, operating as Rising Production, is a Japanese talent agency. It largely works with musical talent, but has branched out in recent years to include actors and

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

s. The company came into prominence after the widespread successes of musical acts Namie Amuro,

MAX Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

, Speed and Da Pump in the mid to late 1990s.

History

Rising Production was founded by in Minato, Tokyo in July 1985, with Japanese idol Yōko Oginome being the agency's first talent. Oginome's success led to Taira becoming a producer under the pseudonym . In the fall of 1986, 12-year-old Kaori Sakagami signed with Rising Production after being invited to an Oginome concert in Nagasaki Prefecture. In 1991, the agency signed up-and-coming talent Alisa Mizuki. In 1992, Rising Production formed a partnership with the

Okinawa Actors School is a school in Ginowan, Okinawa which has another branch in Osaka. It was founded in 1983 by Masayuki Makino who became the first principal of the school. Notable alumni * Namie Amuro * Hitoe Arakaki * Rina Chinen * D&D * Da Pump * Folder 5 ...

, which debuted the music group Super Monkey's that year. Super Monkey's would later evolve into two separate acts: Namie Amuro and

. Speed, Da Pump,

Rina Chinen (born 9 February 1981) is a Japanese entertainer, former singer, and musical theater actress. She is affiliated with Rising Production. History Rina Chinen took lessons as a child from the Okinawa Actors School. By the time she reached junior h ...

, Daichi Miura, and Folder 5 were also products of the partnership. In 2001, Taira was arrested for tax evasion. During this time, Rising Production changed its name to on September 1. A year later during Taira's trial, the company renamed itself to . Taira served a 30-month prison sentence before returning to the company. In 2003, the agency ended its partnership with the Okinawa Actors School. In the fall of 2006, Vision Factory opened the website Vision Cast and the record label Rising Records. On December 11, 2014, the agency announced it would revert to its original name Rising Production. Rising Production has hosted several charity events to help victims of disasters such as the Great East Japan earthquake in 2011, Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, and the

2016 Kumamoto earthquakes The were a series of earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.0 mainshock which struck at 01:25 JST on April 16, 2016 (16:25 UTC on April 15) beneath Kumamoto City of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu Region, Japan, at a depth of ...

Representative list of notable present and past clients

Music

Solo

Akina Akina may refer to: * Akina, a character in the 3D-CG Hong Kong donghua TV series ''Zentrix'' * Mount Akina, name for Mount Haruna in the ''Initial D'' series of manga and anime * Akina, New Zealand, suburb of Hastings City, in the Hawke's Bay Regi ...

* Namie Amuro * Asuka *

* Yumiko Fukuhara * Kenichi Fujikawa * Amika Hattan * Asuka Hinoi * Hitoe * Eriko Imai * Issa * Ryoko Kuninaka * Daichi Miura * Alisa Mizuki * Nobutoshi Nakamura *

Mariya Nishiuchi is a Japanese model, actress, and singer-songwriter who is affiliated with Rising Production. She is the younger sister of model, actress, and BeForU member Hiromi Nishiuchi. Filmography TV series Films Discography Singles Magazines * ' ...

* Yōko Oginome * Olivia * Kaori Sakagami *

Hiroko Shimabukuro , best known mononymously as Hiro, is a Japanese singer. She debuted as a member of the popular girl group Speed in 1996. In 1998, Hiro released her first solo song, "Mitsumete Itai", as a B-side to Speed's single "All My True Love". She made he ...

Keita Tachibana , also known monomously as Keita (stylized KEITA), is a Japanese singer and actor. Since 2000, he rose to fame as the lead vocalist from the boy band W-inds. During that time, he launched a solo career, and in 2012, has revitalized it again und ...

* Airi Taira * Nana Tanimura * Takako Uehara

Bands and groups

* Ai-Sachi * AN-J * Asian2 * Aya & Chika from D&D * D-Loop * D&D * Da Pump * Earth *

Fairies A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, o ...

* Flame * Folder * Folder 5 * Fuwafuwa * Hinoi Team * Hipp's * Lead *

* Nakanomori Band * Ota Crew * Rockamenco * Speed * Tourbillon *

Vanilla Mood is a Japanese musical ensemble associated with Rising Production , operating as Rising Production, is a Japanese talent agency. It largely works with musical talent, but has branched out in recent years to include actors and comedians. The com ...

* W-inds * Zero

Others

* Nao Asahi (Former Idoling!!!) * Manami Higa (actress) * Yukari Taki (actress)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Talent and literary agencies Entertainment companies established in 1985 Japanese talent agencies Privately held companies of Japan