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 is a Japanese singer, actress and model. She is a former sixth-generation member and former leader of the J-pop group Morning Musume. Following the departure of fifth-generation member Risa Niigaki on October 12, 2013, Michishige held the longe ...

* Chinami Tokunaga *

Risako Sugaya is a former Japanese singer and actress. She first gained recognition when she joined Hello! Project Kids and later became one of the lead vocalists of the girl group Berryz Kobo from 2004 to 2015. Career 2002–2004: Hello! Project Kids, ...

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 (born June 21, 1994, in Saitama, Japan) is a former Japanese pop singer, actress, model, and television personality. She first gained recognition when she joined Hello! Project Kids and later became one of the main vocalists of the Japane ...

* 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 , known professionally as , is a Japanese singer, record producer, and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Sharam Q. As a songwriter, Tsunku is the primary producer for Morning Musume and other Hello! Project acts, such as Co ...

You Kikkawa is a Japanese singer and actress. Kikkawa achieved early fame portraying Kobeni Hanasaki from ''Kirarin Revolution, Kirarin Revolution Stage 3'' and later debuted as a solo singer with the song, "Kikkake wa You!" Career 2006–2010: Pre-debut, ...

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 *

* 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.

* Takui Nakajima *

* Ocha Norma * Pink Cres. * Rosy Chronicle *

;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

in September 2013. ;Artists * Bitter & Sweet ;Former artists * Aa! *

Berryz Kobo was a Japanese idol girl group formed by Up-Front Promotion in 2004 and associated with Hello! Project. The group's members consisted of Hello! Project Kids members Saki Shimizu, Momoko Tsugunaga, Miyabi Natsuyaki, Chinami Tokunaga, Maa ...

* 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 (born December 28, 1987, in Yao, Osaka, Japan) is a gravure model, model and race queen, former member of Japanese idol pop group v-u-den that was associated with Hello! Project. She remained within the group until its disbandment in 2008, aft ...

v-u-den was a Japanese idol girl group associated with Hello! Project. The group was formed in August 2004 and consists of members Rika Ishikawa (Morning Musume), Erika Miyoshi, and Yui Okada, with Ishikawa being the leader. The group officially disb ...

* 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

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

, Daiki Sound, and Universal Music Japan before 2019. ;Artists *

* Akira Inaba *

* Kamiishinaka Kana *

* 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 (formerly known as until January 2012) is a pre-debut training group established by Japanese entertainment agency Up-Front Group within Hello! Project is a Japanese musical collective consisting of all female recording artists and gro ...

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 *

* Kaori Iida * Akira Inaba * Noriko Katō * Yasuko Naito * Ruca * Hidemi Sasaki

Former artists

Affiliated with Up-Front Promotion

* Michiyo Heike (1997-2001) *

** Asuka Fukuda (1997-1999) ** Aya Ishiguro (1997-2000) ** Sayaka Ichii (1998-2000) **

(1997-2009) **

(1999-2007) ** Kei Yasuda (1998-2003) **

(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 is a Japanese actress, model, television personality, and singer. In 2005, she became the only seventh generation member of the Japanese idol girl group Morning Musume, a part of Hello! Project. While Kusumi was in Morning Musume, she provided t ...

(2005-2009) **

Eri Kamei is a Japanese pop singer and model. She is a former member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined in late 2003 as a sixth generation member along with Miki Fujimoto, Sayumi Michishige, and Reina Tanaka. She graduated on Decemb ...

(2003-2010) ** Jun Jun (2007-2010) ** Lin Lin (2007-2010) ** Ai Takahashi (2001-2011) **

Risa Niigaki is a Japanese actress and singer. She was a fifth-generation member of the Japanese pop group Morning Musume. She joined Morning Musume in 2001 along with 3 others- Ai Takahashi, Asami Konno and Makoto Ogawa. She grew up in Yokohama after mo ...

(2001-2012) ** Reina Tanaka (2003-2013) **

(2003-2014) ** Kanon Suzuki (2011-2016) ** Haruka Kudo (2011-2017) **

Aika Mitsui is a Japanese singer. She is a member of Hello! Project and a former member of the J-pop group Morning Musume, joining as a member of the eighth generation from the audition in Japan during December 2006. Mitsui's audition process was documente ...

(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) *

(2000-2017) * Sheki-Dol (2000-2002) * W (2004-2006) **

(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 was a Japanese idol girl group associated with Hello! Project. The group was formed in August 2004 and consists of members Rika Ishikawa (Morning Musume), Erika Miyoshi, and Yui Okada, with Ishikawa being the leader. The group officially disb ...

(2004-2008) **

(2004-2010) * Hello! Project Kids (2002-2005) *

(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) *

(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 was a Japanese girl group and sub-group of Morning Musume. The group was made up of five past and then-present members of Morning Musume and created to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Members * 1st generation: Kaori Iida, Natsumi Abe * 3rd ...

(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 , (born on November 29, 1993, in Saitama Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese voice actress, actress and former singer. Biography In 2004, Sayaka Kitahara became a member of Hello Pro Egg, under Hello! Project. In 2008, she became a part of the u ...

(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) *

(2000-2009) * Asami Konno (2001-2011) * Makoto Ogawa (2001-2009) * Saki Shimizu (2002-2017) * Maasa Sudou (2002-2015) *

Yurina Kumai is a Japanese model and former singer. Kumai began her career as a member of Hello! Project Kids in 2002. In 2004, she debuted as a member of Berryz Kobo, a girl group associated with the musical collective Hello! Project. During her time with ...

(2002-2015) *

(2005-2016) * Up Up Girls Kakko Kari ** Minami Sengoku (2004-2017) *

(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! , often shortened to NGP, was a Japanese idol musical collective formed by Tanabe Agency, Space Craft Group, Up-Front Group, and TNX. The project was created by Tsunku and launched on October 15, 2007. Nice Girl Project! began its full-time activ ...

. Best known for assisting in Nintendo's Rhythm Heaven series after being discovered by

. * 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