Lapone Entertainment

Lapone Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Native name	株式会社LAPONEエンタテインメント
Romanized name	Kabushiki-gaisha Lapone Entateinmento
Company type	Joint venture
Industry	Entertainment Production
Genre	J-pop[1] K-pop[1][2]
Founded	May 29, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-05-29)
Headquarters	5-18-21 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan
Key people	Choi Shin-hwa (CEO) Jang Hyuk-jin (CCO)
Products	Produce 101 Japan
Services	Artist management Entertainment and media planning, production, and distribution Licensing
Owners	CJ ENM (70%) Yoshimoto Kogyo (30%)
Parent	CJ ENM Yoshimoto Kogyo
Subsidiaries	Lapone Girls
Website	lapone.jp
Footnotes / references [3][2]

Lapone Entertainment Co., Ltd. (株式会社LAPONEエンタテインメント, Kabushiki gaisha Lapone Entateinmento, Japanese pronunciation: [ɾapone]) is a Japanese management and entertainment company, established in May 2019 as a joint venture between South Korean CJ ENM and Japanese Yoshimoto Kogyo. The company operates as a talent agency, entertainment company, and record label under Yoshimoto Music.^[4][5] It produces the reality competition series Produce 101 Japan and manages the series' winning groups as well as graduates from the company's trainee program Lapone Boys & Girls.

History

2019–2023: Establishment, boy groups formation, and Laposta

Lapone Entertainment was founded on May 29, 2019, as a joint venture between the South Korean company CJ ENM and the Japanese company Yoshimoto Kogyo,^[3] to organize and manage the winning group of the audition program Produce 101 Japan, which was co-produced by the two companies and MCIP Holdings.^[6] CJ ENM invested 11.5 billion won (US$9.6 million as of 2019) into the company, while Yoshimoto Kogyo invested 5 billion won (US$4.2 million as of 2019), splitting their shares 7:3.^[7] The name "Lapone" is derived from Yoshimoto Kogyo's slogan "laugh and peace" and CJ ENM's "only one".^[3] Choi Shin-hwa, former head of Yoshimoto Korea, was appointed as the CEO,^[8][9] while Jang Hyuk-jin from CJ ENM Japan was appointed as the COO.^[10] The company specializes in the planning, production, distribution, and sale of various videos and recordings of their artists. They also handle contracting and copyright business related to broadcasting programs, such as television or radio appearances and commercials.^[3] Lapone Entertainment also provides a training system where their artists routinely learn singing, dancing, lyrics writing, and composing,^[11] as well as receive language lessons between Korean, Chinese, or English.^[10] The company makes use of resources from both CJ ENM and Yoshimoto Kogyo to operate. Yoshimoto Kogyo handles the day-to-day management, such as local broadcast recruitment and schedule coordination,^[2][12] while CJ ENM handles the training and music production, though it is not limited to South Korean or Japanese producers only.^[2][12]

On March 4, 2020, the company debuted its first group JO1, which formed through Produce 101 Japan.^[12] In 2021, the series was renewed for a second season, which led to the creation of the second boy group INI.^[13][14] In June 2021, Yoshimoto Music announced the formation of a joint venture with Universal Music Japan, causing the company's releases, including Lapone Entertainment which operates under it as a label, to be distributed by Universal Music Japan.^[15][16] However, physical releases by JO1 are still distributed by Sony Music Solutions.^[15][17] In December, Lapone Entertainment introduced and opened recruitment for the trainee program, Lapone Boys & Lapone Girls,^[18] which included former contestants of Produce 101 Japan Season 2, Ayuta Fukuda, Ken Hiramoto, Koshin Terao, and Nalu Okubo.^[19] The four trainees eventually debuted in the six-piece boy band DXTeen on May 10.^[20] In April, Lapone announced to hold its first company joint concert, titled Laposta, at Ariake Arena on May 30-31, 2023.^[21]

2023–present: Lapone Girls

Lapone subsequently renewed Produce 101 Japan for the third season featuring female trainees under the name Produce 101 Japan The Girls.^[22] Premiered in October 2023, the show was produced by NTT Docomo Studio & Live, a new entertainment company formed by NTT Docomo and Yoshimoto Kogyo,^[22] and distributed by the former's streaming service Lemino.^[23][24] On February 8, 2024, Lapone established the wholly-owned subsidiary Lapone Girls, focusing in developing girl groups, and signed the third season's winners Me:I as its first artist.^[25] Four Produce 101 Japan The Girls finalists subsequently formed the label's second girl group, Is:sue.^[26]

Artists

Company logo until April 2022

Groups JO1 INI DXTeen Zerobaseone[a]

Lapone Girls Groups Me:I Is:sue

Concerts

List of concerts

Date	Name	Venue	Ref.
May 30–31, 2023	Laposta 2023	Ariake Arena	[21]
January 20–21, 2024	Laposta 2024	K Arena Yokohama	[28]

References

1. Management in Japan only^[27]

1. "From J-pop to K-pop and back to J-pop once more". Korea JoongAng Daily. August 26, 2001. Archived from the original on July 20, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
2. "K팝서 진화한 日아이돌 "온 가족이 BTS팬, 내 꿈 밀어줬다" [K팝 세계화 리포트]". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). April 8, 2022. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
3. "会社概要 - 株式会社LAPONEエンタテインメント オフィシャルサイト". Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
4. "JO1 - Profile". Natalie (in Japanese). Archived from the original on April 28, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
5. "INI - Profile". Natalie (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
6. "韓国の人気オーディション番組　吉本と組んで日本上陸". Nikkei Style (in Japanese). September 22, 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
7. "CJ ENM, 115억 투자해 日최대 엔터사와 합작법인 설립". Heraldcorp (in Korean). November 28, 2019. Archived from the original on May 10, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
8. ""한국형 오디션 프로그램, 일본서 대박"". MK (in Korean). April 23, 2021. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
9. "『プロデュース』日本版、韓国ＣＪ　ＥＮＭの新会社から支援". 中央日報 (in Japanese). September 5, 2019. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
10. ""일본 연습생 빠른 성장 비결…한국식 합숙·춤 노래 훈련"". MK (in Korean). January 26, 2022. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
11. ""트와이스 언니들이 내 꿈"…일본 10대 3만명이 몰려왔다". MK (in Korean). January 26, 2022. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
12. "「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN」運営、韓国人練習生辞退に言及 JO1の活動期間は？所属は？". Modelpress (in Japanese). December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
13. ""日プ"『PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON2』開催決定 トレーナーで青山テルマ、DA PUMP KENZOら参加". Oricon (in Japanese). November 3, 2020. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
14. "「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SEASON2」から誕生したINIが感謝と決意を語る「光を放っていける存在に". Natalie (in Japanese). June 13, 2021. Archived from the original on April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
15. "よしもとミュージック、営業・流通業務の委託に関するお知らせ". Yoshimoto Kogyo (in Japanese). June 23, 2021. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
16. "I | INIのCDレンタル 通販". Tsutaya (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
17. "ＫＩＺＵＮＡ【通常盤】（ＣＤ＋ＳＯＬＯ　ＰＯＳＴＥＲ）/ＪＯ１ セルCD". Tsutaya (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
18. "JO1、INI所属のLAPONEエンタテインメントが練習生制度を導入". Natalie (in Japanese). December 17, 2021. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
19. "JO1・INI所属のLAPONEエンタテインメント、練習生制度導入「グローバルな舞台で活躍できるエンターテイナーに」". Model Press (in Japanese). December 17, 2021. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
20. "LAPONEから6人組グループDXTEENがデビュー、シングル収録曲はJO1川尻蓮が振付". Natalie (in Japanese). February 13, 2023. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
21. "JO1、INI、DXTEENが有明に集合！LAPONE初の合同ライブ開催、衣装や手形など特別展示も実施". Natalie (in Japanese). April 17, 2023. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
22. "「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN」シーズン3の詳細明らかに、8月～12月に合宿＆収録を実施". Natalie (in Japanese). April 17, 2023. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
23. 「PRODUCE 101 JAPAN」シーズン3は初のガールズグループオーディション、NTTドコモの映像配信サービス「Lemino」で独占配信決定 ["PRODUCE 101 JAPAN" season 3 will be the first girl group audition and will be exclusively distributed via NTT Docomo's video distribution service "Lemino"]. The Television (in Japanese). April 24, 2023. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
24. 『PRODUCE 101 JAPAN』第3弾の正式タイトル決定 10・5「Lemino」で独占無料配信スタート [The official title for the third edition of "PRODUCE 101 JAPAN" has been decided. Exclusive free distribution starts on 10/5 on "Lemino"]. Oricon (in Japanese). August 17, 2023. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
25. "JO1＆INI所属事務所の新法人「株式会社LAPONE GIRLS」がME:Iと専属契約、設立の目的は". Natalie (in Japanese). February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
26. "「ＩＳ：ＳＵＥ」６月デビュー、「ＰＲＯＤＵＣＥ　１０１」出身４人組、スタイリッシュ魅力のガールズグループ". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). April 25, 2024. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
27. "4月17日にデビューするME:I　新会社LAPONE GIRLSの所属アーティスト第1号に決定". Encount (in Japanese). February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
28. "JO1・INI・DXTEEN合同ライブ『LAPOSTA 2024』レポ　エネルギー溢れる多彩なパフォーマンス". Real Sound (in Japanese). January 24, 2024. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.

External links

• Official website