Up-Front Group

Up-Front Group Co., Ltd.(株式会社アップフロントグループ, Kabushiki gaisha Appu-Furonto Gurūpu) 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.

Up-Front Works

Subsidiaries

Zetima

Zetima(ゼティマ) was originally founded in May 1993 as One Up Music(ワン・アップ・ミュージック, Wan Appu Myūjikku), 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.[citation needed]

Artists

• Shoko Aida
• Beyooooonds
• Camellia Factory
• Hello! Project shuffle units
• Akira Inaba
• Jōjō Gundan
• Kan
• Aya Matsuura
• Chisato Moritaka
• Morning Musume
• Takui Nakajima
• Yuko Nakazawa
• Ocha Norma
• Pink Cres.
• Rosy Chronicle
• Airi Suzuki
• Dukuma Girls (coming soon)

Former artists

• Buono!
• Cute
• Country Girls
• Magnolia Factory
• Dream Morning Musume
• Lovendor
• Ongaku Gatas
• Sharam Q

Hachama

Hachama(ハチャマ) has a distribution deal with Pony Canyon.

Artists

• Angerme
• Juice=Juice
• Akari Uemura

Former artists

• Alma Kaminiito
• Eric Fukusaki
• Gatas Brilhantes H.P.
• Yuubi Matsui
• Peaberry

Piccolo Town

Piccolo Town(ピッコロタウン, Pikkoro Taun) had a distribution deal with King Records from April 2001 to August 2013, when it switched to Pony Canyon in September 2013.

Artists

• Bitter & Sweet

Former artists

• Aa!
• Berryz Kobo
• Ciao Bella Cinquetti
• Gomattō
• Maki Goto
• Sayaka Ichii
• Yui Okada
• v-u-den
• ZYX

Rice Music

Rice Music(ライス・ミュージック, Raisu Myūjikku) was originally founded in March 1995 as Y.J. Sounds(Y.J.サウンズ, Wai Jei Saunzu). After being absorbed into Zetima in 1998, the label was resurrected in September 2004 to focus on Kayōkyoku and enka. Like Piccolo Town, Rice Music had a distribution deal with King Records from September 2004 to August 2013, when it switched to Pony Canyon 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

Up-Front Works(アップフロントワークス, Appu Furonto Wākusu) 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. The label previously had distribution deals with Pony Canyon, Daiki Sound, and Universal Music Japan before 2019.

Artists

• Natsumi Abe
• Akira Inaba
• You Kikkawa
• Hello! Project
• Kamiishinaka Kana
• Sayumi Michishige
• Karin Miyamoto
• Chisato Moritaka
• Saki Nakajima
• Asahi Tasaki
• Temiyamn
• Maimi Yajima

Up-Front Indies

Up-Front Indies(アップフロントインディーズ, Appu Furonto Indīzu) is Up-Front Group's indie in-house label founded in May 2019.

Artists

• Hello Pro Kenshusei

Chichūkai Label

Chichūkai Label(地中海 Label, The Mediterranean Sea Label) was founded in 2003, with music inspired by those of the countries by the Mediterranean Sea, most prominently France, Italy and Greece, or even cover versions 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
• Kaori Iida
• Akira Inaba
• Noriko Katō
• Yasuko Naito
• Ruca
• Hidemi Sasaki

Former artists

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

External links