Many people might think of “Columbia Music Entertainment” as a music label, but tracing its roots, it was actually a company founded in 1910 as “Nipponophone,” which manufactured and sold phonographs themselves. Moreover, from that time, it was already producing and selling records, playing a vital role in the dawn of Japanese music culture. In 1926, it partnered with Columbia Graphophone Company (UK), and the following year with Columbia Records (US), beginning to deliver world-standard music domestically under the name “Columbia.” True to this name, the company changed its name to “Nippon Columbia” in 1928, establishing its position as a leading force in the Japanese music industry.

However, a dark shadow fell over this glorious history. During World War II, when the use of English was prohibited by government policy, the name “Columbia” also had to be sealed, forcing the difficult decision to change the company name to “Nitchiku Kogyo” and the label name to “Nitchiku.” Nonetheless, the year after the war ended, in 1946, it reclaimed the name “Nippon Columbia” and began its journey again as a music manufacturer supporting the post-war turmoil. As the power of music was re-evaluated alongside post-war reconstruction, Nippon Columbia released numerous masterpieces and built the foundation of Japan's music industry.

However, the waves of time relentlessly crashed upon the company, despite its long history. From the late 1980s to the 1990s, the music division gradually declined, marked by the death of Hibari Misora, the suspension of Harumi Miyako's activities, and the successive departure of flagship artists like THE YELLOW MONKEY and Arisa Mizuki. Furthermore, the momentum of J-POP itself slowed down in the late 90s, forcing the company into a difficult situation where it was virtually sustained by the “legacy of Hibari Misora.”

Amidst this, the debut of Kiyoshi Hikawa in 2000 was truly a ray of light. His explosive hit not only drew attention back to the enka genre but also became the pillar supporting the company's very survival. Furthermore, following the name change to “Columbia Music Entertainment” in 2002, a new generation of artists like Yo Hitoto and Kaela Kimura successively rose to prominence, and it seemed they would carve out a new era as the “New Three Pillars” alongside Hikawa. Nevertheless, it is also true that shadows began to reappear with Hitoto’s departure, and the situation remained far from stable.

Then, in 2010, following an acquisition by Faith, an IT company in Kyoto, the company name was changed back to “Nippon Columbia,” and while maintaining its good old traditions, it began new challenges. Particularly noteworthy is the expansion into not only music software but also the production of video works, content for children, and the development of game software for Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch. It has especially demonstrated a unique presence in the girls' kids game sector, where its experience as a music company and know-how in character development are utilized in game production.