In Japan, music includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 on (sound) with the kanji 楽 gaku. Japan is the world's largest market for music on physical media and the second-largest overall music market, with a retail value of US$2.7 billion in 2017.
K-pop, short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, rock, jazz, gospel, reggae, electronic dance, folk, country, disco, and classical on top of its traditional Korean music roots. The term "K-pop" became popular in the 2000s, especially in the international context. The Korean term for domestic pop music is gayo, which is still widely used within South Korea. While "K-pop" can refer to all popular music or pop music from South Korea, it is colloquially often used in a narrower sense for any Korean music and artists associated with the entertainment and idol industry in the country, regardless of the genre.
An idol is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in other performance skills such as acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements by talent agencies, while maintaining a parasocial relationship with a financially loyal consumer fan base.
Country Musume was a Japanese female idol music group that is a part of Hello! Project.
TIF or Tagged Image File Format is a file format for storing images.
Avex Inc. is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi Hamasaki and internet sensation PikoTaro. It has also shifted into other business domains like anime, video games and live music events, partnering with Ultra Music Festival and hosting the annual A-nation. The company is a member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) keiretsu.
Idoling!!! was a Japanese TV show with attached female idol group created by Fuji TV. The concept of the group was to watch as the girls grow as idols and experience various things. Idoling's main source of exposure was their TV show, which aired several new episodes every week on FUJI TV ONE, with more than 1000 episodes broadcast since October 30, 2006. Over the years of the show, Idoling!!! released 7 studio albums, 24 singles, collaborated with other idol groups, released DVD specials and gave many live performances and concerts. The group officially disbanded on October 27, 2015, with the graduation of all remaining members.
f(x) (; Korean: 에프엑스; RR: Epeuekseu) is a South Korean girl group, consisting of Victoria, Amber, Luna, Krystal and previously Sulli until her departure from the group in August 2015. Formed by SM, f(x) officially debuted in September 2009 with the release of the digital single "La Cha Ta".
Tokyo Girls' Style is a Japanese girl group formed in 2009, and was the first idol group created under Avex Trax after SweetS. The idol group originally consisted of five members: Miyu Yamabe, Hitomi Arai, Yuri Nakae, Konishi Ayano and Mei Shyoji. In December 2015, Konishi Ayano announced retirement from the idol group and the entertainment industry.
Sakura Gakuin was a Japanese idol girl group formed in 2010 by the Amuse talent agency. The group's membership fell within the age range of Japanese compulsory education, typically containing between 10 and 12 members at a time who fall between the ages of 10 and 15. With the theme of school life and extracurricular club activities, when the academic year ends at the end of March, the group released an annual studio album, new members "transferred in" to the group, and others who finish compulsory education "graduated", or left.
Babymetal is a Japanese kawaii metal band consisting of Suzuka Nakamoto as "Su-metal", Moa Kikuchi as "Moametal" and Momoko Okazaki as "Momometal". The band is produced by Kobametal from the Amuse talent agency. Their vocals are backed by heavy metal instrumentation, performed by a group of session musicians known as the "Kami Band" at performances.
Prizmmy was a Japanese girl group formed by Avex Pictures in 2012. The group debuted through the Pretty Rhythm anime series, where they hosted the live-action segments in each episode and later released their first song, "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy", on 16 March 2012 as one of the ending theme songs to Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream. Fictionalized versions of themselves appeared as the main cast of Pretty Rhythm: Dear My Future to promote their activities.
Bish was a Japanese alternative idol girl group that was founded in 2015 by their manager Junnosuke Watanabe. The group was conceived as a successor to Bis, an idol group managed by Watanabe that disbanded in 2014. They disbanded in June 2023.
Musubizm was a Japanese female idol group and fashion model. They were managed by ASOBISYSTEM which is known for also managing Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.
Idol Renaissance (アイドルネッサンス) was a Japanese idol girl group under Sony Music Artists and T-Palette records. The group was debuted in 2014 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of SMA. They participated in the 2014-2017 Tokyo Idol Festival. Their single "Funny Bunny" reached the 22nd place on the Weekly Oricon Singles Chart.
Wasuta is a Japanese girl group formed by Avex Trax in 2015. The group, which frequently uses cat-like wordplay and colorful costumes in their song lyrics and performances, has contributed songs to the anime series Idol Time PriPara and Kiratto Pri Chan. Since 2016, Wasuta has released 4 albums, 4 mini-albums, 7 CD singles, 7 digital singles, 2 live albums, 1 best album, and a live concert Blu-ray from their first nationwide Japanese tour.
Iginari Tohoku San is a Japanese girl idol group, formed by Stardust Promotion in August 2015.
=LOVE is a Japanese idol group composed of voice actors from the Yoyogi Animation Academy. The twelve-person group is produced by former AKB48 and HKT48 member Rino Sashihara and is signed under Sacra Music.
Love Live! School Idol Project Series is a Japanese multimedia project created by Hajime Yatate and Sakurako Kimino and co-produced by Kadokawa through ASCII Media Works; Bandai Namco Music Live through music label Lantis; and animation studio Bandai Namco Filmworks. Each of the individual titles within the franchise revolve around teenage girls who become "school idols". Starting in June 2010 with Love Live! School Idol Project, the franchise has seen multiple anime television series, two anime films, light novels, manga, and video games. The rhythm game series Love Live! School Idol Festival features characters across multiple Love Live! titles.
≠Me, is a Japanese idol girl group that formed in early 2019. The twelve-person group is produced by former AKB48 and HKT48 member Rino Sashihara and is the sister group of =Love.
