# 1989 Suntory Japan Open Tennis Championships – Women's singles

Patty Fendick was the defending champion but did not compete that year.
Kumiko Okamoto won in the final 6–4, 6–2 against Elizabeth Smylie.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Anne Minter (semifinals)
* Belinda Cordwell (semifinals)
* Ann Henricksson (second round)
* Sandra Wasserman (quarterfinals)
* Etsuko Inoue (quarterfinals)
* Betsy Nagelsen (quarterfinals)
* Monique Javer (second round)
* Louise Allen (first round)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking
| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | A Minter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Yanagi | 1 | 4 | | 1 | A Minter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Werdel | 7 | 6 | | | M Werdel | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Witvoet | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | 1 | A Minter | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Hobbs | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | 6 | B Nagelsen | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Bonder-Kreiss | 4 | 6 | 6 | | L Bonder-Kreiss | 6 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Field | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 | B Nagelsen | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | B Nagelsen | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | A Minter | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 4 | S Wasserman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | E Smylie | 6 | 4 | 7 | | | | |
| | A Kijimuta | 3 | 2 | | 4 | S Wasserman | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Nishiya | 2 | 6 | 1 | | A Devries | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Devries | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 4 | S Wasserman | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | I Kuczyńska | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | E Smylie | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Smylie | 7 | 6 | | | E Smylie | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Jaggard | 3 | 3 | | 7 | M Javer | 7 | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | M Javer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Elizabeth Smylie | 4 | 2 |
| 8 | L Allen | 6 | 2 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Q | Kumiko Okamoto | 6 | 6 |
| Q | K Okamoto | 2 | 6 | 6 | Q | K Okamoto | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L-A Eldredge | 6 | 6 | | | L-A Eldredge | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | T Zambrzycki | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | Q | K Okamoto | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Kidowaki | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | Q | K Date | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | K Date | 6 | 6 | | Q | K Date | 7 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Richardson | 1 | 2 | | 3 | A Henricksson | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | A Henricksson | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | Q | K Okamoto | 6 | 6 | | | | | |
| 5 | E Inoue | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | B Cordwell | 2 | 4 | | | | | |
| | N Sawamatsu | 1 | 2 | | 5 | E Inoue | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Pawlik | 6 | 7 | | | M Pawlik | 3 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Herr | 2 | 5 | | | | | | | 5 | E Inoue | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | N Miyagi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 2 | B Cordwell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | J Hetherington | 2 | 1 | | Q | N Miyagi | 2 | 6 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | C Bakkum | 2 | 1 | | 2 | B Cordwell | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | B Cordwell | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |