Lapone Entertainment
Lapone Entertainment is a Japanese talent-management, entertainment-production, and record-label company established by CJ ENM and Yoshimoto Kogyo.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Lapone Entertainment Co., Ltd. is a Japanese entertainment company that combines talent management, music production, record-label operations, television and digital-content production, and artist development. It was established on May 29, 2019, as a joint venture between South Korean media group CJ ENM and Japanese entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo. Its initial purpose was to organize and manage the group created through Produce 101 Japan, the Japanese adaptation of the Produce 101 reality competition format. That first project resulted in the formation of JO1, which debuted in March 2020 and became the central act around which Lapone developed its operating model. The company operates across several connected parts of the entertainment business. It manages performers, produces and distributes recordings and video content, coordinates appearances in television, radio, advertising, and other media, and handles associated contracts and copyright matters. Lapone also operates a trainee-development structure known as Lapone Boys & Girls, through which aspiring performers receive instruction in singing, dance, lyric writing, composition, and language skills. The company draws on the complementary capabilities of its owners: Yoshimoto Kogyo contributes Japanese entertainment-management infrastructure and local scheduling and booking functions, while CJ ENM contributes experience in music production, training systems, and Korean entertainment formats. The arrangement is not restricted to Japanese or South Korean creative personnel. Lapone expanded its artist portfolio through the second season of Produce 101 Japan. The program led to the creation of INI, which debuted in 2021. The company also developed DXTEEN, a six-member boy group connected to the Lapone trainee system and made up in part of former Produce 101 Japan Season 2 contestants. In 2021, releases associated with Lapone began to benefit from a distribution arrangement involving Universal Music Japan and Yoshimoto Music, although JO1 physical products have also been distributed through Sony Music Solutions. In 2023, Lapone broadened its scope from male-centered projects to female artist development. Produce 101 Japan The Girls premiered in October 2023, with production involving NTT Docomo Studio & Live and distribution through Lemino. Lapone subsequently established the wholly owned subsidiary Lapone Girls in February 2024. Its first signed act was Me:I, formed from the show's winning contestants. Several finalists from the same program later formed Is:sue, giving the broader Lapone organization a second girl-group project. Beyond recordings and television programs, Lapone has used company-wide concerts to connect its artists and reinforce a shared entertainment identity. The first Laposta event was held at Ariake Arena in May 2023. Laposta 2025 expanded the concept into a larger Tokyo Dome City takeover from January 27 to February 2, 2025, combining a Tokyo Dome concert with fan meetings and artist-led solo performances. Lapone is therefore positioned not simply as a conventional record label, but as an integrated Japanese-Korean-origin platform for audition-based artist creation, training, management, content production, music distribution, and live entertainment.
History
Lapone Entertainment was created on May 29, 2019, by CJ ENM and Yoshimoto Kogyo as a joint venture connected to the launch of Produce 101 Japan. The company was designed to manage the winning group from the audition program while also combining the partners' broader strengths in entertainment production, artist training, Japanese media operations, and music distribution. Its name reportedly combines ideas associated with Yoshimoto Kogyo's slogan "laugh and peace" and CJ ENM's "only one" identity. At formation, Choi Shin-hwa, a former Yoshimoto Korea executive, was appointed chief executive officer, while Jang Hyuk-jin of CJ ENM Japan became chief operating officer. The business model covered more than label services. Lapone planned and produced recordings and video programs, distributed artist content, arranged television, radio, and advertising appearances, and handled contracts and copyright connected with entertainment programming. It also developed a structured training system covering vocals, dance, songwriting, composition, and language education. The first major result was JO1, created through Produce 101 Japan and debuted on March 4, 2020. The success of the format led to a second season in 2021 and the formation of INI. During the same period, Yoshimoto Music announced a joint venture with Universal Music Japan, creating a distribution route for releases associated with Lapone. JO1's physical releases were separately noted as being distributed through Sony Music Solutions. These arrangements allowed Lapone to focus on artist creation and management while using established music-industry infrastructure for market delivery. Lapone also formalized its trainee pipeline. In December 2021, it introduced recruitment for Lapone Boys & Girls, a program that included former Produce 101 Japan Season 2 contestants Ayuta Fukuda, Ken Hiramoto, Koshin Terao, and Nalu Okubo. Four trainees later became part of DXTEEN, a six-member boy group that debuted on May 10, with the group representing an additional route from audition participation and training into professional activity. The company began presenting its acts together through Laposta. Its first joint concert was held at Ariake Arena on May 30 and 31, 2023. Lapone then extended its audition and management model to female performers. Produce 101 Japan The Girls premiered in October 2023. The series was produced with the involvement of NTT Docomo Studio & Live and made available through Lemino. In February 2024, Lapone formed the wholly owned subsidiary Lapone Girls. Me:I, the winning group from the third season, became the subsidiary's first artist, while four finalists subsequently formed Is:sue. From January 27 through February 2, 2025, Laposta 2025 occupied Tokyo Dome City with a larger program than the initial concert, including a three-day Tokyo Dome event, fan meetings, and self-produced solo concerts. This progression illustrates Lapone's development from a single audition-project management vehicle into a broader platform spanning music, artist training, media production, live events, and multiple generations of boy and girl groups.
- 2025
Laposta 2025 held at Tokyo Dome City
[1]The expanded event combined a Tokyo Dome concert with fan meetings and solo performances from Lapone artists.
- 2024
Lapone Girls established
[1]The company created a wholly owned subsidiary for female-group development and signed Me:I as its first act.
- 2023
DXTEEN debuts
[1]DXTEEN debuted as a six-member boy group connected to Lapone's trainee and audition pipeline.
- 2023
First Laposta concert
[1]Lapone held its first company-wide joint concert at Ariake Arena on May 30 and 31.
- 2021
INI is formed
[1]Produce 101 Japan Season 2 produced INI, adding a second major boy group to Lapone's roster.
- 2021
Lapone Boys & Girls trainee program introduced
[1]Lapone opened recruitment for a formal trainee system intended to develop future artists.
- 2020
JO1 debuts
[1]The first Produce 101 Japan winning group, JO1, made its debut and became Lapone's first principal artist project.
- 2019
Lapone Entertainment founded
[1]CJ ENM and Yoshimoto Kogyo established Lapone Entertainment as a joint venture connected to Produce 101 Japan.
Products and positioning
An integrated Japan-focused entertainment platform that applies CJ ENM's audition-format, training, and music-production expertise together with Yoshimoto Kogyo's Japanese management and media infrastructure.
Boy group · 2020
JO1
JO1 is Lapone Entertainment's first major artist group, formed through the inaugural Produce 101 Japan season and debuting on March 4, 2020. The group established the company's initial identity as a manager and label for audition-program winners, with activities spanning recorded music, video content, live performance, and wider media appearances.
Boy group · 2021
INI
INI was created through Produce 101 Japan Season 2 and became Lapone's second principal boy-group project. Its formation demonstrated that Lapone's business model could be repeated across successive audition seasons while maintaining a separate artist identity and expanding the company's managed roster.
Boy group · 2023
DXTEEN
DXTEEN is a six-member boy group linked to the Lapone Boys & Girls development system. Several members were former Produce 101 Japan Season 2 contestants, illustrating the company's pathway from televised audition participation through structured training and eventual group debut.
Girl group · 2024
Me:I
Me:I is the first artist signed to Lapone Girls. The group was formed from the winners of Produce 101 Japan The Girls, extending Lapone's audition-based artist-development model into female-group management.
Girl group
Is:sue
Is:sue is a girl group formed by four finalists from Produce 101 Japan The Girls. Its creation gave Lapone Girls a second group associated with the third season of the franchise, alongside winner group Me:I.
Reality competition series · 2019
Produce 101 Japan
Produce 101 Japan is the audition and reality-competition format that supplied Lapone with its first generations of managed groups. Lapone was established partly to organize and manage the winning acts, making the program a foundational part of its artist-creation and content strategy.
Reality competition series · 2023
Produce 101 Japan The Girls
Produce 101 Japan The Girls is the female-focused third season of the Japanese Produce 101 franchise. Premiering in October 2023, it supplied the contestants from whom Me:I and Is:sue emerged and supported Lapone's expansion into girl-group development.
Live entertainment event · 2023
Laposta
Laposta is Lapone's company-wide live-event platform, bringing multiple managed artists together through concerts and related fan activities. The first edition took place at Ariake Arena in 2023, while the 2025 edition expanded into Tokyo Dome City with a main concert, fan meetings, and solo performances.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Laposta 2025
Japan
Lapone expanded Laposta into a Tokyo Dome City program running from January 27 to February 2, including a three-day Tokyo Dome concert, fan meetings, and artist-led solo concerts.
Outcome. The event broadened Laposta from a joint concert into a multi-format company entertainment program.
- 2023Laposta
Japan
Lapone launched a shared concert concept featuring its managed artists, with the first event held at Ariake Arena on May 30 and 31, 2023.
Outcome. The event established a recurring cross-artist live platform for the Lapone organization.
Brand decisions
2024
Establish Lapone GirlsStrategyBackground
The success of Lapone's male-group and audition-based model created an opportunity to build a dedicated female-artist business.
Action taken
Lapone established the wholly owned Lapone Girls subsidiary and signed Me:I as its first artist.
Aftermath
The organization expanded its girl-group portfolio through Is:sue, formed from finalists of Produce 101 Japan The Girls.
2021
Formalize a trainee-development pipelineStrategyBackground
After the first Produce 101 Japan cycles, Lapone sought a continuing mechanism for developing performers between televised audition projects.
Action taken
The company introduced recruitment for Lapone Boys & Girls, offering training in performance, songwriting, composition, and languages.
Aftermath
The pipeline contributed to the formation of DXTEEN and gave former audition contestants a route into later professional activity.
2019
Create a joint venture around Produce 101 JapanStrategyBackground
CJ ENM and Yoshimoto Kogyo needed an operating company to manage the winning act from the Japanese edition of the Produce 101 audition format and to coordinate related entertainment activities.
Action taken
The partners established Lapone Entertainment, combining Japanese management and booking infrastructure with CJ ENM-linked training and music-production capabilities.
Aftermath
The arrangement produced a continuing pipeline of audition-based groups, beginning with JO1 and later including INI, Me:I, and related projects.
Initial capital contributions reported at establishment. CJ ENM: 11.5 billion won; Yoshimoto Kogyo: 5 billion yen (2019)
Recent events
- 2025
Laposta 2025 expands across Tokyo Dome City[1]
Campaign
Lapone staged a multi-day Tokyo Dome City program combining a main concert with fan meetings and artist-led solo performances.
- 2024
Lapone Girls established[1]
Product launch
Lapone created a wholly owned subsidiary focused on developing female groups and signed Me:I as its first artist.
- 2023
Lapone begins company-wide Laposta concert program[1]
Campaign
Lapone announced and held its first joint artist concert at Ariake Arena, creating a shared live platform for its managed acts.
- 2021
INI formed through Produce 101 Japan Season 2[1]
Product launch
The second season of the audition program produced INI, expanding Lapone's roster beyond its first group.
- 2020
JO1 makes its debut[1]
Product launch
JO1, formed through the first Produce 101 Japan season, became Lapone's first debuting group.
- 2019
Lapone Entertainment established as CJ ENM–Yoshimoto Kogyo joint venture[1]
Other
The two entertainment companies created Lapone to organize and manage the winning act from Produce 101 Japan and to combine Japanese management capabilities with CJ ENM's production and training expertise.
Sources1 sources
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