Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.

Japanese record company - do not enter as a label! Full Japanese name: 日本コロムビア株式会社 (Nippon Koromubia Kabushiki Gaisha) Originally founded in 1946, when its predecessor Nipponophone Co. Ltd. (also known as Nippon Phonograph Co.) adopted 'Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd.' as its new name. The company owns the rights to the Columbia brand in Japan and operates this label separately from Sony Corporation. It operated the CBS label between 1962 and 1968 (when the rights for CBS and Epic were transferred to CBS/Sony Records), as well as several other labels. The company also manufactured and distributed records from western labels. In 1991, Nippon Columbia acquired the rights to the Savoy Records catalog and went on to form the Savoy Label Group. In 1965, the headquarters moved to Akasaka, Tokyo. In 2005, the headquarters moved to Roppongi, Tokyo. In 2009, the headquarters moved to Toranomon, Tokyo. On October 1, 2002 the company was renamed to Columbia Music Entertainment, Inc.. On October 1, 2010, the company name reverted back to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. Kawasaki factory history: Nippon Columbia's Kawasaki plant began operations in April 1909 (then known as Nippon America Phonograph Works). In May of the same year, Japan's first 10-inch single-sided record was pressed. In 1910, Japan's first phonograph, the Nipponophone, is manufactured. In 1914, pressing of double-sided records becomes the norm. In 1951, Japan's first LP record is pressed. In 1982, manufacturing and selling of the world's first CD player begins, simultaneously with Sony / CBS Sony. In 1990, a central research center is opened. In 2001, the audio/visual and media equipment manufacturing division is separated to Denon Co., Ltd. In 2002, the factory is renamed Columbia Digital Media Inc. (CDM). In 2007, the factory is closed. A large condominium complex including a car park, nursery school and convenience store was built on the site, but a sign and monument at the nearby Minato railway station are commemorating the plant. Characteristics of manufactured CDs: CDs pressed from 1982-1983 had their catalog numbers stamped in the plastic outer ring mould. From 1984-1987, CD pressings had a dot matrix font, with the "catalog number" (e.g. CO-1190), followed by a "number/letter/number" (e.g., 1A1), followed by a "number/number" (e.g., 72) for the last digit of the year and the month up to September, and for October, November or December = "X", "Y", "Z" (e.g., 6Y). Later pressings have the same layout as '84-'87, but are now etched rather than dot matrix style.