B Zone

Lore & Background

B ZONE, Inc. began as Being, Inc. in 1978, founded by music producer Daiko Nagato. The company established a dedicated record company and label system in quick succession starting in 1991, creating numerous major and indie labels. Major labels include Vermillion Records (1990, formerly BMG ROOMS), Zain Records (1991, formerly B.Jin), B.Gram-Records (1993, formerly a joint venture with Nippon PolyGram), and Giza Studio (1999–present), among others. The group also operates subsidiaries in music publishing, management, promotion, studio management, design, real estate, and event facilities.

Reader's Guide

B ZONE's significance lies in its dominant role as the primary music supplier for the long-running anime series Detective Conan, with over 130 theme songs contributed as of May 2023. The company's shift from Being to B Zone in April 2023 marked a rebranding of a conglomerate that had built a complex network of labels and subsidiaries since the 1990s. Its early adoption of a production-based record company model, with labels like Zain Records and B.Gram-Records, helped shape the Japanese music industry. The group's real estate holdings and event facilities further diversified its influence. A 2001 controversy involving undeclared income of 840 million yen ended in acquittal, but the company's legacy remains tied to its extensive catalog of anime theme music and its multi-label structure.

Did You Know?

• The company changed its name from Being to B Zone on April 4, 2023.
• As of May 2023, the B ZONE Group had supplied over 130 theme songs to the Detective Conan anime series and movies.
• B ZONE was founded on November 1, 1978, by music producer Daiko Nagato.
• In June 2001, the company and its subsidiary B+U+M were found to have failed to declare 840 million yen in income, but were acquitted after investigation.