Yuusen broadcasting corporation
Founded
in 1961 by businessman Mototada Uno, and based in the western city of Osaka,
yusen (or yuusen/usen) broadcasting corp. has been piping sound into japanese
businesses and homes since its creation.
Osaka yusen broadcasting corporation used to provide japanese zither and koto
music, pop confections, insects, animals, stereophonic steam locomotives,
the buzz of cicadas, birdcalls, army songs from world war II, peruvian and
north korean folk songs, the sounds of insects and cows, rooster calls, ringing
bells and even synthesized street noises.
They also used permission from record companies to manufacture singles for
their own radio broadcasting.
Japan,
home of the walkman, is a nation so addicted to audio stimulation that it
pipes background music into its national parks and train platforms. Installing
background music in private homes seemed like a logical next step for the
company.
When osaka yusen started out, it stuck to basics like enka, japan’s
own crooning country-western music. But classy boutiques couldn’t use
enka. It would drive their customers away. So they expanded their selection.
And expanded. And expanded.
As
indicated by the old name of the founder corporation osakayusenhososha usen,
system was originally a coaxial cable for cable radio that later evolved into
what's now knowned as "USEN440". 440 represents the number of channels
that can be received by a general-purpose tuner, but there are also unused
channels, and the number of programs is less than 440 because stereo broadcasting
consumes two channels.
Osaka yusen’s music for businesses now includes channels for use in
factories, restaurants, offices and banks.
By aggressively targeting housing developers, who install the systems in apartments they build for a set monthly fee, Osaka yusen has gained a 70 percent share of japan’s cable radio market.
After Mototada Uno's suddenly died of illness in July 1998, his son Yasuhide Uno became president of osaka cable broadcasting.
On april 1, 2000, the company changed its name to simply usen.