Billboard Japan is a sister organization of the U.S.-based music magazine Billboard. It is operated by the Japanese Osaka-based company Hanshin Contents Link (a subsidiary of Hanshin Electric Railway), holding an exclusive licence from Billboards parent company to the Billboard brand name in Japan,"Hanshin Contents Link, the operator of Billboard Japan": and manages, among others, the website www.billboard-japan.com and several "Billboard Live"-branded music clubs located in the country.
In February 2008, Hanshin Contents Link, under licence from Billboard, launched the Billboard Japan Hot 100 music chart. As of 2025, the list of charts compiled by Billboard Japan also included an albums chart named Billboard Japan Hot Albums, physical-sales-only-based charts Top Singles Sales and Top Albums Sales, download-only-based charts Download Songs and Download Albums, an animation music chart named Hot Animation, and a chart for foreign songs named Hot Overseas, etc. In November 2025, the company launches book charts to list the best-selling books in Japan.
From 2010 to 2016, Billboard Japan holds an annual awards ceremony called the Billboard Japan Music Awards, which honors domestic and international artists who achieved the best results on Billboard Japans music charts during the previous year.
Charts Singles and tracks Title Type Positions Description Japan Hot 100 Physical sales +digital sales +streaming +airplay +video playback +karaoke 100 Charts for comprehensive released songs First launched on March 3, 2008 Hot Animation 20 Charts for anime and video game music songs First launched on December 1, 2010 Hot Overseas 20 Charts for internationally released songs by Western artists First launched on December 9, 2013 Top Singles Sales Physical sales 100 Chart for top-selling physical singles sales One of the component charts of the Japan Hot 100 Download Songs Digital sales 100 Chart for top-selling digital song sales One of the component charts of the Japan Hot 100 Launched on October 9, 2017, after Radio Songs Chart became defunct Streaming Songs Streaming 100 Chart for top-streaming songs One of the component charts of the Japan Hot 100 Launched on October 9, 2017, after Radio Songs Chart became defunct Top User Generated Songs Video playback 20 Chart for top-user-generated views songs from YouTube views One of the component charts of the Japan Hot 100 Launched on December 7, 2020 Heatseekers Songs Digital sales +streaming +airplay +video playback 20 Chart for songs from new artists that have never attained the top 20 of the Japan Hot 100. Launched on December 7, 2020 Niconico Vocaloid Songs Top 20 Video views +video uploading +comments +likes 20 Chart for VocaloidAlso includes similar voice synthesis software like Utau, Voiceroid, CeVIO and Synthesizer V. songs posted in video hosting service Niconico Launched on December 7, 2022 Discontinued between the week of June 12 and September 4, 2024, due to the cyberattack on Niconico. Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan Digital sales +streaming 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from territories outside Japan Launched on September 14, 2023 Japan Songs (South Korea) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from South Korea Launched on September 14, 2023 Japan Songs (Singapore) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from Singapore Launched on September 14, 2023 Japan Songs (India) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from India Launched on September 14, 2023 Japan Songs (France) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from France Launched on September 14, 2023 Japan Songs (UK) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from the United Kingdom Launched on September 14, 2023 Japan Songs (Thailand) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from Thailand Launched on November 9, 2023 Japan Songs (South Africa) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from South Africa Launched on November 9, 2023 Japan Songs (US) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from the United States Launched on November 9, 2023 Japan Songs (Brazil) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from Brazil Launched on November 9, 2023 Hot Shot Song Digital sales +streaming +video playback 20 Chart for the most increased songs in Japan from the previous week Launched on December 4, 2024 Japan Songs (Taiwan) Digital sales +streaming 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from Taiwan Launched on December 5, 2024 Japan Songs (Germany) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from Germany Launched on December 5, 2024 Japan Songs (Indonesia) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from Indonesia Launched on March 27, 2025 Japan Songs (Malaysia) 20 Chart for Japanese comprehensive released songs from Malaysia Launched on March 27, 2025
Albums Title Type Positions Description Hot Albums Physical sales +digital sales +streaming 100 Charts for comprehensive released albums (include extended plays) Launched on June 4, 2015, replaced from Top Albums Top Albums Sales Physical sales 100 Chart for top-selling physical album sales One of the component charts of the Hot Albums Download Albums Digital sales 100 Chart for top-selling digital album sales Launched on October 9, 2017 One of the component charts of the Hot Albums
Artists Title Positions Description Artist 100 100 Chart for the artists who earned points at the Japan Hot 100 and Hot Albums Launched on December 7, 2020 Hot 100 Lyricists 100 Chart for the lyricists who earned points at the Japan Hot 100 Launched on December 7, 2020 Hot 100 Composers 100 Chart for the composers who earned points at the Japan Hot 100 Launched on December 7, 2020
Books Title Type Positions Description Book Hot 100 Physical books + E-books + loaned books from library + social media indicator 100 Chart for best-selling books Launched on November 6, 2025 Hot Bungei Books 20 Chart for best-selling literary books Launched on November 6, 2025 Hot Manga 20 Chart for best-selling comic books (manga) Launched on November 6, 2025 Hot Economy Books 20 Chart for best-selling politics and economy-related books Launched on November 6, 2025 Hot Culture Books 20 Chart for best-selling culture and art-related books Launched on November 6, 2025 Showa Books 20 Chart for best-selling books first published during the Shōwa era Launched on November 6, 2025 Heisei Books 20 Chart for best-selling books first published during the Heisei era Launched on November 6, 2025 Reiwa Books 20 Chart for best-selling books first published during the Reiwa era Launched on November 6, 2025 Hot Shot Books 20 Chart for the most increased-selling songs in Japan from the previous week Launched on December 4, 2025
Music Labo was a music magazine in Japan, published from 1970 to 1994.週刊ミュージック・ラボ. National Diet Library. Billboard Publications bought 45% of that business to create Billboard Japan/Music Labo in 1971."BPI acquires 45% of Japanese Weekly". Billboard. 27 March 1971. p 3."Japan Paper, Billboard Tie". Billboard. 19 December 1970. pp 1 & 6. The magazine published a number of record charts including the "Hot 150", the "Hot 100","Toshiba-EMI, CBS/Sony & Disco Pace Japan Charts in 1976". Billboard. 29 January 1977. p 65. and the "Hot 50".Billboard. 1 February 1975. p 72. The Music Labo charts were used for the "Japan" section of "Hits of the World" in Billboard.See, for example, Billboard, 5 February 1994, p 42; and 13 November 1971, p 64. There were Billboard and Music Labo Awards at the Tokyo Music Festival."First Tokyo Music Festival". Billboard. 3 June 1972. pp 46 & 47.
See also Billboard Japan Hot 100 Billboard Japan Music Awards
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References
External links Billboard Japan