# 2015 in Japanese music

The year 2015 in Japanese music.

## Notable events

* The sold-out two-day Takashi Matsumoto Official 45th Anniversary Project event was held at the Tokyo International Forum on August 21 and 22, celebrating lyricist Takashi Matsumoto's career. Performances included Matsumoto reuniting with the other two surviving members of pioneering Japanese rock band Happy End.
* 66th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen on December 31.

## Number-ones

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

## Best-selling records
### Best-selling albums

The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling albums in Japan in 2015, according to Oricon.
| Rank | Album | Artist | Copies |
| 1 | Japonism | Arashi | 981,639 |
| 2 | Planet Seven | Sandaime J Soul Brothers from Exile Tribe | 868,247 |
| 3 | Dreams Come True The Best! Watashi no Dorikamu | Dreams Come True | 828,505 |
| 4 | Koko ga Rhodes da, Koko de Tobe! | AKB48 | 780,591 |
| 5 | 0 to 1 no Aida | AKB48 | 687,688 |
| 6 | Reflection [ja] | Mr. Children | 576,867 |
| 7 | Budō [ja] | Southern All Stars | 534,482 |
| 8 | Tree | Sekai no Owari | 484,588 |
| 9 | Kanjani Eight no genki ga deru CD!! [ja] | Kanjani Eight | 348,197 |
| 10 | Kis-My-World | Kis-My-Ft2 | 336,069 |

### Best-selling singles

The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling singles in Japan in 2015, according to Oricon.
| Rank | Single | Artist | Copies |
| 1 | "Bokutachi wa Tatakawanai" | AKB48 | 1,782,707 |
| 2 | "Halloween Night" | AKB48 | 1,328,411 |
| 3 | "Green Flash" | AKB48 | 1,045,492 |
| 4 | "Kuchibiru ni Be My Baby" | AKB48 | 905,490 |
| 5 | "Coquettish Jūtai Chū" | SKE48 | 702,299 |
| 6 | "Ima, Hanashitai Dareka ga Iru" | Nogizaka46 | 686,539 |
| 7 | "Taiyō Nokku" | Nogizaka46 | 678,481 |
| 8 | "Inochi wa Utsukushii" | Nogizaka46 | 620,555 |
| 9 | "Aozora no Shita, Kimi no Tonari" | Arashi | 571,597 |
| 10 | "Don't Look Back!" | NMB48 | 530,830 |

## Awards

* 57th Japan Record Awards
* 2015 MTV Video Music Awards Japan

## Albums released
### January

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 28 | Planet Seven | Sandaime J Soul Brothers | J-pop | Rhythm Zone |

### February

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 4 | Colour by Number | Monkey Majik | Rock | Binyl Records |
| 11 | Imademo | Kim Hyun-joong | | Universal Music Japan |
| 18 | Call Me... | Pentagon | | Goemon Records |
| 25 | Last Song | Seo In-guk | | Nippon Crown |

### March

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 4 | Epic Day | B'z | Hard rock, pop rock | Vermillion Records |
| 18 | Action | U-KISS | | Avex Trax |
| 18 | After School Best | After School | | Avex Trax |
| 25 | 19: Road to Amazing World | Exile | | Rhythm Zone |

### April

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 1 | Present | Donghae & Eunhyuk | | Avex Trax |
| 15 | 2PM of 2PM | 2PM | | Epic Records Japan |

### September

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 16 | Positive | Tofubeats | J-pop | Unborde |
| 30 | Colors | CNBLUE | Rock | Warner Music Japan |

### November

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 18 | New Beginning | Band-Maid | Hard rock, heavy metal | Gump Records |
| 18 | Close to You | Max Changmin | J-pop | Avex Trax |
| 25 | Love Letter | Jun. K | J-pop | Epic Records Japan |

### December

| Date | Album | Artist | Genre | Labels |
| 2 | Yellow Dancer | Gen Hoshino | | Speedstar Records |
| 16 | For You | Infinite | | Delicious Deli Records |
| 23 | °Cmaj9 | Cute | J-pop | Zetima |

## Debuting
### Debuting groups

* 2o Love to Sweet Bullet
* 3776
* Akishibu Project
* Billie Idle
* Bish
* Camellia Factory
* Earphones
* Ebisu Muscats
* Exo
* Fate Gear
* High4
* The Hoopers
* Idol Renaissance
* Iginari Tohoku San
* Kolme
* La PomPon
* Ladybaby
* lol
* Magnolia Factory
* Mrs. Green Apple
* Myth & Roid
* Official Hige Dandism
* OxT
* Pasocom Music Club
* The Peggies
* Pentagon
* POP
* Srv.Vinci
* Sora tob sakana
* Suchmos
* Tacoyaki Rainbow
* Tahiti
* Tokimeki Sendenbu
* TrySail
* Wednesday Campanella
* Whiteeeen

### Debuting soloists

* Aimyon
* Anly
* Daoko
* Inori Minase
* Max Changmin
* Reol
* Sakura Fujiwara

## Deaths

* July 6 – Masabumi Kikuchi, Japanese-American pianist and composer (b. 1939)