The following is an overview of the year 2008 in Japanese music. It includes notable awards, lists of number-ones, yearly best-sellers, albums released, groups established and disestablished, deaths of notable Japanese music-related people as well as any other relevant Japanese music-related events. For overviews of the year in music from other countries, see 2008 in music.
Events December 31 – 29th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
Awards May 30 – 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan December 30 – 50th Japan Record Awards
Number-ones Oricon number-one albums Oricon number-one singles Hot 100 number-one singles
Best-sellers Artists The best-selling music artist in Japan in 2008 by value of sales, including sales of records and of DVDs and Blu-rays, according to Oricon, was Exile, with .
Albums The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling albums in Japan in 2008, according to Oricon. Rank Album Artist 1 Exile 2 Best Fiction Namie Amuro 3 5296 Kobukuro 4 Exile 5 Heart Station Hikaru Utada 6 Exile 7 B'z The Best "Ultra Pleasure" B'z 8 A Complete: All Singles Ayumi Hamasaki 9 Dreams Come True 10 Ā, Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu. Greeeen
Albums released The following section includes albums by Japanese artists released in Japan in 2008 as well as Japanese-language albums by foreign artists released in the country during this year. January 1 – Guilty by Ayumi Hamasaki January 23 - Night Fishing by Sakanaction January 30 – Kingdom by Kumi Koda January 30 – Darling by Yui Horie February 13 – Award Supernova: Loves Best by M-Flo February 13 – Love Is... by Sachi Tainaka February 20 – Complete Single Collection '97–'08 by The Brilliant Green February 27 – The Face by BoA February 27 – Daiji na Mono by Idoling!!! February 27 – Izayoi no Tsuki, Canaria no Koi. by Yukari Tamura March 5 – World World World by Asian Kung-Fu Generation March 12 – Kyokuto Symphony: The Five Stars Night @Budokan by Nightmare March 12 – Namida no Kiseki by Ai Nonaka March 19 – Heart Station by Hikaru Utada March 26 – by Exile March 26 – Shion by MUCC April 2 – Hikari Nadeshiko by Eiko Shimamiya April 9 – Gokutama Rock Cafe by An Cafe April 9 – I Loved Yesterday by Yui April 16 – Game by Perfume April 23 – Dream "A" Live by Arashi May 14 – Superfly by Superfly June 4 – KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates by KAT-TUN June 18 – B'z The Best "Ultra Pleasure" by B'z June 23 – Hayley Sings Japanese Songs by Hayley Westenra June 25 – Ā, Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu. by Greeeen June 25 – Honey by Chara July 9 – Panic Fancy by Orange Range July 11 – Envy/Jesu by Envy and Jesu July 20 – Best Fiction by Namie Amuro July 23 – Hakai by Wagdug Futuristic Unity July 23 – Love & Peace by Emi Tawata July 30 – Best Fiction by Namie Amuro September 3 – Arigatō by Hatsune Okumura September 10 – 5 by Berryz Kobo September 10 – A Complete: All Singles by Ayumi Hamasaki September 17 – B'z The Best "Ultra Treasure" by B'z September 24 – Fairy Dance: Kokia Meets Ireland by Kokia November 5 – Best Destiny by Miliyah Kato November 11 – Uroboros by Dir En Grey November 12 – Kanjō Effect by One Ok Rock November 12 – My Short Stories by Yui November 19 – More! More! More! by Capsule November 19 – Color by NEWS November 26 – Voice by Mika Nakashima December 3 – by Exile December 3 – Me... by Emi Hinouchi December 10 – Awake -Evoke the Urge- by Deathgaze December 12 – Supermarket Fantasy by Mr. Children December 17 – Kirari to Fuyu by Koharu Kusumi December 17 – Love Letter by Ai Otsuka
Groups established Afilia Saga Dempagumi.inc Girl Next Door Hangry & Angry Happiness no3b Momoiro Clover Z SKE48 Shugo Chara Egg! Watarirouka Hashiritai 7
Groups disestablished Athena & Robikerottsu
See also 2008 in Japan 2008 in Japanese television List of Japanese films of 2008
References