TEICHIKU

Teichiku began on 11 February 1934 in Nara as Teikoku Chikuonki (“Imperial Gramophone”), issuing 78-rpm shellac discs and quickly expanding across traditional and popular Japanese repertoire.

In the early 1950s it licensed and distributed Decca recordings in Japan, then adopted tape, LPs and EPs, and built a strong domestic roster as 78s phased out.

Renamed Teichiku Entertainment, Inc. in 1999, the company continues today (not defunct) with notable imprints such as Imperial Records, Takumi Note, and Union Records; its head office is in the Shiba Park Building, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Teichiku is regarded as one of Japan’s longest-running labels, preserving a deep 78-rpm catalog while maintaining active modern distribution.