Aquaplus

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Aquaplus 株式会社アクアプラス
Type	Joint stock company
Founded	October 1994
Headquarters	Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan
Industry	Computer games, Music, Restaurants
Products	Visual novels, Albums
Website	aquaplus.jp/index.html

Aquaplus (株式会社アクアプラス, Kabushikigaisha Akuapurasu^?), formally U-Office (ユーオフィス, Yū Ofisu^?) and Aqua (アクア, Akua^?), is a Japanese company which main specializes in the publishing and distribution of visual novels under their brand Leaf which produces adult games, and games for all-ages are released under Aquaplus' name alone. Aquaplus has been involved with the production of anime based on Leaf's games. The company is also involved with music, franchised restaurants, and at one point was involved with automobiles.

[edit] History

Aquaplus was established in October 1994 in Itami, Hyōgo, Japan as a visual novel and music publishing company at the time called U-Office, ltd. (有限会社ユーオフィス, Yūgengaisha Yū Ofisu^?); their adult game brand Leaf was also established at this time. In February 1995, Leaf produced their first game, and later that year in November U-Office started releasing all-ages games for the PC under their name alone. The company changed its name to Aqua (アクア, Akua^?) in May 1996, and became a joint stock company. In 1997, Aqua opened their automobile specialty shop Aqua in Yachiyo, Hyōgo, Japan. In 1998, the company changed their name to the current Aquaplus. In October of that year, Aquaplus opened a development office in Toshima, Tokyo. In March 1999, Aquaplus published their first visual novel on a home console, To Heart, for the PlayStation. In May two months later, Fix Records was established as the record label for albums released through, and related to, Aquaplus; the soundtrack for the PS version of To Heart was the label's first production. In June 2000, the head office moved its current location in Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Japan. In November 2001, Aquaplus produced their PDA/handheld game console P/ECE. In 2002, Aquaplus became involved in managing franchised restaurants. At the end of 2002, Aquaplus moved their development office to Taitō, Tokyo. In August 2007, Aquaplus closed down their automobile specialty shop Aqua.

[edit] Enterprises

Aquaplus is mainly involved with the publishing and distribution of visual novels under their brand Leaf which produces adult games, and games for all-ages are released under Aquaplus' name alone. Aquaplus manages a recording studio named Studio Aqua which puts out albums by Indie music artists in the Kansai region of Japan where Aquaplus is located. Albums released in connection with the visual novels the company publishes are also recorded at Studio Aqua. Aquaplus' record label is Fix Records, and excluding the artists with albums released by Studio Aqua, all other albums produced by Aquaplus are on this label which includes all albums related to the visual novels by Leaf and Aquaplus, and mainstream artists such as Suara. Aquaplus is involved with the franchised restaurants Toriaizu Gohei and Gyu-Kaku in Hyōgo, Japan. Aquaplus had managed an automobile specialty shop in Taka, Hyōgo, Japan called Aqua, but closed it down on August 31, 2007. The shop specialized in customizing Subarus, including for street races.