Warner-Pioneer was the Japanese arm of Warner Bros., founded in 1970 as a joint venture with Pioneer and Watanabe Production. From the 1980s it distributed Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi, and it became Warner Music Japan in 1991.[1]
History
The company was founded on 11 November 1970 as Warner Brothers-Pioneer, owned 50% by Warner Bros., 25% by the audio maker Pioneer and 25% by the agency Watanabe Production.[1] It was renamed Warner-Pioneer in 1972 and Warner Music Japan in 1991.[1]
Artists
Its first big hit was Rumiko Koyanagi’s “Watashi no Jōkamachi”, and the 1970s roster included Agnes Chan, Masashi Sada and CHAGE and ASKA.[1] Tatsuro Yamashita joined in 1982, Akina Nakamori recorded for the label from 1982 to 1992, and Mariya Takeuchi arrived in 1984.[1] Yamashita’s Big Wave (1984) is credited to Warner/Moon Records.[2]
References
- “ワーナーミュージック・ジャパン”. Japanese Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
- “Tatsuro Yamashita”. Wikipedia. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
