Oricon Inc. (株式会社オリコン, Kabushiki-gaisha Orikon^?), established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as Original Confidence Inc. (株式会社オリジナルコンフィデンス, Kabushiki-gaisha Orijinaru Konfidensu^?), which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts.^[1] Oricon Inc. was originally set up as a subsidiary of Original Confidence and took over the latter’s Oricon record charts in April 2002.

They are compiled using data drawn from some 39,700 retail outlets (as of April 2011) and provide sales rankings of music CDs, DVDs, electronic games, and other entertainment products based on weekly tabulations.^[3] Results are announced every Tuesday and published in Oricon Style by subsidiary Oricon Entertainment Inc. The group also lists panel survey-based popularity ratings for television commercials on its official website.^[3]

History[link]

This section requires expansion.

Original Confidence Inc., the original Oricon company, was founded by the former Snow Brand Milk Products promoter Sōkō Koike in 1967. That November, the company began publishing a singles chart on an experimental basis. Entitled Sōgō Geinō Shijō Chōsa (総合芸能市場調査^?) (it means "surveys of total entertainment markets"), this went official on January 4, 1968.

Like the preceding Japanese music charts provided by Tokushin Music Report which was started in 1962,^[4] early Original Confidence was an exclusive information magazine only for the people who worked in the music industry. However, in the 1970s, Koike willingly advertised his company's charts to make its existence prevail among Japanese public. Thanks to his intensive promotional efforts on the multiple media including television programs, the hit parade became known by its abbreviation "Oricon" by the late 1970s.

The company shortened its name to Oricon in 1992 and was split into a holding company and several subsidiaries in 1999. Since Sōkō Koike's death, Oricon has been managed by the founder's relatives. In 2004, Hirakawachi 1-chome made Oricon history by reaching the 7th spot, making their debut, Enpitsu de tsukuru uta , the youngest j-pop male artists' album charted in the top 10.

Policy[link]

Oricon monitors and reports on sales of CDs, DVDs, video games, and entertainment content in several other formats; manga and book sales were also formerly covered. Charts are published every Tuesday in Oricon Style and on Oricon’s official website. Every Monday, Oricon receives data from outlets, but data on merchandise sold through certain channels does not make it into the charts. For example, the debut single of NEWS, a pop group, was released only through 7-Eleven stores, which are not covered by Oricon, and its sales were not reflected in the Oricon charts. Oricon’s rankings of record sales are therefore not completely accurate. Before data was collected electronically, the charts were compiled on the basis of faxes that were sent from record shops.

Controversy[link]

In 2006, Oricon sued journalist Hiro Ugaya when he was quoted in a Cyzo magazine article suggesting that Oricon was fiddling its statistics to benefit certain management companies and labels, specifically Johnny and Associates.^[5]

Oricon does not include download sales. In Japan, Single sales decreased sharply in 2000s while download sales hit 3 or 4 times of Single sales.^[6]

Shareholders[link]

(as of October 31, 2010)

• LitruPond LLC - 28.78%
• Ko Koike - 10.57%
• Hikari Tsushin, Inc. - 5%
• DHC Corp. - 1.61%
• Yahoo! Japan - 1.53%
• NTT Resonant Inc. - 1.53%

Charts[link]

Current charts[link]

• Singles Chart (1968-01-04–)
• Albums Chart (1987-10-05–)
• Karaoke Chart (1987-12-26–)
• Tracks Chart (2004-06-06–)
• DVD Chart (1999-04-05–)
• Long Hit Album Catalogue Chart (2001-04-02–)

Past charts[link]

• LP Chart (1970-01-05–1989-11-27)
• CT Chart (1974-12-02–1989-11-27)
• MD Chart (Unknown)
• LD Chart (Unknown–2000-02-07)
• VHD Chart (Unknown–1989-11-27)
• Cartridges Chart (1974-12-02–1978-04-24)
• Sell-Video Chart (1974-02-06–2005-05-30)
• All-Genre Formats Ranking (1984-05-24–2001-04-02)
• Game Soft Chart (1995-02-20–2005-11-28)
• Comics Chart (1995-02-06–2001-03-26)
• New Media Chart (January 2004–2005)

Best Selling Singles Of All Time[link]

Best Selling Albums of All Time[link]

^[7]

See also[link]

• List of number-one albums (Japan)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Oricon website (Japanese)

v t e Music of Japan Traditional music Instruments Genres and styles Bushi Danmono Gagaku Jōruri Min'yō Nagauta Modern music (20th-21st century) Enka Eurobeat Group sounds Hardcore punk Hip hop Pop Rock Ska Noise Jazz Kayōkyoku Onkyokei Reggae Rōkyoku Ryūkōka Shibuya-kei Visual kei (Nagoya kei) Ethnic and regional music Ainu music Rekuhkara Ryukyu Islands Festivals B-Boy Park Concert on the Rock Firefox Rock Festival Fuji Rock Festival Heart-Aid Shisen Independence-D Live under the sky Loud Park Festival Mount Fuji Jazz Festival Newport Jazz Festival in Madarao Rising Sun Rock Festival Rock in Japan Festival Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto Songs Day Summer Sonic Festival Tokyo Music Festival Yamaha Music Festival Yamaha Popular Song Contest Charts Japan Hot 100 Oricon RIAJ Digital Track Chart National anthem "Kimigayo" Other topics Awards List of Japanese musicians List of musical artists from Japan List of J-pop artists List of Japanese hip hop musicians Music in Japanese animation Shinto music

Won Bin
Won Bin at LG’S New Cinema 3D TV Rewrites the Rules for 3D, in February 2011
Born	Kim Do-jin (1977-11-10) November 10, 1977 (age 34) Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Nationality	South Korea
Ethnicity	Koreans
Education	BFTV
Alma mater	Yong-In University, Baekje Arts College
Occupation	Actor, model
Years active	1997–2005 2009–present
Agent	Eden Nine Entertainment
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	63 kg (140 lb)
Korean name
Hangul	원빈
Hanja	元斌
Revised Romanization	Won Bin
McCune–Reischauer	Wŏn Pin
Birth name
Hangul	김도진
Hanja	金道振
Revised Romanization	Gim Do-jin
McCune–Reischauer	Kim To-jin
Website
wonbinus.co.kr
Notes [1][2][3][4][5][6]

Won Bin (Hangul: 원빈; born Kim Do-jin; Hangul: 김도진 on November 10, 1977) is a top South Korean actor and model.

Early life and beginnings[link]

Won was born and raised in a hamlet in the north of Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, South Korea. He is the fifth and youngest child, with one brother and three sisters. His father was formerly employed in a mine and his mother worked on a farm; both of his parents are now retired. As was common for other children living in mountaineous regions, Won spent most of his time playing around with friends in the mountains and rivers, and later explained: "I came back home most nights at sunset with a black and dusty face." He was frequently shy, introspective, and quiet, character traits that would continue to follow him throughout adulthood.^[7] While not talkative or outgoing, he excelled at athletics. Won started taekwondo lessons and now holds a black belt.^[8] As a young boy, he initially planned to become a car mechanic due to his interest in car racing and motorcycling. Won graduated from a mechanical high school, where he studied car repair and mechanics.

In November 1995, a cable television station was looking to recruit and hire new actors; Won applied and was accepted in his last semester of high school. He started to take acting classes at the station's headquarters and appeared in several dramas. The following month, Won signed an acting contract with a talent agency.

Career[link]

Won made his screen debut with a supporting role in the 1997 drama Propose. His role in Ready Go! (1998) helped hone his acting chops. After Ready Go!, he took a break and entered a college called Paekche Institute of the Arts in 1998 to take acting classes. In 1999, Won came back to the screen with a lead role in drama Kwangki from which he was recognized as a promising young actor and a teen heartthrob.

He made his big breakthrough in 2000 with drama Kkokji and Autumn Fairy Tale. His role as a rebellious youngest son in Kkokji proved his acting potential and his role in the widely successful drama Autumn Fairy Tale landed him on the A-list for Korean performers. Autumn Fairy Tale gained wide popularity in Asia and he became one of the most popular Korean actors in Korea and Asia as well. In 2002, Won became the first Korean actor to get wide popularity in Japan through the first Japan and Korea joint production drama Friends.

Won also had roles in several popular movies, including Guns & Talks and My Brother, but it is his portrayal of the sensitive younger brother in the blockbuster war movie Taegukgi (aka Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War) (2004) that has truly cemented his fame in the international realm. With the success of the critically acclaimed Taegukgi, recognition of his acting skills has reached an ever-wider international audience. Taegukgi is the best selling movie in South Korea in 2004 with 11.75 million admissions.^[9]

His career was interrupted by his mandatory service to the South Korean Army. After graduating from the Graduate School of Arts in Yong-In University in 2005, Won started his military duty in November 2005 and stationed at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a position for which he volunteered.^[10][11][12] On June 2, 2006, the military officially confirmed than Won Bin would be no longer active.^[13] The decision was made by the military when Won Bin sustained injury to his ACL. He had undergone surgery and was officially discharged on June 7, 2006.^[14] After the surgery, he had gone through rehabilitation program for more than one year to recover from the injury.

Won was appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador of the Korean Committee on September 6, 2007. He has participated in various programs and charity events in Korea for UNICEF from that time on, and has appeared in several promotional videos.

In April 2008, Won finally confirmed that his re-debut film would be Mother directed by Bong Joon-ho. Filming started in September 2008 and finished in February 2009. The film was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. He walked the red carpet at the film's world premiere on May 16, 2009 in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.^[15] Won's new movie The Man from Nowhere was released in August 2010.

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Television drama[link]

Books[link]

• 2000: "dream in HEAVEN" photobook (released in Dec 2000 in Korea, and Mar 2002 in Japan) - 100 pages photo essays with photos taken in Bali, Indonesia and Korea.
• 2002: "WWW-Wonbin Wide pinup Web" photobook (released in September in Japan) - 40 pages photo essays.
• 2005: "28 Day 'n Year Won Bin" Premium Box Set - DVD & photobook (released in February in Japan) - 60-minute DVD and 144 pages of photos with sincere essays written by Won Bin revolving around his private life and his photo session trip to the Czech Republic, Japan and Korea, as well as collector's gifts.
• 2006: "BINUS" DVD (released in March in Japan) - To show his gratitude to his fans for their years of support, Won Bin has recorded this candid, personal DVD (60 minutes) to be shared just between him and us, the fans - hence the title BINUS (BINUS is the name of his official fanclub), before fulfilling his mandatory military service. It includes revealing footage and private life, with Won Bin re-visiting many places in his hometown to share with his fans his background and childhood memories.
• 2006: "Dear Wonbin" photobook (released in May in Japan) - Designed like a diary book, with drawings by Won Bin.
• 2010: "I Love You" Private DVD & Photobook (released in December in Japan) - 105-minute DVD and photobook, filmed in Ireland

Modeling[link]

TV commercials/Advert[link]

Won Bin as LG Infinia smart TV model, in January 2011

• 1999: 018 Telecom ^[16]
• 2000: French Cafe, Dong Yang Life Insurance ^[16]
• 2001: KTF 'Magic N' Cell Phone, Dong Yang Life Insurance, Hite Beer, Namyang French Cafe, Dean Clau Eau de Toilette, Nadri Cosmetic, Haitai Potato Chips, Lotte 'Atlas' Chocolate ^[16]
• 2002: Woori Bank, Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice-cream, Namyang French Cafe, Dean Clau Eau de Toilette & men's skin-care products ^[16]
• 2003: Woori Bank, Baskin-Robbins 31 Ice-cream, Namyang French Cafe ^[16]
• 2004: Woori Bank, LG Cyon Cell Phone, Missha make-up product ^[17]
• 2005: LG Cyon Cell Phone, Missha make-up product, FORVAL I.T./Telecom (Japan) ^[17]
• 2008: Nintendo Wii Video Game, Maxim T.O.P Espresso ^[18]
• 2009: Maxim T.O.P Espresso ^[18]
• 2010: HITE MAX Beer, Maxim T.O.P Espresso, Cuckoo HomeSys, Tous Les Jours Bakery, Olympus Camera, The Face Shop, LG Beyond^[19]
• 2011: LG INFINIA Smart TV & Cinema3D TV, Cuckoo HomeSys, SK Telecom, HITE Beer, The Face Shop, LG Beyond, Maxim T.O.P Espresso, Olympus Camera, Tous Les Jours Bakery^[19]

Fashion brand spokesmodels[link]

• 1999: Clride, Yell
• 2000: Clride, Jambangee
• 2001: Jambangee, Ziozia ^[16]
• 2002: Ziozia, GIA, Visaruno of Marui 0101 Dept Store (Japan) ^[16]
• 2003: GIA, C.O.A.X., Visaruno of Marui 0101 Dept Store (Japan) ^[16]
• 2004: Omphalos, Ziozia ^[17]
• 2005: Ziozia
• 2008: Ziozia ^[18]
• 2010: Hang Ten
• 2011: CHRIS.CHRISTY, basichouse, K2 ^[19]

Awards and nominations[link]

Other awards/honors[link]

• 2002: BVLGARI Brilliant Dreams Award (Japan) ^[27]
• 2007: Appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador ^[28]
• 2011: Best Jewellery Wearer Award (Japan) ^[29]

Magazine/Media recognition[link]

• 2000: Best Dresser of the year
• 2002: Voted as the "April 2002 Most Beautiful Man" by MostBeautifulMan.com. The first Asian celebrity to win in this monthly poll.^[30]
• 2004: Chosen as one of the eight "Coolest Guy Celebrity" in the readers' survey of 9 international ELLEgirl magazines.^[31]
• 2005: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2005) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "CanCam".
• 2005: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2005) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "an.an".^[32]
• 2006: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2006) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "an.an".
• 2007: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2007) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "an.an".

Charity works[link]

As UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Won Bin has participated in various programs and charity events.

• 2007.09.06 - Appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.^[28]
• 2007.10.03 - Attended the International Peace Marathon Festival in Seoul to raise fund for UNICEF.
• 2007.11.26 - Attended a charity fashion show to raise fund for UNICEF.^[33]
• 2008.02.28 - Attended the "Clean meals, Happy sharing" campaign sponsored by UNICEF and Hanwha Resort.^[34]
• 2008.06.24 - Promoting the Awoo Doll campaign.^[35]
• 2008.08.20 - Raised fund through photo project with Louis Vuitton and GQ Korea.^[36]
• 2008.11.27 - Promoting UNICEF Jumper to raise fund.
• 2008.12.22 - Visited an orphanage in Seoul and presented the children there with Christmas gifts.^[37]
• 2009.04.04-13 - Visited Gambia for UNICEF, visited relief center, hospital and schools.^[38][39]
• 2010.09.12-17 - Visited East Timor for UNICEF. watched over the vaccinations and educational work being done on site by UNICEF.^{[40][41][42][43]}

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Won Bin

• Won Bin Official Website
• Won Bin Korea Official Fanclub
• Won Bin Japan Official Fanclub
• Won Bin English Official Fanclub
• Won Bin at the Korean Movie Database
• Won Bin at the Internet Movie Database
• Won Bin at AllRovi
• Won Bin at Rotten Tomatoes
• Won Bin at HanCinema
• Won Bin Photo and Video Gallery
• Wonbin Wonderland