What needed, Where appropriate, When necessary
Rental Services
of Professional Broadcasting
Video / Audio Equipment

CIRCLE Co., Ltd. was established in 1990.
We have 2 main business domains in our company as one of the group companies of TAISEI Group. The one of the major businesses at CIRCLE is the rental services of professional broadcasting video/audio equipment including such equipment for institutional applications for about 26 years.
Related to the rental services, we are conducting the maintenance and partial repair of these equipment in house on a real need basis, while all of the areas not covered yet.

In addition to the rental services, another business domain of our company is to provide customers with the support service at the video location field by dispatching our staffs together with the Grip equipment, under the management of our Circle Support Service (CSS) Division . We initiated this Support Service business in 1994.
As one of the extended Support Service businesses, we initiated the drone related business for aerial shooting in 2013. During Inter BEE 2015 (International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan), we carried out its flight demo. on drone together with one of the most well-known drone manufacturers worldwide.

Accordingly, we have been exclusively doing so called “B2B (business to business)” businesses. Our business partners are therefore non-commercial TV station, key commercial TV Networks, Pay TV, Cable TV, Production Houses, Post Production, CM Production, Cinema Production etc. that are located in not only Tokyo area, but also all over Japan.

Furthermore, we are the sales agent of NANUK professional protective plastic cases in Japan.  The NANUK cases are the products from Plasticase Company based in Quebec Canada, providing high performance of crushproof, dustproof, water proof and good transport solutions allowing contemporary styling, unlike current other companies cases.

We are also making available the custom-built exclusive cases for the lens, batteries etc. with the customized inner cushion parts on these standard cases, in addition to selling the standalone plastic cases. It has realized the solution of “Complete One Package for Ready to Use” in order to fulfill the customer’s operational conveniences.
We are, of course, using such plastic cases for our own rental equipment so that we can show its outstanding features to our customers in the various operation field.

In addition to the NANUK cases, we are also the sales representative of the SHAPE Camera Rig products in Japan after the NAB 2012. They are also based in Quebec Canada and manufacture the supports and custom-built equipment there for video/photo cameras. These products have been exhibited in the last couple of Inter BEE in addition to our CIRCLE original equipment. We have continued to run the exhibition booth at the Inter BEE from 2007 onward.

In terms of our CIRCLE original equipment, we have been developing specialized unique video equipment to respond to the customer’s specific requirements for their operational conveniences further, as seen in some of the examples, peripheral devices such as “Tally Box” to be used with Video Live Switcher, water proofed “Camera Housing” for underwater shooting, “Conversion Cables” for lenses, “Customized hard/soft Cases”, “Rails” for the shooting camera movement, etc..
In the recent joint development of the “Light Rail” product between JAPAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (NHK) and CIRCLE Co., Ltd., it is our pleasure to have done the joint patent application in 2015.

The profile projector for the lens maintenance and performance verification was installed in our in-house projection room in 2014. This is to assure the lens performances in 4K shooting environment.

As for the sale of the used video equipment after completing their rental services at CIRCLE Co., Ltd. including the used video equipment consigned from other companies, TAISEI Co., Ltd. for which is one of the group companies of TAISE Group is responsible.

It is our pleasure to introduce our website below for your further reference.

https://www.circle-j.co.jp

In our website, you will find some of the demo video footage on drone, instructions of some unique rental equipment, newly added “CIRCLE Quality” footage which will be periodically updated, highlighting CIRCLE’s unique activities, characteristic rental equipment etc. in addition to the introduction of CIRCLE business operation. These footage were completely originated by CIRCLE from planning / consulting, shooting through editing until completing such respective video materials.
Sorry for that English language is available only for the limited part in our website.

Thank you.

(*From August 1, 2023, Drone-related services have been suspended.)

CIRCLE Co., Ltd.

Establishment March 1990 (Founded in Feb. 1983)
Main Financing Bank Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (Kojimachi branch office),
Sugamo Shinkin Bank (Waseda branch office)

Business Domain

Board Members

Chairman Yosei Ota
President Narihiro Ota
Managing Director Hisako Ota
Director Shingo Koma
Auditor Katsumi Ito

Location of Major Offices

Headquarters
16-512 Hachiman-cho Ichigaya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0844 Japan
Tel +81 3 3235 9501 Fax +81 3 3235 9518
Ichigaya Office
MORI Building 1F & 3F, 2-3 Tamachi Ichigaya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0843 Japan
Tel +81 3 3235 6761 Fax +81 3 3267 0582
Akihabara Office
1-11-5 Izumi-cho Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0024 Japan
Tel +81 3 5823 8655 Fax +81 3 5823 8657

History

1983
Feb.Establishment of CIRCLE Shoji (Business Company) Limited:
1988
Aug.Launch of rental/lease services of professional broadcasting video equipment including manufacturing, sale and maintenance/repair:
1990
Mar.Establishment of CIRCLE Co., Ltd.:
Oct.Change of the Company Name, from CIRCLE Shoji to TAISEI Limited as Mother Company of TAISEI Group:
1994
Dec.New organization establishment of CSS (CIRCLE Support Service) Business Division to initiate Support Services at video location field:
1998
Feb.Contribution to ORTO ’98 in providing the broadcast video equipment used for Olympic Winter Games, NAGANO:
JuneMove of the business office to MORI Building 1F, 2-3 Tamachi Ichigaya , Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo:
Oct.Contribution to the shooting in collaboration with TBS for 1998 FIV Volleyball World Championships Japan:
Development of Simple Rail Series products (Light Rail, “PAT” Rail and Bend Rail) all patented: Contribution to the shooting in collaboration with Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS) for their special program of TBS 50th Anniversary:
2001
Aug.Contribution to the shooting in collaboration with TV Asahi Corporation (TV Asahi) for FINA International Swimming World Championships Japan:
Nov.Change of the company name, from TAISEI Limited to TAISEI Co., Ltd.:
2005
MayMove of the business office to City Ichigaya 103, 2-38-3, Tamachi Ichigaya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo:

New organization establishment as Maintenance Section in the former business office:
2006
Mar.Acquisition of business certificate to dispatch specific temporary labors:
JuneDevelopment of “PAT” Rail P2 (Phase-2, also patented) to ensure line up of Simple Rail Series products:
2007
Nov.First Exhibition at the InterBEE Show:
(International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition in Japan)
(Continues to exhibit from 2007 onward.)
2008
Feb.Acquisition of business certificate to dispatch general temporary labors:
2010
Sept.Establishment of new business office in Akihabara, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
(CSS Group moved to Akihabara office from Ichigaya office):

Member of ad hoc task force, 3DBiz. Society:
Nov.Exhibition of 3D equipment in InterBEE 2010:
2012
Nov.Exhibition of the prototype of Virtual Crane System using Scorpio 23 crane having its telescopic arm at InterBEE 2012:
2013
Aug.Initiated aerial shooting business on drone:
Nov.Exhibition of 3 types of Drone at InterBEE 2013 after starting the aerial shooting business on drone from 2013 August:
2014
Mar.Installation of Profile Projector for lens performance verification:
Aug.Partnership with overseas Rental House: The Camera House (company name changed to “The Camera Division” in May 2017) In Hollywood, CA and Albuquerque, NM, USA and Servicevision in Barcelona, Spain:
Nov.Member of JSC (Japanese Society of Cinematographers):
2015
Feb.Completion of Virtual Operation System on Scorpio 23 Crane & Viz equipment, and get started to use for the TV program:
Apr.Partnership with overseas Rental House:
OVIDE in Barcelona, Madrid and Bilbao Spain:
MayJoint Development and Patent Application for “New Light Rail” together with NHK (JAPAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION):
Nov.Flight demo. on drone for aerial shooting operation in the special event during Inter BEE 2015:
2017
MayEstablishment of Business Development Dept. and Section of Aerial Shooting on drone:
2019
Mar.TAISEI Group, headed by Mr. Yosei Ota as CEO & Chairman, consisting of CIRCLE Co., Ltd., TAISEI Co., Ltd., SMCC Co., Ltd., AIDCA Co., Ltd. and Hakuho Building Limited was awarded a grand prize of “Shinkin Bank Dream Creation Award” in business year 2018 in the category of nonmanufacturing industry, out of the nominated 55 quality medium and small companies, under the sponsorship of Tokyo Credit union (Shinkin bank) Association, Shinkin Council Union and Tokyo Business Executives Meeting. [ For more information...]

Major Business Partners

Broadcast Stations
  • Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc.,
  • WOWOW Inc.,
  • Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK),
  • TV Asahi Corporation,
  • Fuji Television Network, Inc.,
  • TV TOKYO Corporation,
  • Nippon Television Network Corporation,
  • Shin-etsu BroadcastingCo.,Ltd,
  • Asahi Broadcasting Nagano Co.,Ltd,
  • TV Shinshu Broadcasting Co.,LTD,
Productions
  • TOTSU Inc.,
  • TAKESYSTEMS Co.,LTD.,
  • IKEDAYA,
  • NHK Technologies,Inc.
  • NTV Technical Resources Inc.,
  • KYODO TELEVISION Co.,Ltd,
  • IMAGICA Corp.,
  • TV.Shinshu Enterprise Co.,LTD
  • TCP Co.,Ltd,

(in random order)

Member of Industry Organizations

3DBiz. Society
SRUF (Specified Radio microphone User’s Federation)
Video Production Association in Tohoku district
JSC (Japanese Society of Cinematographers)

Group Companies

TAISEI Co., Ltd.
  • Management on contract of General / Administrative / Legal Affairs,
    Accounting and Human Resources
  • Rental, Lease and Sale of professional video/audio equipment
  • Resale of used professional broadcast/institutional equipment under
    certificate for resale business of used equipment
    (Certificate Number: No.304350406992 issued by Tokyo Metropolitan Public Safety Commission)
  • Purchase / sale / lease and management of real estate
SMCC Co., Ltd
  • Video editing of drama, news, sports programs etc.
  • Maintenance of broadcast equipment such as VTR etc.
  • Duplication of complete package of video programs for distribution
  • Program transmission related operation from broadcast stations
  • Preview check for complete package of video programs prior to transmission
  • Transmission of datacasting programs in CS broadcasting
  • Live operation of virtual CG (Computer Graphics)
  • Conversion to various video formats
  • Operation of video cameras, audio equipment etc. in studio
  • Technical development of broadcasting related subjects including consultation
  • Planning and producing of various video programs
  • Coordination of temporary workers (general)
AIDCA Co., Ltd.
  • Planning, producing and editing operation of TV program, CM, VP (Video Package), Cinema etc.
  • Providing TV stations with various video technical solutions
  • Sale of TV programs, video software and software designing for transmission program on computer
  • Planning, producing and distribution of mobile phone contents
  • Operation on contract of broadcasting related services
  • Rental / lease services of audio/video equipment
  • Producing the system to create video information on computer on a real time,
    and technical support service in terms of the system related solution
  • Creating display of character / graphics information / CG animation
    of TV programs etc. and related technical support service
  • Coordination of temporary workers (specific)
Hakuho Building Limited
  • Purchase / sale / lease and management of real estate
  • Management of various commercial, accommodation, sports and amusement facilities
  • Management of facilities for care of the aged, including operation on contract
  • Operation on contract of dormitory, company housing, recreation and training facilities

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