ANNIN, a joint venture by ASOBISYSTEM and Activ8 that aims to create new entertainment beyond the boundaries of the real and virtual worlds, established ANNIN US in Los Angeles in April 2025. At this new base, the company will pursue the possibility of creating new content for the global market, while integrating the sensibilities and values of both Japan and the United States.
Ahead of the launch, PONYCANYON USA provided office space, welcoming this new challenge for Japanese culture to spread its wings on a global scale. As a partner, the company will support ANNIN’s activities while sharing the same goals.

Two companies that have built their own unique culture take it to the next level in Los Angeles

ASOBISYSTEM has taken on the challenge of sharing Japanese pop culture on a global scale, recently bringing Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and Atarashii Gakko! to Coachella, one of the world’s largest music festivals. Additionally, the KAWAII LAB idol project is responsible for the formation of FRUITS ZIPPER, one of the most popular idol groups in Japan at the moment, boasting the slogan “From Harajuku to the World.”

Activ8 produced KizunaAI, a pioneer in virtual talent and one that spawned an interest in VTubers worldwide. The company will continue to build a model for next-generation entertainment that fuses technology and creativity, centered on the virtual domain.

ANNIN is a joint production venture established by these two companies to create new values that transcend genres of expression and national borders. With the establishment of ANNIN US, the company will take on the challenge of creating the next generation of entertainment from a place where the cultures, technologies, and human resources of Japan and the United States intersect.

PONYCANYON USA joins as incubation partner

Over the years, PONY CANYON has developed a diverse culture of music, film, and animation in Japan and abroad. In establishing ANNIN US, as people who are also involved in creative activities originating in Japan, the staff share the same location and aspirations, and aim to become a starting point for the next challenge.

ANNIN US Office
8455 Beverly Blvd, Penthouse, Los Angeles, CA 90048, U.S.A
（Inside the PONYCANYON USA offices）

Image of future development

ANNIN US will develop projects around the following initiatives:
Planning and development of IP and artists with an eye on the global market
Designing new cultural expressions that fuse the virtual with the real world
Creation and development of plans based on local needs and cultural context
Co-production and partnership planning with local creators and brands

Representative Comments

■Yusuke Nakagawa, ASOBISYSTEM Representative Director and Founder
“Based in Harajuku, we’ve created a unique culture thanks to our location. In Los Angeles, a city filled with energy and a fusion of diverse cultures, we have great expectations that ANNIN US will serve as a hub connecting people and sensibilities to create new encounters and trigger creative chemical reactions.”

■Takeshi Osaka, Activ8 Representative Director
“With KizunaAI as our main focus, we have continued to take on the challenge of creating a new form of entertainment that has never existed before. At ANNIN US, we will explore new forms of expression that are not limited to the virtual but instead fuse technology and creativity. In Los Angeles, we’ll start a new experiment to create IP that can be used globally.”

■Takashi Yoshimura, PONYCANYON President and CEO
“We are pleased to be an incubation partner in this challenging initiative, ANNIN US. We relaunched PONYCANYON USA in Los Angeles last July to introduce Japanese culture, such as music and anim,e to the North American market. I have worked with ASOBISYSTEM and Activ8 on the KizunaAI project, and I strongly agree with their attitude of “creating new expressions that have not yet been seen.” We hope that this ANNIN US initiative will be a creative venue at the intersection of Japanese and American talents.”