Handcraft Entertainment Partners With Takasago To Develop Fragrances, Flavors, And Consumer Products To Define The World Of “Global” J-Pop

New York, NY - Handcraft Entertainment and Takasago International Corporation USA, one of Japan's largest and one of Asia's leading fragrance and flavor companies, today announced a strategic partnership to build the smell, taste, and feel of "Global" J-Pop.

The partnership builds on Handcraft's work pioneering "Global" J-Pop, a term coined by the company to describe a new genre of Japanese music and culture designed for worldwide audiences, while drawing on Takasago's decades of experience creating fragrances, flavors, and sensory experiences for globally recognized brands and artists.

This announcement follows the release of Handcraft's "Heartless," a collaboration between Japanese artist Mia Takarabe and global icon Steve Aoki. As SPIN Magazinenoted, "the race to bring J-pop to a truly global audience has a new contender," and the release marked a defining moment for Handcraft.

The partnership combines Takasago's expertise in fragrance, flavor and sensory innovation with Handcraft Entertainment's strategy to build globally scalable Japanese artists, brands and cultural IP as part of a worldwide cultural platform. The companies will develop fragrances, flavors and products tied to artists, releases, live experiences, and cultural moments, while expanding into consumer products, experiential activations, and global brand collaborations that deepen how audiences connect with music, artists, and culture beyond traditional formats. One of the first projects will be a fragrance developed with Handcraft artist Mia Takarabe. The companies also plan to develop original content and media around the artists and the creation of fragrances, flavors and products, bringing fans into the creative process and deepening engagement across social media.

"This is about building something entirely new at the intersection of music, culture, and sensory innovation," said Michael Africk, CEO of Handcraft Entertainment. "We are building a new generation of globally competitive Japanese artists, products, and cultural experiences created for worldwide audiences while remaining authentically connected to Japanese identity and culture. Takasago is uniquely positioned to define that world with us."

"Takasago has seen firsthand the growing global demand for Japanese culture across entertainment, fashion, food and lifestyle," said Joseph Lattarulo, Senior Vice President & General Manager at Takasago. "'Global' J-Pop represents an exciting new chapter for how Japanese culture can connect with audiences around the world. We are excited to partner with Handcraft to create products and experiences that will shape the world of 'Global' J-Pop."

Together, Handcraft and Takasago are building the sensory world of "Global" J-Pop - where music, culture, identity, and sensory experience converge.