Vision Factory
Encyclopedia
Vision Factory is a Japan
ese talent agency. It largely works with musical talent, but has branched out in recent years to include actor
s and comedian
s. It was founded by Tetsuo Taira in 1984 under the name Rising Productions. However, the company changed its name to Freegate Promotions and now present, Vision Factory, after Taira was indicted
and sent to prison for tax evasion
in 2001. The company came into prominence after the widespread successes of musical acts Namie Amuro
, MAX
, Speed
and Da Pump
in the mid to late 90s.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese talent agency. It largely works with musical talent, but has branched out in recent years to include actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
s. It was founded by Tetsuo Taira in 1984 under the name Rising Productions. However, the company changed its name to Freegate Promotions and now present, Vision Factory, after Taira was indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
and sent to prison for tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
in 2001. The company came into prominence after the widespread successes of musical acts Namie Amuro
Namie Amuro
is a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...
, MAX
MAX (band)
MAX whose name is an acronym for "Musical Active eXperience" is an Okinawan vocal group popular in Japan. The original members of MAX made their musical debut as members of the Super Monkey's along with lead vocalist, Namie Amuro...
, Speed
Speed (band)
Speed is an Okinawan female vocal/dance group comprising Hiroko Shimabukuro, Eriko Imai, Takako Uehara and Hitoe Arakaki. All four members are former students of Okinawa Actors School which also trained popular artists Namie Amuro and MAX.Speed made their major label debut on August 5, 1996 and...
and Da Pump
Da Pump
is an Okinawan male idol group comprising lead vocalist, Issa and MCs Ken, Yukinari, and Shinobu. The group formed as students at Okinawa Actors School in 1996...
in the mid to late 90s.
Solo
- AkinaAkinaAkina may refer to:*Akina, a character in the 3D-CG Chinese animated TV series Zentrix*Akina , a Japanese feminine given name*Akina Shirt, a Canadian singer...
- Namie AmuroNamie Amurois a Japanese R&B and pop singer, entertainer, and former actress who at the height of her popularity was referred to as the "Teen Queen" and the title "Queen of Japanese Pop Music". Born in Naha, Okinawa, Amuro debuted at the age of 14 as an idol in the girl group Super Monkey's...
- Asuka
- Rina ChinenRina ChinenRina Chinen is a female Japanese entertainer, former singer, model and TV actress. Rina was born in Naha, Okinawa. Although Okinawa is now part of Japan, it has evolved its unique culture and music blended from Chinese, Japanese, and Pacific influences...
- Yumiko Fukuhara
- Kenichi Fujikawa
- Amika Hattan
- Asuka HinoiAsuka Hinoiis a Japanese singer and leader of the J-pop group Hinoi Team.- Biography :Asuka's musical career began in 2002 when she was chosen with two other girls, Hikaru Koyama and Miho Hiroshige to form the group LOVE & PEACE. Their song, Drifter became the theme for the movie Dodge Go! Go! and the three...
- HitoeHitoe Arakakiis the oldest member of the Japanese pop group Speed, which disbanded in 2000 and reformed in 2009. She was born in Okinawa, Japan, and is also known purely by her first name, Hitoe...
- Eriko ImaiEriko Imaiis a Japanese pop artist. She made her debut in the early 1990s as part of the group Speed which disbanded in March 2000. Eriko began her work away from Speed during 1998, performing "Tsumetaku Shinai de", under the stage name "Eriko with Crunch", on the Speed single "All My True Love"...
- IssaDa Pumpis an Okinawan male idol group comprising lead vocalist, Issa and MCs Ken, Yukinari, and Shinobu. The group formed as students at Okinawa Actors School in 1996...
- Olivia
- Yoko OginomeYoko Oginome, real name , is a singer, actress and voice actress. Oginome spent most of her elementary and junior high years living in the town of Ranzan in Saitama Prefecture, though she attended school in the city of Sakura. She graduated from Horikoshi High School in Nakano, Tokyo. She is represented by the...
- Daichi Miura
- Arisa MizukiArisa Mizukiis a Japanese actress, singer, and model. Mizuki is represented by the talent agency Vision Factory. Born in Nerima, Tokyo to a Japanese father and Japanese-American mother, Mizuki began modelling for magazines and appearing in commercials at the age of 4. She first appeared in television series in...
- Nobutoshi Nakamura
- Hiroko ShimabukuroHiroko ShimabukuroHiroko 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"...
- Keita TachibanaKeita Tachibanais a Japanese musician. He is the lead singer and main choreographer of the pop boy band w-inds.- Career :Tachibana came to national attention as the only male finalist in the 2000 Kyushu-Okinawa Starlight Audition. After that experience he joined forces with two dancers from Sapporo, Ryuichi...
- Nana TanimuraNana Tanimura, is a Japanese pop singer.- Background :Tanimura was raised mainly in Osaka. She moved frequently between Osaka and Hawaii between the ages of 3 and 8, after which she also stayed for an extended period of time in Los Angeles....
- Takako UeharaTakako Ueharais a Jpop singer, actress, and former radio host. She is a member of the group Speed. Uehara was born in Okinawa, Japan.Her highly anticipated first solo single 'My First Love' was released in January 1999, and was produced by legendary pop/rock superstar Ryuichi Kawamura ."My First Love" was the...
Bands and groups
- Ai-Sachi
- AN-J
- Asian2
- Aya & Chika from D&D
- D-Loop
- D&DD&D (band)D&D was a Japanese girl group that was moderately popular in the late '90's. Its members were Olivia, Chika and Aya . The trio are from the Okinawan Actors School and were managed by Rising Production....
- Da PumpDa Pumpis an Okinawan male idol group comprising lead vocalist, Issa and MCs Ken, Yukinari, and Shinobu. The group formed as students at Okinawa Actors School in 1996...
- EarthEarth (band)Earth is an American musical group based in Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989 and led by guitarist Dylan Carlson.Earth's music is nearly all instrumental, and can be divided into two distinct stages...
- Flame
- Folder
- Folder5
- Hinoi TeamHinoi Teamwas a Japanese female pop group formed around Asuka Hinoi with supporting members Keika Matsuoka, Hikaru Koyama, and Rina Takenaka. Most of their releases are covers of Eurobeat songs.- Ike Ike :...
- Hipp's
- LeadLead (band)Lead is a Japanese hip-hop group, under the Record of Pony Canyon/ Flight Master. Their debut was on July 31, 2002 with their single Manatsu no Magic .-Biography:...
- MAXMAX (band)MAX whose name is an acronym for "Musical Active eXperience" is an Okinawan vocal group popular in Japan. The original members of MAX made their musical debut as members of the Super Monkey's along with lead vocalist, Namie Amuro...
- Nakanomori Band
- Ota Crew
- Rockamenco
- SpeedSpeed (band)Speed is an Okinawan female vocal/dance group comprising Hiroko Shimabukuro, Eriko Imai, Takako Uehara and Hitoe Arakaki. All four members are former students of Okinawa Actors School which also trained popular artists Namie Amuro and MAX.Speed made their major label debut on August 5, 1996 and...
- Tourbillion
- Vanilla MoodVanilla Moodis a group of music performers on the Avex record label in Japan. Their debut mini-album hit stores on February 8, 2006. All four women play their instrument of choice; Waka on flute, Yui on violin, Mariko on cello, and Keiko on piano.- Profiles :...
- w-inds.W-inds.W-inds is a Japanese pop boy band that is managed by Vision Factory and has been signed to the Pony Canyon label since 2000. The group consists of the three individuals Ryohei Chiba, Keita Tachibana, and Ryuichi Ogata. They made their formal debut in 2001 and, to date, have released 30 singles...
- Zero