Pony Canyon

Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966, which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies, and video games. It is affiliated with the Japanese media group Fujisankei Communications Group. Pony Canyon is a major leader in the music industry in Japan, with its artists regularly at the top of the Japanese charts. Pony Canyon is also responsible for releasing taped concerts from its artists as well as many anime productions and several film productions.
Pony Canyon is headquartered in Tokyo with offices in Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea. It employs approximately 360 people. Pony Canyon also owns the recording label Flight Master.
History
On October 1, 1966, Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc. opened a new record label division, called as Nippon Broadcasting System Service, Inc., in order to produce and market music from Japanese artists. The division formally changed its name in 1970 to Pony Inc. in order to match the brand names it had been using previously. These were "PONYPak" for 8-track cassettes from 1967, and "PONY" for cassettes from 1968.
On August 1, 1970, another Japanese record label, Canyon Records Inc. was founded. Like Pony Inc., Canyon Records was part of the Fujisankei Communications Group. Canyon Records was financially backed at 60% by Pony Inc. and at 40% by Pony's parent company Nippon Broadcasting System.
In 1982, Pony ventured into interactive content by producing personal computer game software under the name "Ponyca". In 1984, the company entered license agreements with major overseas companies, MGM/UA Home Video, Vestron Video International, Walt Disney Home Video and BBC Video (the company also entered license agreements with major overseas companies, RCA/Columbia Pictures International Video in 1986), and in 1985, they established offices in New York and London. In 1986, Pony signed licensing agreements with A&M Records and in 1989 with Virgin Records to handle both companies' Japanese CD releases.
On October 21, 1987, Pony Inc. and Canyon Records merged their operations to form Pony Canyon Inc.
In 1990, Pony Canyon branched out, and opened five subsidiaries outside Japan, one of them is a subsidiary in Singapore called Skin which was managed by Jimmy Wee and signed local English language performers such as Gwailo, Art Fazil, Chris Vadham, The Lizards' Convention, Humpback Oak and Radio Active. In addition to Singapore, Pony Canyon has also had a subsidiary in Taiwan, and a joint venture in Hong Kong and South Korea, named as Golden Pony and SAMPONY, respectively. Four of five subsidiaries were closed in 1997 due to Asian financial crisis, leaving the Malaysian subsidiary as the only subsidiary to remain in operation. However, the Hong Kong and Korean operations were reestablished as a wholly owned subsidiary, although the Korean operation had a 16% stake of local partner. In 2003, the Hong Kong and Taiwan branch of Pony Canyon, both affected by the financial crisis, were acquired by Forward Music. In 2018, Pony Canyon reestablished its branch in Taiwan.
As a video game producer, Pony Canyon brought the Ultima series from Origin Systems and the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons series from Strategic Simulations to Nintendo's Family Computer. Between 1986 and 1990, they produced remakes of the first four Ultima titles for the MSX2 and NES platforms. These remakes differed from the original versions, with rewritten game code and all-new graphics. Pony Canyon's video game library was generally released in North America by FCI. Pony Canyon has not released any video games since Virtual View: Nemoto Harumi for the PlayStation 2 in July 2003.
The company has occasionally been involved in film production. For example, they were a co-production company for the 1996 Indian erotic film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.
Following a merger with Nippon Broadcasting System, Fuji Television Network, Inc. became the major shareholder of Pony Canyon in 2006. The following year, Fuji Television made Pony Canyon its wholly owned subsidiary. Fuji Television was subsequently renamed Fuji Media Holdings in 2008. Despite associations with Fuji Television, not all of Pony Canyon's TV show and movie library has been broadcast on Fuji Television. Some of Pony Canyon's non-Fuji TV catalog includes Doraemon movies.
In September 2014, Pony Canyon opened a North American anime distribution label, Ponycan USA, which aims to license their titles for streaming and home video in US and Canada. Their home video releases will be distributed exclusively by Right Stuf Inc.
Music artists
Below is a selected list of musical artists signed under the Pony Canyon label in the past and present.
+Plus
A.B.C-Z
Aaron Yan
Agnes Chan
Ai Maeda
aiko
Akari Kitō
THE ALFEE (1979–1997)
Alyssa Milano (1988–1993)
Ami Wajima
Arashi (moved to J Storm in 2002)
Asaka Seto
Asriel (2014–2015)
Λucifer (1999–2000)
Aya Ueto
Ayana Taketatsu
B1A4 (Korean idol group)
Beatcats (2020–)
Babyraids Japan
Bananarama
Band-Maid (2021–)
Berryz Koubou
Billie Hughes
Blood Stain Child
Buono! (moved to Zetima in 2011)
By-Sexual (1990–1995)
CHAGE and ASKA (moved to Toshiba-EMI in 1997)
Cherryblossom (2007–2010)
Cinema Staff
COMA-CHI
Combattimento Consort Amsterdam
Crayon Pop (Korean idol group)
Cute (Korea only)
D-51
Defspiral
Dreamcatcher (Korean idol group)
Ebisu Muscats
Ensemble Planeta
Fahrenheit (Japan release)
Flame
Funkist (band)
GARNiDELiA (2021–)
Glay
HALO (Korean idol group)
Hanako Oku
Happatai (band)
Hinano Yoshikawa
Hiro Shimono
Hiro Takahashi (1993–1995)
Hiroko Hayashi
Idoling!!!
Jamil
Jang Keun-suk
John Hoon
Jun Fukuyama
Kaori Ishihara
Kana Hanazawa (2021–)
Kazuki Kato
Kikuko Inoue
Kim Samuel (Korean Soloist)
Kitarō (1979–1981)
Kokia (1998–1999)
Kreva
Kym Campbell (Japan)
Kyoko Fukada (1998–2003)
Le Couple (1994–2005)
Lead
Leaf Squad
LM.C
Maaya Uchida
Mao Abe
Masako Mori (1979–2008)
Marc van Roon (Japan/South Korea)
Masayoshi Oishi
MC Sniper
Miki Matsubara (1979–1986)
Mikuni Shimokawa
Milky Bunny
Miyuki Nakajima (moved to Yamaha Music Communications in 1999)
Naohito Fujiki
Naoko Ken
Nature (Korean idol group)
Non Stop Rabbit
Official Hige Dandism
Onyanko Club
OxT
Original Love
Paradise Lost
Park Yong-ha (1998–2010)
.Paul Mauriat. (After Philips)
The Pillows (1991–1994)
Ricki-Lee Coulter
Roger Joseph Manning, Jr.
Romeo (Korean idol group)
Rumdarjun
S/mileage
Sam Roberts
Segawa Ayaka
Sexy Zone
Smiley*2G
she
Shinji Tanimura
Shizuka Kudo
Show Lo
Suzuko Mimori
Sound Horizon
SS501 (Korean idol group)
SuG
Suzuko Mimori
Taegoon
Team H
TiA (2011–)
Tsukiko Amano (retired)
Van Ness Wu (Japanese albums only)
Watari Roka Hashiritai
Weather Girls
w-inds.
The Wild Magnolias (one release)
World Order
Yoko Hikasa
Yoko Minamino
Yoshino Kimura (1998–2001)
Yu Yamada
Yuki Saito
Yukiko Okada (1983–1986)
Yurika Kubo
Zeebra
Composers
Yasuharu Takanashi (Fairy Tail, First series only)
Masaya Oya/Camellia
Video games
Below is a selected list of video games either developed or published by the Pony Canyon label.
Attack Animal Gakuen
Bubble Ghost
Dr. Chaos
Final Justice
Hydlide
Jungle Wars 2 – Kodai Mahou Ateimos no Nazo
Kabuki-chou Reach Mahjong: Toupuusen
Lunar Pool
Onita Atsushi FMW
Onyanko Town
Penguin Land
Phantom Fighter
Pit Fall
Shiroi Ringu he
Super Pitfall
Tasmania Story
Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness
Ultima II: The Revenge of the Enchantress
Ultima III: Exodus
Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
Zanac
Anime
Below is a list of anime series licensed for streaming and home video release in North America by Pony Canyon's Ponycan USA label.
Clean Freak! Aoyama kun
Cute High Earth Defense Club Love! (Seasons 1 & 2)
Days
Denkigai no Honya-san
Etotama
Garakowa: Restore the World
Kuromukuro (Netflix original)
Lance N' Masques
The Lost Village
The Quintessential Quintuplets (Seasons 1 & 2)
Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers
Sanrio Boys
Sound! Euphonium (Seasons 1 & 2)
Welcome to the Ballroom
Yuki Yuna Is a Hero
See also
List of record labels
Master of Entertainment
References
External links
1966 establishments in Japan
Anime companies
Mass media companies based in Tokyo
Software companies based in Tokyo
Fuji TV
Fujisankei Communications Group
Home video distributors
Home video companies of the United States
IFPI members
Japanese record labels
Jazz record labels
Record labels established in 1966
Video game companies of Japan