Voice acting in Japan

Voice acting in Japan is acting as a narrator, or as an actor in radio plays, or as a character actors in anime and video games. It also involves performing voice-overs for non-Japanese movies and television programs. As Japan's large animation industry produces 60% of the animated series in the world, voice acting in Japan has a far greater prominence than voice acting in most other countries.

Some voice actors—especially certain voice actresses—often have devoted international fan-clubs. Some fans may watch a show merely to hear a particular voice actor. Some Japanese voice actors have capitalized on their fame to become singers, and many others have become live movie or television actors.

There are around 130 voice-acting schools in Japan. Broadcast companies and talent agencies often have their own troupes of vocal actors. Magazines focusing specifically on voice acting are published in Japan, with Voice Animage being the longest running.

The English term character voice (or CV), has been commonly used since the 1980s by such Japanese anime magazines as Animec and Newtype, for a voice actor associated with a particular anime or game character. Conversely, the Japanese term seiyū is commonly used among English-speaking anime and game fans for Japanese voice actors.

Seiyu Group

Seiyu GK (合同会社西友, Gōdō Gaisha Seiyū) or Seiyu Group (西友グループ, Seiyū Gurūpu) is a Japanese group of supermarkets, shopping centers, and department stores owned by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Its head office is in Akabane, Kita, Tokyo.

History

The group was established in December 1946, and was formed in 1956 by Seibu Department Stores, a group company of Seibu Railway. In 1980, Seiyu launched its private brand Mujirushi-Ryōhin (commonly known as MUJI outside Japan). MUJI was transferred to Ryohin-Keikaku in 1990, and is no longer part of Seiyu.

On December 31, 2003, Seiyu and Walmart signed a partnership agreement in which Walmart would teach global supply chain practices.Numazu, Japan was the site of the first Seiyu store using Walmart methods.

Walmart bought a 37 percent stake in Seiyu in 2002, and according to a company press release, in late 2005 Walmart acquired a majority stake in the company, which it has since increased to 100% ownership in 2008.

Previously, the company had a registered office in Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo.

Seiyu (disambiguation)

Seiyu, or seiyū, is a term for a Japanese voice actor.

Seiyu may also refer to: