page_title: NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan / History
context_page_description: NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan LLC is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. From its days as Pioneer LDC, NBCUEJ has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan. Geneon's North American branch specialized in translating and distributing anime and related merchandise, such as soundtracks across the region. Geneon is a portmanteau of the English words, generate and eon. On February 1, 2009, Geneon merged with Universal Pictures Japan into Geneon Universal Entertainment. On December 9, 2013, the company changed its name to the current NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan. Outside Japan, the majority of NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan's anime titles are distributed by Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia in the Oceanic region, Universal Pictures in the UK and Ireland, and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment in North America, although some of their shows have been licensed to other companies such as Funimation and Sentai Filmworks.
context_section_description: Warner-Pioneer founded the LaserDisc Corporation (レーザーディスク株式会社, RēzāDisuku Kabushiki-gaisha) in March 1981 to produce LaserDiscs in Japan. The LaserDisc Corporation changed its name to Pioneer LDC, Inc. (パイオニア エル・ディー・シー株式会社, Paionia Eru Dī Shī Kabushiki-gaisha) in 1989 as part of an attempt to branch off into the anime, film, and music industries. The first anime title they released was Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki.
  In July 2003, the company was acquired by Japanese advertising and marketing company firm Dentsu and renamed to Geneon Entertainment Inc. (ジェネオン エンタテインメント株式会社, Jeneon Entateinmento Kabushiki-gaisha), while its North American division, Pioneer Entertainment, was renamed to Geneon USA.
caption: Former logo for Geneon Entertainment from October 2003 to February 1, 2009