Pony Canyon is one of Japan's major entertainment companies, founded in October 1966 as a subsidiary of the Nippon Broadcasting System, the core of the Fujisankei group, and it began life selling car-stereo music tapes before growing into music, film, and anime. Its figure label puts out collectibles tied to the anime and music it produces and distributes. The figures are an extension of a media business into merchandise rather than the work of a dedicated figure studio.