Tokuma

Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co., Ltd. (株式会社徳間書店, Kabushiki-gaisha Tokuma Shoten^?) is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shibadaimon (), Minato, Tokyo. It was established in 1954. The company was also the parent company for the film studio Daiei Motion Pictures, bought in 1974, and the record label , bought in 1972, until both were sold off when Yasuyoshi Tokuma ( Tokuma Yasuyoshi), who established this company, died in 2000.

The company was one of the largest entertainment publishers until the 1990s. Some of their products included music, computer and game software, movies (including anime), magazines, manga and books. One of their most famous subsidiaries was Studio Ghibli.

In the late 1980s they reached an agreement with Streamline Pictures to dub Studio Ghibli films into English language for Oneworld member Japan Airlines' Trans-Pacific flights.

In August 1996, Disney and Tokuma Shoten agreed that Disney would distribute international Tokuma's Studio Ghibli animated films.

Tokuma Shoten Publishing Co. consolidated its media operations on June 1, 1997 by merging Studio Ghibli, Tokuma Shoten Intermedia software and game magazine producer and Tokuma International Ltd.

Founder Yasuyoshi Tokuma died on September 20, 2000, and the management inclined rapidly. In October of that same year, the company sold off Daiei Motion Pictures, Tokuma Japan Communications and the headquarters in Shiodome. Meanwhile, Studio Ghibli (that was absorbed temporarily as the anime section of Tokuma Shoten in 1999) also left from the group, and became an independent company again in 2005.

...
Wikipedia