
;Former artists
*
Shoko Aida
is a Japanese singer and actress. She was a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink, after which she became a solo artist.
Career
She debuted as a member of the J-pop duo Wink (duo), Wink.
She began working as a solo artist on 1 April 199 ...
*
Kaori Iida
* Akira Inaba
*
Noriko Katō
* Yasuko Naito
* Ruca
* Hidemi Sasaki
Former artists
Affiliated with Up-Front Promotion
*
Michiyo Heike (1997-2001)
*
Morning Musume
, formerly and commonly known as and colloquially referred to as , is a Japanese girl group, holding the second highest overall single sales (of a female group) on the Oricon, Oricon charts as of February 2012, with the Oricon record of most to ...
**
Asuka Fukuda (1997-1999)
** Aya Ishiguro (1997-2000)
**
Sayaka Ichii (1998-2000)
**
Yuko Nakazawa
is a Japanese pop and enka singer, and actress, best known as one of the original members of the all-female J-pop group Morning Musume. She is also a member of Japanese pop group Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
Yuko Nakazawa was born in Ky ...
(1997-2009)
**
Maki Goto
is a Japanese singer, lyricist, and former actress. Born and raised in Edogawa, Tokyo, Goto began her musical career in 1999 when she joined Morning Musume as the only third generation member. Her first single with the group, "Love Machine (Mo ...
(1999-2007)
**
Kei Yasuda (1998-2003)
**
Natsumi Abe
is a Japanese singer and actress, a former member of Morning Musume, and a member of Dream Morning Musume.
Biography
She was born in Muroran, Hokkaidō, Japan.
Career
On August 13, 2003, she released her first single, "22 Sai no Watash ...
(1997-2004)
**
Nozomi Tsuji (2000-2004)
**
Ai Kago
is a Japanese actress and singer. In 2000, Kago debuted as a 4th generation member of the idol girl group Morning Musume. During her time in the group, she was also part of Mini-Moni and other Hello! Project sub-groups. In 2004, Kago depart ...
(2000-2004)
**
Kaori Iida (1997-2005)
**
Mari Yaguchi (1998-2005)
**
Rika Ishikawa
, is a Japanese actress and model associated with Hello! Project and best known as a former member of the pop group Morning Musume. She was the leader of the Japanese pop idol trio V-u-den until June 2008. She has performed as a solo singer, a ...
(2000-2005)
**
Asami Konno (2001-2006)
**
Makoto Ogawa (2001-2006)
**
Hitomi Yoshizawa (2000-2007)
**
Miki Fujimoto (2003-2007)
**
Koharu Kusumi (2005-2009)
**
Eri Kamei (2003-2010)
**
Jun Jun (2007-2010)
**
Lin Lin (2007-2010)
**
Ai Takahashi (2001-2011)
**
Risa Niigaki (2001-2012)
**
Reina Tanaka (2003-2013)
**
Sayumi Michishige (2003-2014)
**
Kanon Suzuki (2011-2016)
**
Haruka Kudo (2011-2017)
**
Aika Mitsui (2007-2018)
**
Riho Sayashi (2011-2018)
**
Haruna Ogata (2014-2018)
**
Haruna Iikubo (2011-2018)
**
Masaki Sato (2011-2021)
**
Chisaki Morito (2017-2022)
** Kaede Kaga (2016-2022)
**
Mizuki Fukumura (2011-2023)
**
Ayumi Ishida (2011-2024)
**
Erina Ikuta (2011-2025)
*
Chinatsu Miyoshi (1999-2000)
*
T&C Bomber (1999-2000)
**
Atsuko Inaba (1999-2009)
*
Melon Kinenbi
are an all-girl Japanese Pop music, pop group within Hello! Project. They were formed after they successfully passed the 2nd Morning Musume & Michiyo Heike Imotobun Audition. Melon Kinenbi is the oldest group in the history of Hello! Project not ...
(1999-2010)
*
Aya Matsuura
is a former Japanese pop singer and actress, from Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Career
2000–2009: Hello! Project
Aya auditioned in 2000 for the fourth Morning Musume & Heike Michiyo Protegee Audition and was selected along with Sheki-Dol to become ...
(2000-2017)
* Sheki-Dol (2000-2002)
*
W (2004-2006)
**
Ai Kago
is a Japanese actress and singer. In 2000, Kago debuted as a 4th generation member of the idol girl group Morning Musume. During her time in the group, she was also part of Mini-Moni and other Hello! Project sub-groups. In 2004, Kago depart ...
(2000-2007)
*
Coconuts Musume (1998-2008)
** Chelsea Ching (1998-2000)
** April Barbaran (1998-2000)
** Danielle DeLaunay (1998-2001)
**
Lehua Sandbo (2000-2002)
**
Mika Todd (1998-2004)
**
Ayaka Kimura (1998-2008)
*
Country Musume (1999-2000)
**
Hiromi Yanagihara (1999)
** Azusa Kobayashi (1999-2002)
** Rinne Toda (1999-2002)
**
Asami Kimura (2000-2007)
**
Miuna Saito (2003-2007)
* Rika Ishii (2001-2002)
* SINA (2008-2011)
** Manami Iwashima (2005-2011)
** Asami Abe (2005-2011)
** Ai Suma (2005-2011)
**
Nana Nakayama (2005-2009)
* Shim Min (2003-2006)
*
V-u-den (2004-2008)
**
Yui Okada (2004-2010)
*
Hello! Project Kids (2002-2005)
*
Berryz Kobo (2004-2014)
** Maiha Ishimura (2002-2005)
**
Momoko Tsugunaga (2002-2017)
*
Cute (2005-2017)
**
Megumi Murakami
is a Japanese choreographer and former singer and actress. She first gained recognition when she joined Hello! Project Kids and later became the lead vocalist of the girl group Cute until her retirement in 2006.
Career 2002–2005: Hello ...
(2002-2006)
**
Kanna Arihara (2004-2009)
**
Erika Umeda (2002-2009)
**
Mai Hagiwara (2002-2017)
* Miki Korenaga (2004-2010)
*
Angerme
**
Saki Ogawa (2009-2011)
**
Yuuka Maeda (2009-2011)
** Fuyuka Kosuga (2011)
**
Kanon Fukuda (2009-2019)
**
Meimi Tamura (2011–2016)
** Maho Aikawa (2014–2017)
**
Ayaka Wada (2009–2019)
** Rina Katsuta (2011–2019)
** Kana Nakanishi (2011–2019)
** Mizuki Murota (2014-2020)
**
Musubu Funaki (2017-2020)
**
Momona Kasahara (2016-2021)
** Haruka Oota (2018-2022)
**
Akari Takeuchi (2011-2023)
** Rikako Sasaki (2014-2024)
** Ayano Kawamura (2017-2024)
**
Moe Kamikokuryo (2015-2025)
*
Juice=Juice
** Aina Otsuka (2013)
**
Nanami Yanagawa (2017-2019)
**
Yuka Miyazaki (2013-2019)
**
Karin Miyamoto (2013-2020)
**
Sayuki Takagi (2013-2021)
**
Tomoko Kanazawa (2013-2021)
** Manaka Inaba (2018-2022)
**
Akari Uemura (2013-2024)
*
Country Girls (2014-2019)
** Uta Shimamura (2014-2015)
** Manaka Inaba (2014-2016)
**
Momoko Tsugunaga (2014-2017)
**
Nanami Yanagawa (2015-2019)
** Risa Yamaki (2014-2019)
** Mai Ozeki (2014-2019)
**
Musubu Funaki (2015-2019)
**
Chisaki Morito (2014-2019)
*
Magnolia Factory
was a Japanese girl Japanese idol, idol group, formed by Up Front Group under the umbrella of Hello! Project in January 2015. The group was initially composed of eight girls who were members of Hello Pro Kenshusei. Their sister group was Camelli ...
(2015-2020)
** Rio Fujii (2015-2017)
** Rena Ogawa (2015-2017)
** Natsumi Taguchi (2015-2017)
** Ayaka Hirose (2015-2020)
** Minami Nomura (2015-2020)
** Ayano Hamaura (2015-2020)
** Sakurako Wada (2015-2020)
*
Camellia Factory
** Risa Ogata (2015-2020)
** Kiki Asakura (2015-2023)
** Riko Yamagishi (2015-2023)
** Yumeno Kishimoto (2015-2023)
** Kisora Niinuma (2015-2024)
** Shiori Yagi (2021-2025)
*
Beyooooonds
** Reina Ichioka (2018-2024)
** Yuhane Yamazaki (2018-2024)
** Rika Shimakura (2018-2025)
*
Ocha Norma
** Sumire Tashiro (2021-2025)
** Kanami Ishiguri (2021-2025)
Sub-units
*
Petitmoni (1999-2013)
*
Tanpopo (1999-2011)
*
Minimoni (2000-2004)
*
Morning Musume Sakuragumi (2003-2004)
*
Morning Musume Otomegumi (2003-2004)
*
Morning Musume Tanjō 10nen Kinentai (2007)
*
Buono! (2007-2017)
Project groups
*
Gomattou (2002)
*
Romans (2003)
* Tomoiki Ki wo Uetai (2005-2013)
** Rie Kaneko (2009-2013)
** Asuna Okai (2009-2010)
** Mia Sainen (2009-2010)
** Kaori Sano (2009-2010)
*
Ongaku Gatas (2007-2010)
**
Arisa Noto (2004-2009)
** Yuri Sawada (2004-2009)
*
Nochiura Natsumi
was a one-off Hello! Project unit formed in 2004. The members were Maki Goto, Aya Matsuura and Natsumi Abe.
The group was composed of soloists, similar to Gomattou, and released their only single, , on October 6, 2004. It reached 4th place on ...
(2004-2005)
*
Ecomoni (2004-2007)
*
Aa! (2003-2009)
*
ZYX (2003-2009)
*
Def.Diva
Def.Diva (often stylized as DEF.DIVA) was a "special group" formed in 2005 from the Hello! Project idol umbrella, and consisted of Aya Matsuura, Maki Goto, Natsumi Abe and Rika Ishikawa. The band's name is an abbreviation of the phrase "Definite ...
(2005-2007)
*
GAM (2006-2009)
*
Athena & Robikerottsu (2007-2008)
*
Kira Pika (2007)
*
MilkyWay (2008-2009)
**
Sayaka Kitahara (2004-2011)
*
High-King
was a Japanese people, Japanese girl group associated with Hello! Project. The group was created to promote Morning Musume's production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (Rodgers and Hammerstein musical), ''Cinderella'', titled . Their so ...
(2008-2015)
*
Shugo Chara Egg! (2008-2010)
**
Irori Maeda (2008-2010)
*
Guardians 4 (2009-2010)
*
Lilpri (2010-2011)
Shuffle units
*
Kiiro 5 (2000)
*
Aoiro 7 (2000)
*
Akagumi 4 (2000)
*
3-nin Matsuri (2001)
*
7-nin Matsuri (2001)
*
10-nin Matsuri (2001)
*
Happy 7 (2002)
*
Sexy 8 (2002)
*
Odoru 11 (2002)
*
Salt5 (2003)
*
7Air (2003)
*
11Water (2003)
*
H.P. All Stars (2004)
*
Elegies (2005)
*
Sexy Otonajan (2005)
*
Puripuri Pink (2005)
*
Hello! Project Mobekimasu (2011-2013)
Affiliated with Up-Front Works
*
Hitomi Yoshizawa (2000-2009)
*
Rika Ishikawa
, is a Japanese actress and model associated with Hello! Project and best known as a former member of the pop group Morning Musume. She was the leader of the Japanese pop idol trio V-u-den until June 2008. She has performed as a solo singer, a ...
(2000-2009)
*
Asami Konno (2001-2011)
*
Makoto Ogawa (2001-2009)
*
Saki Shimizu (2002-2017)
*
Maasa Sudou (2002-2015)
*
Yurina Kumai (2002-2015)
*
Koharu Kusumi (2005-2016)
*
Up Up Girls Kakko Kari
** Minami Sengoku (2004-2017)
*
Aika Mitsui (2006-2018)
*
Ships
A ship is a large vessel that travels the world's oceans and other navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished from boats, ...
(2008-2009)
*
Alma Kaminiito (2012-2013)
** Munehiko Ohno (2012-2013)
* Team Makenki (2014-2018)
*
Ciao Bella Cinquetti (2008-2018)
Affiliated with TNX
Collectively known as
Nice Girl Project!. Best known for assisting in Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven series after being discovered by
Tsunku.
* Nice Girl Myu
* GTT Club
* MM Gakuen Gasshoubu
* Gyaruru
**
Ami Tokito
* Nice Girl Project! Kenshusei
*
Canary Club
* Tokky
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Mass media companies based in Tokyo
Holding companies established in 1983
Conglomerate companies based in Tokyo
Multinational companies headquartered in Japan
Holding companies based in Tokyo
Hello! Project
Labels distributed by CJ E&M Music and Live
Japanese talent agencies
Japanese record labels
Japanese companies established in 1983