Notice of the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Bijutsu Shuppansha Co., Ltd. regarding sponsorship of civil rehabilitation proceedings

2015.05.21 Press Releases
Culture Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Culture Entertainment Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Nakanishi Kazuo; hereinafter referred to as "C&E"), a wholly owned subsidiary of Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd. (Head office: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Masuda Muneaki; hereinafter referred to as "CCC"), entered into a memorandum of understanding on May 15, 2015, with the consent of the supervisory committee, to become a sponsor of Bijutsu Shuppansha Co., Ltd. (Head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Oshita Kentaro; hereinafter referred to as "Bijutsu Shuppansha"), which is currently undergoing civil rehabilitation proceedings.

Since its founding 30 years ago, the CCC Group has aimed to create projects with high customer value under its policy of "lifestyle proposals." It has engaged in a wide range of activities, including the operation of TSUTAYA and Tsutaya Bookstores, the operation of the T-Point program, consulting through database marketing, planning and production in the entertainment field, and the operation of a lifestyle proposal platform in the online field. By being selected as a sponsor by Bijutsu Shuppansha, a long-established publishing house that has promoted the spread of art, we will create broader customer value by proposing a richer lifestyle and making art feel more accessible. Furthermore, we will be holding unprecedented events in the future as part of a project that links our stores with the magazine, in order to bring our customers a lifestyle that incorporates art.

1. Reasons and background for sponsorship
Bijutsu Shuppansha is a long-established publisher that launched Mizue in 1905, and in 1948, following in Mizue's footsteps, published Bijutsu Techo, and has been promoting the spread of Japanese art culture for many years. As the bookstore with the largest number of brick-and-mortar stores in Japan, and as a "lifestyle proposal business" that proposes better lifestyles, the CCC Group has applied to be a candidate to sponsor Bijutsu Shuppansha under its current civil rehabilitation proceedings in order to protect and preserve for future generations Japan's leading intellectual property and history related to art that Bijutsu Shuppansha owns. We believe that by utilizing the high planning and editing capabilities of Bijutsu Shuppansha and the resources and foundations of the CCC Group, we can propose lifestyle ideas that go beyond the pages of the magazine.

2. Overview of the business to be supported
■ Target businesses
All business operations of Bijutsu Shuppansha (publishing, editorial production of promotional materials, catalogue production, certification business)
■Major publications
"Bijutsu Techo", "Winart", art books, etc.

3. Transfer date
August 1, 2015 (planned)

4. Overview of the Parties
[Culture Entertainment Inc.]
・Representative: Representative Director: Kazuo Nakanishi
・Head office address: 16-17 Nanpeidai-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
・Main business activities: Publishing, video, music production and planning, and other entertainment-related businesses

[Bijutsu Shuppansha Co., Ltd.]
・Representative: President and CEO Kentaro Oshita
Head office address: 2nd floor, Gobancho Cosmo Building, 4-5 Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
・Main business: Production, publishing, and sales of magazines, books, and other editorial materials

[Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd.]
・Representative: President and CEO Masuda Muneaki
・Head office location: 2-5-25 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka
・Main business: Entertainment business
　　　　　　　　　　Database marketing business
　　　　　　　　　　A holding company of companies involved in internet service businesses, etc.
　　　　　　　　　　Lifestyle proposal platform planning and incubation business

Materials related to this matter

Notice of the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Bijutsu Shuppansha Co., Ltd. regarding sponsorship of civil rehabilitation proceedings

Inquiries regarding this matter

Culture Entertainment Co., Ltd.
Public Relations Officer: Satoko Noguchi TEL: 03-6800-4764