HISTORY

1910

• Established as Nippon Phonograph Co., the predecessor of Columbia Music Entertainment, Inc. (Then president : Fredrick W. Horn)
• Released single-sided records on labels such as Symphony, Royal, American, Universal and Globe.
• Introduced 4 models of Nipponophone, the first Japanese-made gramophone to the market.

1914

• Sumako Matsui's "Song of Katyusha" became a country-wide hit.
• Double-sided records start to become the norm.

1927

• Released first domestically pressed Columbia black vinyl records featuring western music.
• Marketed the Eagle gramophone.

1931

• Adopted the Columbia brand name from US Columbia and standardized record logo to the current musical note.
• Raised the neon sign of the Columbia logo, which is the largest neon sign in Asia, on the roof of the Kawasaki factory.

1939

• Announced a domestically produced TV set and demonstrated it in Takashimaya department store.
• Released "Marching song for beloved horse" and "Starting from a cup of coffee" by Noboru Kirishima and Misao Matsubara.

1946

• Changed the company name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.
• "The Apple Song" by Michiko Namiki became a big hit.

1950

• Held the 1st Ei>Columbia Zenkoku Kayo KonkuruE(Columbia National Song Contest) in celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary.

1951

• Released the first long playing (LP) record in Japan.
• Started the music entertainment program Ei>Columbia AwaE(Columbia Hour) at the same time as the launch of private TV broadcasting.

1960

• Held the Ei>Columbia Dai Geino-saiE(Columbia Big Entertainment Festival) at the Kabukiza in celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary

1962

• Launched Elepian, an electric piano.

1963

• Acquired Nihon Electric Sound Co.
• Developed the DL-103 cartridge in conjunction with NHK.

1965

• Completed construction of new Head Office Building in Akasaka. (Opening of the Akasaka Studio.)

1969

• Established a business alliance with Hitachi, Ltd.

1971

• Began sales of DENON products, including DP players and PMA amps.

1982

• Released world's first CDs and CD players.
• Commenced full-scale video cassette sales.

1986

• The CD player "DCD-1500" gained an excellent reputation both in Japan and overseas, including receiving the highest evaluation in the USA and Germany.
• Recorded a cumulated total production of 100 million music cassettes.
• Awarded the Japan Audio Society Prize for our promotion of digital recording.

1989

• Hibari Misora, a renowned artist under exclusive contract passed away. Demand for her work, including "The Complete Works of Hibari Misoraquot", grew significantly.

1990

• Completed the central research center in the Kawasaki pressing factory compound.
• Celebrated the company's 80th anniversary.

1995

• Established a multimedia studio in Yoyogi, Tokyo.

2001

• Transferred the AV/media device section to a separate company, DENON, Ltd.

2002

• Changed the company name to Columbia Music Entertainment, Inc.
• Spun off the main production operation of the Kawasaki pressing factory into a separate company, Columbia Digital Media, Inc.

2005

• Closed Columbia Akasaka Studio.
• Moved the Head Office from Akasaka to Roppongi.
• Established Columbia Artist Management company.

2007

• Acquired all shares of TDK Core, Ltd.

2008

• Changed company name of TDK Core, Ltd. to Creative Core, Ltd.

2009

• Moved Head Office from Roppongi to Toranomon.

2010

• Consolidated Creative Core’s music, audio-visual, and game divisions into Nippon Columbia.
• Became a part of the Faith Group.
• Celebrated the company’s 100th anniversary Changed the company name back from Columbia Music Entertainment Co., Ltd to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd
• Held a convention in commemoration of the company’s 100th anniversary.

2011

• Established Future Records KK as a joint venture company with Faith Inc.

2012

• Established Columbia Marketing Co., Ltd.

2013

• Acquired 100% shareholdings in Omagatoki Co., Ltd. and Sirius Co., Ltd.

2017

• Became a Wholly-owned Subsidiary of Faith, Inc.