j1m0ne’s blog » Seiyuu Agencies

Seiyuu Agencies

This is a rough guide to seiyuu agencies in Japan.

I use Representative Director as a translation of 代表取締役 [daihyō torishimari yaku], which can also mean CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Executive Director etc.

Some of the other translations I use:
資本金 [shihonkin] – capital
正所属 [seishozoku] – full members
準所属 [junshozoku] – semi-attached
預かり [azukari] – under custody
業務提携 [gyōmu teikei] – partnership

Also, ‘associated companies’ here can mean subsidiaries, parent companies, partnerships and so on. Sometimes the official websites don’t make the association clear, so I leave it under that heading unless there is specific information available.

The Big Ones
81produce

Established : 3 February 1981
History : Breakaway from Production Baobab
Capital : 10,500,000 yen
Rep. Director : Minamizawa Michiyoshi (former manager of Nozawa Masako)
Total number of employees : 270 seiyuu
Affiliated theatrical groups : Dramatic Company (under Nakao Ryūsei), Feydeau (under Nakamura Hidetoshi)
Associated companies : HALF H-P STUDIO (sound production), Sewedi SP (CGI works, event production), 81Produce Training Schools – 81ACTOR’S (sic) STUDIO in Tokyo & Osaka
Focus : Animation voice works, radio, film dubbing etc. Has close ties with NHK.
Notes : 81produce is one of the biggest seiyuu agencies around, and has much clout thanks to its close ties with the industry. If you spot HALF H-P STUDIO in the credits for an anime production, it’s obviously likely that a fair chunk of the seiyuu will be from 81p. They have their own training school (but don’t produce a whole lot of big-names), and are also very adept at pinching talents from other companies and have ended up with an almighty problem of way too many seiyuu on their books, which leads to a lot of their talent eventually leaving to either join another agency, or to form their own (ie Water Orion & Office Nozawa) – Shimizu Ai is the most recent departure.
Talents : Sakurai Takahiro, Kakihara Tetsuya, Seki Toshihiko, Sasaki Nozomu, Toyoguchi Megumi, Takayama Minami, Yuzuki Ryōka, Shinohara Emi

Production Baobab

Established : 1 August 1979
History : A group of seiyuu from Aoni Production left to form Baobab, which is said to have caused a management crisis in Aoni at the time.
Capital : 10,000,000 yen
President/Director : Kanda Yurie
Total number of employees : 155 attached seiyuu, 14 staff
Associated companies : B.A.O. Voice Training School, a Spring Studio (sound production)
Focus : Animation voice works, narration, commercials and so on.
Notes : The whole Aoni fiasco was rumoured to have upset firms closely associated to Aoni including Toei Animation, who reportedly refused to employ any seiyuu attached to Baobab at that point (this is no longer the case). Of course, the rebellious nature of Baobab’s formation came back to bite them in the ass with a number of agencies being formed from ex-Baobab talents – 81produce, Kennyuu Office and Koyasu Takehito’s T’s Factory.
Talents : Ogata Kenichi, Fukuyama Jun, Satoshi Hino, Kawakami Tomoko, Kobayashi Sanae, Koshimizu Ami

Aoni Production

Established : 1 April 1969
History : The first agency that specialised solely on seiyuu management, set up by ex-Haikyo manager Kubota Susumu.
Capital : 26,000,000 yen
President : Kubota Susumu, Rep Director : Furuichi Toshio
Total number of employees : 56 staff, 318 talents (184 full, 72 semi-attached, 62 juniors)
Associated companies : Aoni Music Publications, Aoni Juku (training school)
Focus : Narration, radio DJ work and anime voice work
Notes : Used to be closely affiliated with Toei Animation, where Aoni seiyuu were almost certain to appear in their productions. Lately, Aoni isno longer the force (or monopoly) they used to be in providing voice talents for anime and games. Still, they have a ridiculously large number of seiyuu on their books, and their training school Aoni Juku produced the bulk of their talent under the age of 35 though the pool has somewhat dried up in recent years. Aoni also openly utilise a three-tier promotion system – it’s apparently pretty hard for seiyuu to achieve ‘full’ member status in the agency. Aoni are also the only agency to provide detailed PDFs for each of their attached talents listing personal details and full voice credits.
Talents : Midorikawa Hikaru, Furuya Tōru, Kamiya Hiroshi, Okiayu Ryotaro, Kusao Takeshi, Kuwashima Hōko, Hisakawa Aya, Hirohashi Ryō, Nonaka Ai, Kaneda Tomoko

Tōkyō Haiyū Seikatsu Kyōdō Kumiai aka Haikyo
Established : 29th May 1960
History : Formed to meet a growing demand for voice dubbing work
Capital : 3,295,000 yen
President : Tashiro Toshiyuki
Total number of employees : Represents 320 ‘actors’
Associated companies : Haikyo Voice Actor’s Studio
Focus : Dubbing, narration, stage plays, train announcements, radio etc
Notes : Haikyo is not really a seiyuu management company, but rather more of a union that cooperates with actors under a central management team. This loose system has led to a lot of managers leaving Haikyo to form their own agencies, including four of the current biggest – Aoni, ARTSVISION, Osawa & Sigma Seven.
Talents : Suwabe Junichi, Kishio Daisuke, Ikeda Shūichi, Ōhara Sayaka, Minagawa Junko, Satō Rina

Office Osawa

Established : April 1984
History : Set up when manager Osawa Kazuo broke away from Haikyo.
Capital : 10,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Morita Tomie
Total number of employees : 173 talents, 26 staff
Associated companies : Buck Up (management), U.M.E.S.U.G.I. (visual design work)
Focus : CM & narration work
Notes : Osawa is the rather stiff, rather secretive (or lazy?) company that doesn’t do much promotion and is rarely featured in the press. It only set up its website within the last 3-4 years, and has no profiles, voice samples or personal details of its employees. Also, Osawa has no training school of its own and mainly takes on talent who have left other agencies. They focuses purely on voice work and has never produced a female seiyuu idol – Iwata Mitsuo is the only seiyuu there who releases records (under Lantis).
Talents : Nakata Jōji, Hayami Shō, Shiratori Tetsu, Ueda Yūji, Itō Miki, Kawasumi Ayako, Noto Mamiko, Hanazawa Kana

Sigma Seven

Established : 3 March 1988
History : ?
Capital : 20,000,000 yen
Rep : ?
Total number of employees : Unknown
Associated companies : D.O.A. The Seiyuu Juku (voice training school)
Focus : Narration & anime voice work
Notes : Not a whole lot is known about Sigma Seven, nobody even knows the name of their head honcho or how the company was formed. Their website offers few clues. Sigma does however, have a few heavyweights attached to it and though it does not have its own training school (DOA is not directly under its control), it does hold public seiyuu auditions every couple of years. Sigma reportedly has close ties with Toei and Haikyo.
Talents : Wakamoto Norio, Yao Kazuki, Yoshino Hiroyuki, Mizuki Nana, Yukana, Inoue Marina

Mausu Promotion

Established : 8 April 1974
History : Formerly known as Ezaki Production, before a name change in 2000. Initially set up to provide dub actors for Western dramas and non-Japanese movies.
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Ono Mitsue
Total number of employees : Website lists 125 signed talents
Associated companies : Studio Mausu (voice training)
Focus : Dubbing work, tokusatsu, comedy/plays, anime voice work
Notes :
Talents : Ishida Akira, Ōtsuka Akio, Ono Daisuke, Okamura Akemi, Tanaka Atsuko, Sawashiro Miyuki

Ken Production

Established : 1 June 1984
History : Set up by veteran seiyuu Utsumi Kenji. Apparently he used to manage the whole agency and its talents by himself to the verge of exhaustion before his wife and fellow seiyuu Nomura Michiko stepped in to help.
Capital : ?
President : Utsumi Kenji, Rep Director : Utsumi Kentaro
Total number of employees : 15 staff, unknown number of seiyuu (website lists 112 – 64 female and 48 male)
Associated companies : School Duo (voice training school), Office Duo (music school)
Focus : Anime voice work
Notes : Starting from the work of just one man Utsumi Kenji, the agency has now grown to be one of the industry’s major players, with its seiyuu school (which opened in 1998) having proved quite fruitful in unearthing talent such as Nabatame Hitomi and most recently, Yonaga Tsubasa. Their website has recently been revamped.
Talents : Konishi Katsuyuki, Taniyama Kishō, Nakata Kazuhiro, Itō Shizuka, Nabatame Hitomi, Saiga Mitsuki, Yukino Satsuki

ARTSVISION

Established : 1 June 1984
History : Founded by manager Matsuda Sakumi who broke away from Haikyo.
Capital : 10,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Machida Izumi
Total number of employees : Website lists 153 seiyuu
Associated companies : NichiNare (voice training school), I’m Enterprise, VIMS, Crazy Box
Focus : Anime and radio work
Notes : ARTS’ most successful period was in the 90s when they had Hayashibara Megumi, along with a lot of other popular seiyuu & idol (Kotono Mitsuishi, Shiina Hekiru etc) on their books. Since then, their fortunes have declined, and the establishment of its subsidiary I’m Enterprise took a lot of the younger seiyuu away. The lowest point is undoubtedly the Matsuda Sakumi sex scandal, which led to a mass exodus of its remaining talent (the likes of Horie Yui, Kobayashi Yumiko, Takahashi Chiaki etc), from which ARTS are still slowly recovering.
Talents : Suzumura Kenichi, Hoshi Sōichirō, Morikawa Toshiyuki, Asakawa Yū, Shiina Hekiru, Mizuhashi Kaori

I’m Enterprise

Established : 22 June 1993
History : Set up as a subsidiary of ARTSVISION.
Capital : 13,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Ezaki Katsuo
Total number of employees : Website lists 49 seiyuu
Associated companies : ARTSVISION
Focus : Anime voice work
Notes : I’m used to be seen as the little sister of ARTSVISION, but in the last 5-6 years its reputation has grown, with some of the industry’s best young female talent on their roster. In the past, moving from I’m to ARTS was seen as a promotion, but there has been an increasing trend of people moving the opposite direction as ARTS’ reputation dived. Despite Matsuda Sakumi also being head of I’m Enterprise, it was less affected by the scandal. I’m Enterprise shares an office with VIMS and is just downstairs from ARTSVISION.
Talents : Shimono Hiro, Suzuki Tatsuhisa, Kugimiya Rie, Ueda Kana, Nakahara Mai, Saitō Chiwa, Tamura Yukari

Smaller agencies
VIMS

Established : 22 November 2007
History : VIMS started as as subsidiary of I’m Enterprise in 2001 and was originally set up for the benefit of Morikubo Showtaro, who had moved from Sigma Seven. Became a separate entity in 2007, although I’m is still listed as a major shareholder.
Capital : 9,990,000 yen
Rep director : Kinoshita Yosuke
Associated companies : I’m Enterprise
Focus : Fanclub management, voice work
Notes : After Morikubo, VIMS took in two young talents Matsumoto Ayano (now Niina Ayano) and Aizawa Michiru (who has now left the agency) before signing up Horie Yui, who had been ‘freelancing’ for a few months after leaving ARTSVISION in the wake of the Matsuda scandal.
Talents : Morikubo Showtaro, Niina Ayano, Horie Yui

Kenyu Office

Established : 4 April 2002
History : Set up by seiyuu Horiuchi Kenyū after his departure from Production Baobab.
Capital : 10,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Horiuchi Kenyū, Director: Tatekabe Kazuya
Total number of employees : 30 full time, 16 semi-attached, 31 under custody
Associated companies : talk back (voice training)
Focus : Anime voice work
Notes : Still a very young agency, Kenyu doesn’t have any notable big names besides Horiuchi himself. The focus is on nurturing young talent
Talents : Kawaragi Shiho, Okajima Tae, Hōki Katsuhisa

Atomic Monkey

Established : 2000
History : Set up by ex-Haikyo manager Tamura Tsukasa
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Tamura Tsukasa
Total number of employees : Exact figure unknown, but listed are 15 full time seiyuu, 23 ‘under custody’ & 4 musicians
Associated companies : Atomic Monkey Seiyuu Training School
Focus : Anime voice work, music
Notes : Has lured a few big names to the agency over the last few years – definitely one to watch.
Talents : Seki Tomokazu, Sugita Tomokazu, Nagasawa Miki, Orikasa Fumiko, Washizaki Takeshi

Kaleidoscope

Established : 3 February 1998
History : Started out life as a music production company headed by musician Joe Rinoie before expanding into seiyuu management in 2006.
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Joe Rinoie
Total number of employees : 16 listed seiyuu
Associated companies : Kaleidoscope Laboratory of Seiyu Professionals (voice training school)
Focus : Music, anime & game voice work
Notes : For a agency so ‘young’, Kaleidoscope have managed to sign up a few well-known seiyuu and have recently started their own voice training school. Veteran Noda Junko only lasted a year with the agency (after moving from Aoni) but still lectures at the KLSP academy while providing freelance voice work. Singer Stephanie is (was?) also managed by the agency.
Talents : Kitamura Eri, Kadowaki Maii, Imai Asami, Mizuno Manabi

Holy Peak

Established : 1 May 2002
History : Founded by former Polygram Records producer Horio Hiroki. Had connections with Space Craft before becoming independent in 2002.
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Horio Hiroki
Total number of employees : Unknown
Associated companies : Space Craft, Holy Peak Voice Actors’ School
Focus : Music, anime voice work
Notes : Originally started off managing Ogata Megumi, who eventually left for JTB. Tamura Naomi is the most notable musician on its books.
Talents : Kobayashi Yu, Itsuki Yui, Hashimoto Mai

KeKKe Corporation

Established : April 1996
History : ?
Capital : 3,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Nanba Keiichi, Director : Shō Mayumi [Nanba & Shō are a married couple]
Total number of employees : Site lists 37 (16 male, 21 female)
Associated companies : Shōtō Actors Gymnasium (training school), Hyper Voice Management
Focus : Voice acting work
Notes : Nanba Keiichi is himself still signed to Aoni Production.
Talents : Kimura Akiko, Shō Mayumi, Nagasawa Nao, Kusuda Toshiyuki

RAMS

Established : August 1992
History : Started off life as a television programme production company, before moving into seiyuu management with Nogawa Sakura
Capital : 10,570,000 yen
Rep Director : Kashimura Satoshi
Total number of employees : 41 talents
Associated companies : RAMS Professional Education (voice training), RAMS Actors Theatre (stage actors), Sound Studio Legion (sound production)
Focus : Music, anime, TV presenting
Notes : Considering their background, RAMS pretty infuriatingly appear to have zero idea how to handle their seiyuu – they fail at effectively managing idols and waste the talents of people like Sakai Kanako. Is it any wonder that Tokunaga Ai, Ohmi Tomoe, Saitō Momoko, Shōji Yui & Nanjō Yoshino have all jumped ship within the last 2 years? You’ll still see their seiyuu presenting TV shows, but in terms of voice work… a lot of the girls are involved in ero-games (using different names of course), which pretty much tells you how well they’re doing. At least they’ve got Psychic Lover.
Talents : Nogawa Sakura, Sakai Kanako, Inoue Nana, Miyazaki Ui

Aksent

Established : 28 May 1987
History : Formed by a manager breaking away from Haikyo
Capital : 10,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Yanai Toshikazu
Total number of employees : 13 staff, 80 seiyuu
Associated companies : Shine (voice training school)
Focus : Narration, anime voice work
Notes : Although Aksent have been around for 2 decades, they haven’t really churned out or handled any big-name seiyuu.
Talents : Hazuki Erino, Nomura Kenji, Ishizuka Unshō, Yamaguchi Mayumi

Pro-Fit

Established : 4 November 2003
History : Founded by former I’m Enterprise manager Tanimura Makoto
Capital : 3,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Tanimura Makoto
Total number of employees : 8 full & part-time staff, 30 seiyuu (13 full-time, 9 semi-attached, 8 under custody)
Associated companies : Assemble Heart (actor management/casting company), Sound Wing (sound production), Pro-fit Voice Training School (under the supervision of veteran seiyuu Shioya Yoku)
Focus : Narration, anime voice work
Notes : Upcoming agency, Okamoto Nobuhiko (Yorito in sola, Shin in Persona) is the most notable graduate of their training school. Pro-fit also signed up Shiraishi Minoru from I’m Enterprise.
Talents : Okamoto Nobuhiko, Shiraishi Minoru, Tanaka Ryōko, Masu Nozomi, Tsuji Ayumi, Yūki Aoi

remax
Established : 24 March 1997
History : ?
Capital : 10,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Seiyuu Takano Urara
Total number of employees : 6 staff, 17 talents
Focus : Narration, anime voice work
Notes : They don’t have their own training school, but hold regular workshops throughout the country. Incidentally, head honcho Takano Urara and Fuchizaki Yuriko were both in Sakura Taisen (as Maria Tachibana & Li Kouran respectively).
Talents : Uchida Naoya, Keaton Yamada, Ono Kenichi, Fuchizaki Yuriko, Honna Yōko

Office PAC

Established : April 2003
History : Set up by veteran seiyuu/actor Nozawa Nachi
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Nozawa Nachi
Total number of employees : Website lists 37 (17 male, 20 female)
Associated companies : Performing Art Center voice training school
Focus : Narration, anime voice work, acting
Notes : Their website looks like.. something out of the mid-90s.
Talents : Endō Aya, Hoshino Takanori

YU-RIN PRO

Established : June 1988
History : Originally set up as the personal agency of seiyuu Yokozawa Keiko
Capital : 10,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Nanba Keiko (stage name of Yokozawa Keiko)
Total number of employees : 8 staff, 100 talents
Associated companies : Yoshizawa Keiko Seiyuu Narrator School
Focus : Narration, voice work
Notes : I can barely recognise anybody signed to Yu-Rin, so I assume they must focus on narration work quite a lot.
Talents : Arai Satomi, Akagi Susumi, Taketora

ViVo

Established : March 2003
History : Set up by seiyuu Yara Yūsaku & Ishi Kōji
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Kawabe Shō (stage name of Yara Yūsaku)
Total number of employees : 21 seiyuu
Focus : Narration, voice work
Notes : Vi-Vo stands for Vivid Voice, and is also Spanish for ‘alive’
Talents : Kondō Takashi, Nakahara Shigeru, Horie Kazuma, Shintani Ryōko, Nagata Ryōko, Fukami Rika

AIR AGENCY

Established : November 2006
History : Set up by seiyuu Fujiwara Keiji after his departure from Ken Production
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Fujiwara Keiji
Total number of employees : 3 staff, 6 seiyuu
Focus : Narration, anime voice work, dubbing
Notes :
Talents : Fujiwara Keiji, Koyama Kimiko, Sumi Kenichiro

Across Entertainment

Established : April 2008
History : Manager Fujisaki Jun left Haikyo in early 2008, taking a good chunk of its seiyuu with him to form Across.
Capital : 11,500,000 yen
Rep Director : Fujisaki Jun
Total number of employees : 3 staff, 6 seiyuu
Associated companies : Across Japan (production company)
Focus : Voice work, also handles DJs, narrators, sportsmen etc
Notes : There was much mystery swirling around the sudden exodus of numerous Haikyo seiyuu, and netizens thought it was Yamadera Koichi who engineered the whole process.
Talents : Yamadera Kōichi, Namikawa Daisuke, Sawaguchi Chie, Takashima Gara

Max Mix

Established : ? Website was set up in 2007
History : Set up by former Sigma 7 president Inoue Minoru.
Capital : ?
Rep Director : ?
Total number of employees : Site lists 13 full-time seiyuu + 3 ‘partnerships’
Focus : Acting, narration, voice work, MCs, modelling
Notes : Popped out from nowhere and caught attention by signing up a few well-known seiyuu
Talents : Takahashi Hiroki, Azuma Masataka, Honda Chieko, Shimizu Kaori (partnership)

Mediaforce

Established : 16 January 2001
History : Started out life as Aqualight before a name change in 2003.
Capital : 3,000,000 yen
Rep. Director : Takeyabu Daisuke
Total number of employees : Site lists 25 full members and 20 semi-attached
Associated companies : Dream Force (sound production)
Focus : Anime voice work
Notes : They have a Russian named Jenya semi-attached – she holds a JLPT2 and provided ‘Russian consultation work’ for Black Lagoon and Gigantic Formula.
Talents : Mugihito, Hirakawa Daisuke, Mizuhara Kaoru

TAB Production

Established : 2002
History : ?
Capital : 3,000,000 yen
Rep. Director : Nakagawa Tatsuhito
Total number of employees : Site lists 23 seiyuu + 1 ‘partnership’
Associated companies : Sound Produce Tab (sound production)
Focus : Anime voice work
Notes : Spelling is obviously not their webmaster’s strongest suit, even their company logo has an obvious typo in it…
Talents : Sanada Asami, Ōkubo Aiko

Genki Project

Established : ?
History : ?
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Okamoto Kunihiro
Total number of employees : 29 listed on website.
Associated companies : Genki Jyuku (voice & acting training)
Focus : Acting, voice work
Notes : Genki produce Nadepro, a drama CD/manga series about a seiyuu management agency.
Talents : Yabe Masahito, Tai Yūki, Kakazu Yumi, Okada Junko

B-Box
Established : 13 June 2005
History : Set up by Inoue Kazuhiko after leaving Genki Project.
Capital : 3,000,000 yen
Rep. Director : Inoue Kazuhiko
Total number of employees : 16 listed on website.
Associated companies : B-Box Actors School
Focus : Acting, voice work
Notes : I can barely recognise any of the seiyuu bar Inoue himself.
Talents : Yono Hikari, Horanai Ai, Sugino Hiroomi

Go-Coo

Established : 9 May 2004
History : ?
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Yamaguchi Kappei
Total number of employees : 3 seiyuu
Focus : Voice work
Notes : …not the best agency name around? It’s actually a funky romanisation of 悟空 (Gokū).
Talents : Yamaguchi Kappei, Orie Kimoto, Kawanabe Masaki

Toritori Office

Established : 9 May 2004
History : ?
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Yatsu Etsuko
Total number of employees : Unknown
Focus : Voice work
Notes : Am I supposed to take them seriously? They’ve got a chicken for a mascot, FFS.
Talents : Tsuruoka Satoshi, Gotō Mai

T’s Factory
Established : October 1999
History : Originally set up as Koyasu Takehito’s personal agency after his departure from Production Baobab
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Koyasu Takehito
Total number of employees : 3 seiyuu
Focus : Voice work
Notes : Koyasu has stated that he would prefer T’s Factory to remain a small agency rather than expanding to become ‘a kingdom in the seiyuu world’, as his former Baobab senior and current colleague Ogiwara Hideki once wished.
Talents : Koyasu Takehito, Ogiwara Hideki, Satō Michiru

Other companies that handle seiyuu on the side
Music Ray’n

Established : April 2005
History : Music Ray’n actually started life as an independent music label in 2003, releasing/distributing music CDs and managing artists (SunSet Swish, ON/OFF, Antique Cafe) before being absorbed into Sony in 2005. In 2006, the agency expanded into seiyuu management, holding public auditions (with Tanaka Rie as one of the judges), eventually signing up 4 young girls.
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Satō Yasuhiro
Total number of employees : 4 seiyuu, unknown number of music artists
Associated companies : Sony Music Entertainment
Focus : Voice work, music, films, drama, theatre
Notes : As of 2008, Music Ray’n is Sony’s only seiyuu management arm – the company dispensed with the seiyuu division of Voice & Heart (Inoue Marina’s old agency) to focus on sound production. With Sony backing Music Ray’n, they obviously have a lot more resources to make success of their talents – witness the efforts made in 2008 to get their crown jewel Tomatsu Haruka a break in the business.
Talents : Tomatsu Haruka, Takagaki Ayahi, Toyosaki Aki, Kotobuki Minako

Avex Planning & Development

Established : 3 July 1995
History : Formerly known as White Atlus, Avex P&D is the artist management arm of Japanese recording label giants Avex.
Capital : 20,000,000 yen
Rep Director : Aoki Yoshihito
Total number of employees :
Associated companies : Avex Entertainment
Focus : Music
Notes : Avex’s foray into seiyuu management hasn’t been a really fun ride thus far, nearly driving Chihara Minori’s career into the ground before it had even taken off. They seem to have learned a few lessons, but undoubtedly their forte lies in the management of musical giants like Hamasaki Ayumi, Otsuka Ai, Every Little Thing and BoA.
Talents : Chihara Minori, Hirama Juri, Fukuhara Kaori

Oscar Promotion

Established : 26 March 1970
History :
Capital : ?
Rep Director : Tamura Tsukasa
Total number of employees : 135 staff and a few thousand (yes thousand) talents
Associated companies : Oscar Planning, Oscar Publishing, Oscar Commercial Affairs, Oscar International Agency
Focus : Acting, music, idols, models
Notes : Um yes. OscarPro, that behemoth of a talent agency is listed here solely because of Ikezawa Haruna, who’s really a multi-talent dabbling in everything from theatre to music to presenting TV shows, apart from her occasional foray into voice acting. Otherwise, OscarPro manage a lot of top actresses/talents such as Ueto Aya, Yonekura Ryoko and Kikukawa Rei.
Talents : Ikezawa Haruna

Space Craft

Established : December 1975
History : ?
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Onishi Kazuoki
Total number of employees : Hundreds
Associated companies : Space Craft Entertainment (management), Space Craft Produce (music), Space Craft Publishing
Focus : Music, theatre, modelling
Notes : Space Craft are more successful at the threatre and modelling side (Kanda Uno for example), while their seiyuu management skills leave a lot to be desired, demonstrated by their inability to make real successes of Chiba Saeko & Nanri Yuuka. Maybe they’ve learnt a few lessons in the case of Hirano Aya, but there have been some mis-steps along the way.
Talents : Chiba Saeko, Hirano Aya, Nanri Yūka, MAKO, Akesaka Satomi. Also manages Kajiura Yuki & FictionJunction YUUKA.

Y.M.O.

Established : ?
History : ?
Capital : 50,000,000 yen
Rep. Director : Matsuda Makoto
Total number of employees : 17 listed seiyuu
Associated companies : Production Ogi (talent management agency), Nelke Planning (stage production), Kadokawa Haruki Corporation (film production/publishers), Japan Sports Marketing, Miyamura Hiroki (make-up & styling). Also has partnerships with BQMap and Come Come Minikina (theatre groups)
Focus : Acting, modelling, voice work
Notes : Y.M.O.’s seiyuu are managed under their LOVE LiVE division. Piece of trivia – Y.M.O.’s Entertainment Division supplies some of its talents to form a female futsal team (with talents from the Fantasista agency), competing with teams from other entertainment agencies such as Hello!Project and Horipro.
Talents : Gōda Hozumi, Kasahara Hiroko, Takeuchi Junko, Kataoka Azusa

dwango artist production

Established : 30 January 2007
History : dwango already has a massive pressence in anime-related production so it seemed natural that they moved into seiyuu management.
Capital : 200,000,000 yen
Rep. Director : Nagai Takatsugu
Total number of employees : 8 seiyuu
Associated companies : dwango Group
Focus : Anime voice work, music
Notes : It’ll be interesting to see how far dwango can take this agency. They’ve certainly got the connections – Nico Nico Douga owners Niwango are subsidiaries of the dwango Group, and the streaming site is being used to audition for new seiyuu.
Talents : Takahashi Naozumi, Miruno Jun, Nanjō Yoshino

Gekidan Seinenza

Established : 1954
History : Founded as a theatre company for youths.
Capital : ?
Total number of employees : Unknown
Rep. Director : Mizuyachi Sukeyoshi
Associated companies : Seinenza Research Institute (theatre school)
Focus : Theatre
Notes : Just a few seiyuu on their books.
Talents : Yanaka Hiroshi, Chō Katsumi, Hashi Takaya

Liberta

Established : April 1989
History : ?
Capital : 3,000,000 yen
Rep. Director : Kamiya Tadashi
Total number of employees : 8 staff, unknown number of narrators & actors
Associated companies : J-CLIP, Akasaka RED/THEATRE Planning & Operations
Focus : Narration, theatre
Notes : J-CLIP is a theatre group, and Liberta is its seiyuu and narrator division
Talents : Bandō Naoki, Tsuji Shinpachi, Masuda Yūki

Tōei academy

Established : 1994
History : Tōei academy was the product of a merger between Toei’s Actors’ Training and its Child Actors’ Training divisions.
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Okada Yūsuke
Total number of employees : 16 listed on website.
Associated companies : Tōei Company
Focus : Acting, music
Notes : Doesn’t really focus on seiyuu too much. The academy’s talents can always count on finding work in Tōei productions.
Talents : Oki Kanae, Kikuchi Kokoro

Gekidan Himawari

Established : July 1957
History : Set up by Sunaoka Tōzaburō as a theatre troupe for children, but over the years set up a division for the youth age group.
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Sunaoka Fujio
Total number of employees : Unknown
Associated companies : Sunaoka Office (talent agency), Blue Shuttle (production companu/talent agency)
Focus : Theatre, voice work
Notes : A lot of seiyuu actually started off as child actors in Gekidan Himawari, including Furuya Tōru, Irino Miyu, Takayama Minami & Tsuru Hiromi.
Talents : Miyano Mamoru, Uchiyama Kōki, Kimura Ryōhei, Ogasawara Arisa, Tada Aoi

Gekidan Haiyūza

Established : February 1944
History : Set up by a group of stage actors (all now passed away).
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : ?
Total number of employees : Unknown
Associated companies : Haiyūza Actors Studio
Focus : Stage plays
Notes :
Talents : Koyama Rikiya, Uchida Yūya, Andō Mabuki

Engeki Shūdan En

Established : 1975
History : Used to be part of the larger theatrical troupe Gekidan Kumo before becoming independent in 1975 under the guidance of the late Akutagawa Hiroshi
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Hashizume Isao
Total number of employees : 170 staff in total, 126 of whom are actors
Associated companies : En Kikaku (management and planning arm)
Focus : Theatre
Notes : En put on around 5 performances a year on average, adapting a mix of Japanese authors’ works, Western works such as Shakespeare as well as original plays from their own writers.
Talents : Paku Romi, Takahashi Rieko, Hosokoshi Michiko

Vocal

Established : ?
History : ?
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Aoba Yōko
Total number of employees : Unknown
Associated companies : Vocal Music Production
Focus : Acting, music
Notes :
Talents : Saitō Ayaka

JTB Entertainment

Established : ?
History : The entertainment arm of JTB Business World Tokyo, whose three principle businesses are travel, communications and solutions.
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Kawamura Masayuki
Total number of employees : 6 seiyuu, 1 talent
Associated companies : JTB Business World Tokyo, JTB Entertainment Academy
Focus : Voice work
Notes :
Talents : Ogata Megumi, Shiono Anri

AT Production

Established : April 1985
History : Formerly known as Asai Production before a name change in 2007, and is part of the larger Theatre Academy talent management firm.
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Asai Kenji
Total number of employees : Website lists 28 talents
Associated companies : Theatre Academy, Gekidan Cosmos (theatre group), Rui Production
Focus : Acting
Notes :
Talents : Inamura Yūna, Hanamura Satomi, Nakayama Erina

mediarte Entertainment Works

Established : 15 November 2006
History : A sound and TV production company, mediarte branched out into seiyuu and actor management in 2007
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Momose Keiichi
Total number of employees : 8 seiyuu (1 partnership), 2 actors
Associated companies : Tomigaya Studio (sound production), Hiroo Studio (visual production)
Focus : Sound & TV production
Notes :
Talents : Sakuma Kumi, Iwanaga Tetsuya, Ueda Yōji, Tsuda Kenjirō (partnership)

Bungakuza

Established : 6 September 1937
History : Set up by a group of dramatists – Kishida Kunio, Iwata Toshio (aka Shishi Bunroku) and Kubota Mantarō
Capital : ?
Rep. Director : Imei Ichirō
Total number of employees : Unknown
Associated companies : Bungakuza Institute
Focus : Theatre
Notes : Bungakuza are one of the oldest and most well-known literary theatre groups in Japan.
Talents : Saitō Shirō, Sugō Takayuki, Yamagata Kaori, Sako Mayumi

Last but not least:

Freelancers
A small number of seiyuu choose to freelance – but it is quite hard to survive unless he/she is already well established, which is why most eventually sign up with an agency. Some do stick at it however – perhaps out of a desire for more control over projects – also, there are a quite a few married-with-children female seiyuu who decide to freelance as it offers more flexibility compared to the rigid agency structure.

A list (not exhaustive) of currently freelancing seiyuu:
・Kaida Yuki (Kurapica in Hunter x Hunter, Fuji Syusuke in Prince of Tennis) – Kaida used to be signed to ToriTori Office. She is strongly rumoured to be married. An art graduate from San Diego State University.
・Kobayashi Yumiko (Kazuma in Yakitate! Japan, Black Star in Soul Eater) – Left ARTSVISION shortly after the 2007 scandal. Announced her marriage on her website in 2006. Still very active in theatre and stage plays as well as anime – Yumiko specialises in doing young boys’ voices for shonen shows. Used to be in PRITS with Mizuki Nana.
・Iwao Junko (Tomoyo in Card Captor Sakura, Key in Key the Metal Idol) – Formerly of 81produce and Starboat. Not ‘freelance’ per se – Iwao set up her own ‘private office’ called J-Island, which handles her activities and fanclub. Was married to music producer Yamamoto Harukichi before divorcing him in 2006.
・Imai Yuka (Jinto in Seikai no Monshō/Senki series) – Previously in Gekidan Moonlight. Imai was more active in the late 90s – ill-health has forced her into a semi-retired state over the last couple of years.
・Nazuka Kaori (Eureka in Eureka 7, Nunally in Code Geass) – Nazuka is one of those oddities – a young seiyuu who’s managed to establish herself in the seiyuu world without an agency. Of course, she had a head start having been in showbiz since she was 13.
・Neya Michiko (Riza Hawkeye in Fullmetal Alchemist, Talho in Eureka 7) – Formerly of ARTSVISION. This sexy onee-san seems to have accepted that she’ll never get married (now 43).
・Shishido Rumi (Onpu in Ojamajō Doremi, Iyo in Animal Yokochō) – Formerly attached to Liberty House and Y.M.O.’s LOVE LiVE. Better known for her idol activities, including the release of a nude photobook in the early 90s.
・Yusa Kōji (Gin in BLEACH, Urataros in Kamen Rider DEN-O) – Formerly of Office Kaoru. Married to fellow seiyuu Mitsuhashi Kanako.
・Yūki Hiro (Adeu in Ryū Knight, Michel in Gundam 08th MS) – Left KenPro in 2007. Has been more active on the voice training workshop and lecturing circuit in recent years.
・Narita Ken (Sesshomaru in Inuyasha, Orange-kun in Code Geass) – Celebrated his 20th year in the business in 2008. Was signed to Gekidan Seinenza, Production Baobab and Aksent at various points in his career before becoming freelance in April 2008. Features regularly on BL CDs.

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