# 2018 in Japanese music

The year 2018 in Japanese music.

## Number ones

* Oricon number-one albums
* Oricon number-one singles
* Hot 100 number-one singles

## Awards

* 60th Japan Record Awards
* 2018 MTV Video Music Awards Japan

## Albums released
### January

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 1 | Best Generation | Generations from Exile Tribe | J-pop | Rhythm Zone |
| 2 | Westival | Johnny's West | J-pop | Johnny's Entertainment |
| 3 | Jack in the Box | Shuta Sueyoshi | Rap | Avex Trax |
| 10 | The Museum III | Nana Mizuki | J-pop / Anison | King Records |
| 10 | Boku Dake no Kimi (Under Super Best) | Nogizaka46 | J-pop | Sony Music Japan |
| 17 | Everybody!! | WANIMA | Punk rock / Pop punk | Unborde |
| 17 | Violet | Pentagon | J-pop | Cube Entertainment Japan |
| 24 | Bokutachi wa, Ano Hi no Yoake wo Shitteiru | AKB48 | J-pop | King Records |
| 31 | Countdown | Exo | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 31 | Killer Tune Shikane yo | Golden Bomber | Rock / Pop punk / EDM | Zany Zap |
| 31 | Shiori Goto: Best | Shiori Niiyama | J-pop / Pop rock | Being |

### February

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 7 | Hatachi no Morning Musume | Morning Musume | J-pop | Zetima |
| 7 | Digital Native | Yasutaka Nakata | Future bass / EDM | Unborde |
| 7 | Aio Piano | Ai Otsuka | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 14 | World Domination | Band-Maid | Hard rock | Crown Stones |
| 14 | Watashi Kono Mama de Ii no kana | BoA | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 14 | #5 | Ling Tosite Sigure | Post-hardcore / Indie rock | Sony Music Japan |
| 14 | Honey | Scandal | Pop rock / Alternative rock | Epic Records Japan |
| 14 | XYZ=repainting | Sexy Zone | J-pop | Pony Canyon |
| 14 | Riri | Riri | R&B / EDM | Sony Music Associated Records |
| 21 | Time | Leo Ieiri | J-pop / Pop rock | Colourful Records |
| 21 | I | Juju | J-pop / New wave / Jazz | Sony Music Japan |
| 21 | Evolve to Love | Kokia | J-pop / Folk | Victor Entertainment |
| 28 | Deen The Best Forever Complete Singles+ | Deen | J-pop / Pop rock | Epic Records Japan |
| 28 | And | Koda Kumi | J-pop / Urban / R&B | Rhythm Zone |
| 28 | BTOB Japan Best Album 2014-2017 ～1096 Days～ | BtoB | J-pop | Cube Entertainment Japan |
| 28 | Yoru, Carmen no Shishuu | Kiyoharu | Rock | Triad |

### March

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 7 | You | Mao Abe | J-pop / Pop rock | Pony Canyon |
| 7 | Cocoon | Androp | Alternative rock / Hard rock / Indie rock | Zen Music |
| 7 | Best | Daichi Miura | R&B / Dance / J-pop | Sonic Groove |
| 14 | Reason of Black Color | Ame no Parade | Indie rock / Alternative rock | Speedstar Records |
| 14 | Spotlight | Flower Flower | Rock | Sony Music Japan |
| 14 | Flyways | Moumoon | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 14 | Koki Aisare Stance | Sawa | Electropop / Trance / IDM | Spacy Records |
| 14 | No.0 | Buck-Tick | Indie rock / Alternative rock | Victor Entertainment |
| 14 | Some Dreams | Earphones | J-pop | Evil Line Records |
| 21 | Sang | Kamijo | Symphonic metal / Power metal | Sherow Artist Society |
| 21 | Epcotia | NEWS | J-pop | Johnny's Entertainment |
| 21 | True Woman | Nokko | J-pop / House / Bossa nova | Universal Sigma Label |
| 21 | Play | Masaki Suda | J-pop | Epic Records Japan |
| 28 | Best Hit AKG 2 | Asian Kung-Fu Generation | Indie rock / Alternative rock | Ki/oon Music |
| 28 | Highway Star | Exile The Second | J-pop / Dance / R&B / Hip hop | Rhythm Zone |
| 28 | World Atlas | Fhána | J-pop / Anison | Lantis |
| 28 | G.R.N.D. | Garnidelia | Power pop / Power rock / Synth-pop | Sacra Music |
| 28 | Koda Kumi Driving Hit's 8 | Koda Kumi | Drum and bass / Dubstep / House | Rhythm Zone |
| 28 | Beat & Roses | Mitsuhiro Oikawa | J-pop / Kayōkyoku | Victor Entertainment |
| 28 | Sakanazukan | Sakanaction | Alternative rock / New wave / Indie rock | NF Records |

### April

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 4 | Big Yell | Yuzu | J-pop | Senha & Co. |
| 4 | No Time | Jun. K | J-pop | Epic Records Japan |
| 11 | UreD | Greeeen | Pop rock | Zen Music |
| 11 | Haru to Shura | Haru Nemuri | | |
| 11 | Yuming kara no, Koi no Uta. | Yumi Matsutoya | J-pop | EMI Records |
| 11 | The Empire Strikes Start!! | Empire | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 18 | Revenant | Mary's Blood | Heavy metal | Tokuma Japan Communications |
| 18 | Shinee The Best From Now On | Shinee | J-pop | EMI Records |
| 25 | Bunriha no Natsu | Nariaki Obukuro | R&B / J-pop / PBR&B | Epic Records Japan |
| 25 | Piece | Monsta X | J-pop | Universal Music Japan |
| 25 | Otonoe | Wagakki Band | J-pop / Folk / Heavy metal | Avex Trax |
| 25 | Magic Hour | Maaya Uchida | J-pop | Pony Canyon |

### May

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 2 | Hybrid Funk | Tsuyoshi Domoto | Neo-soul | Johnny's Entertainment |
| 9 | Magic | Exo-CBX | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 23 | Chain | NCT 127 | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 23 | Kyō Kara Watashitachi wa: GFriend 1st Best | Gfriend | J-pop | King Records |

### June

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 6 | Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom Original Soundtrack | Joe Hisaishi | Soundtrack | Avex Entertainment |
| 6 | Battle Against Damnation | Lovebites | Power metal / Thrash metal | Victor Entertainment |
| 6 | Chasing the Horizon | Man with a Mission | Rap rock / Electro-rock | Sony Music Records |
| 13 | Ninth | The Gazette | Gothic metal / Metalcore / Alternative metal | Sony Music Records |
| 13 | Kisses and Kills | The Oral Cigarettes | Alternative rock / Indie rock | A-Sketch |
| 17 | Galapagos | Wednesday Campanella | Art pop / Hip house / Tropical house | Warner Music Japan |
| 19 | Tomorrow | TVXQ | J-pop / Dance-pop | Avex Trax |
| 20 | Hashiridasu Shunkan | Hiragana Keyakizaka46 | J-pop / Dance-pop | Sony Music Records |
| 27 | Tetsuya Komuro Archives "T" | Various Artists | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 27 | Tetsuya Komuro Archives "K" | Various Artists | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 27 | Hatsukoi | Hikaru Utada | J-pop / Soul / R&B | Epic Records Japan |

### July

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 4 | #Cookie Jar | Red Velvet | J-pop | Avex Trax |

### August

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 1 | Legend S: Baptism XX | Babymetal | Kawaii metal / J-pop / Heavy metal | Toy's Factory |
| 1 | Gracia | Mari Hamada | J-pop / Heavy metal | Victor Entertainment |
| 15 | Future Pop | Perfume | J-pop / Electropop / EDM / Future bass | Universal J |
| 22 | Sense or Love | Hey! Say! JUMP | J-pop | J Storm |
| 22 | DNA | Koda Kumi | J-pop / Urban / R&B / Electropop | Rhythm Zone |
| 29 | Shine | Pentagon | J-pop | Cube Entertainment Japan |

### September

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 5 | Empire Originals | Empire | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 12 | BDZ | Twice | J-pop / Electropop | Warner Music Japan |
| 22 | Last Waltz in Tokyo | World's End Girlfriend | Contemporary classical / Post-rock | Virgin Babylon Records |
| 26 | The Insulated World | Dir En Grey | Avant-garde metal / Progressive metal | Fire Wall Div. / SMEJ |
| 26 | Japamyu | Kyary Pamyu Pamyu | J-pop / Electropop / EDM / Eurodance / Bubblegum | Unborde |

### October

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 3 | RUN | Tofubeats | J-pop | Unborde |
| 10 | qp | Ichiko Aoba | Contemporary folk | Victor Entertainment |
| 10 | Kimi Omou: Shunkashūtō | Mai Kuraki | J-pop / R&B / Dance-pop | Northern Music |
| 17 | Jijitsujo | Reol | Electropop / Hip-Hop | Victor Entertainment |
| 17 | Unlock | Day6 | Pop rock / Ballad | Warner Music Japan |

### November

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 14 | Tadashii Itsuwari Kara no Kishō | Zutomayo | J-pop | EMI Records |
| 16 | Heir to Despair | Sigh | Avant-garde metal / Progressive metal | Candlelight Records |
| 28 | Taemin | Taemin | J-pop | EMI Records / Universal Music |

### December

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 5 | Hometown | Asian Kung-Fu Generation | Indie rock / Alternative rock | Ki/oon Records |
| 5 | Clockwork Immortality | Lovebites | Power metal / Thrash metal | Victor Entertainment |
| 5 | Cheers | Lee Hong-gi | J-pop | Warner Music Japan |
| 5 | Music Muscle | Maki Ohguro | J-pop | Being Inc. |
| 21 | Hologram | Key | J-pop | EMI Records |
| 26 | BDZ - Repackage | Twice | J-pop / Electropop | Warner Music Japan |

## Debuting and returning artists
### Debuting groups

* April
* Day6
* dps
* Dreamcatcher
* Empire
* EXID
* Fantastics from Exile Tribe
* First Place
* GFriend
* Gugudan
* Hachimitsu Rocket
* King & Prince
* Mamamoo
* Myteen
* Neo Japonism
* Raise A Suilen
* Red Velvet
* Seventeen
* Spira Spica
* STU48
* Uijin
* Yoshimotozaka46
* Zutomayo

### Debuting soloists

* Aina the End
* Shuta Sueyoshi
* Ryuji Imaichi
* Taiki Yamazaki
* Minori Suzuki
* Mai Fuchigami
* Misako Uno
* Ryucheru
* Rika Tachibana
* Kiyoe Yoshioka
* Kaori Ishihara
* Shigeru Joshima
* Haruka Yamazaki
* Yuma Uchida
* Makoto Furukawa
* Ryusei Yokohama
* Yuka Ozaki
* Reona
* Chiaki Satō
* Yuka Ozaki
* Akari Nanawo
* Chiaki Ito
* Meimi Tamura
* Halca
* Taemin
* Key

### Returning from hiatus

* Ayami Mutō
* Eir Aoi
* KAT-TUN
* Ami Wajima
* Ellegarden
* Hilcrhyme
* Ikimonogakari
* Charisma.com

## Disbanding and retiring artists
### Disbanding

* Idol Renaissance
* La PomPon
* Mix Speaker's,Inc.
* GEM
* Chelsy
* Cheeky Parade
* Chatmonchy
* Ciao Bella Cinquetti
* Tackey & Tsubasa
* Passpo
* Babyraids Japan
* Vanilla Beans
* X21
* Aqua Timez
* Secret
* Tahiti

### Retiring

* Tetsuya Komuro
* Namie Amuro
* Chiyo Okumura
* Hideaki Takizawa (Tackey & Tsubasa)
* Hitomi Yoshizawa

### Going on hiatus

* Charisma.com
* Folks
* Tsubasa Imai (Tackey & Tsubasa)
* Chris Hart
* Mao Denda
* Jero
* Yumi Hara
* Keito Okamoto (Hey! Say! JUMP)
* Nobuo Uematsu
* Shiori Niiyama
* Rice
* Sads

## Deaths

* January 26 – Junji Yayoshi, guitarist and record producer (b. 1968)
* January 31 – Itokin, MC and track maker (b. 1979)
* April 24 – Doji Morita, singer-songwriter (b. 1953)
* April 27 – Yukiji Asaoka, singer and actress (b. 1935)
* May 16 – Hideki Saijo, singer and actor (b. 1955)
* October 12 – Takehisa Kosugi, composer and violinist (b. 1938)
* November 14 – Masahiro Sayama, jazz pianist (b. 1953)
* November 25 – Norio Maeda, jazz pianist, composer, and conductor (b. 1934)