# 1988 Suntory Japan Open Tennis Championships – Women's singles

Katerina Maleeva was the defending champion but did not compete that year.
Patty Fendick won in the final 6–3, 7–5 against Stephanie Rehe.

## Seeds

A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.
* Natasha Zvereva (second round)
* Larisa Savchenko (quarterfinals)
* Catarina Lindqvist (first round)
* Patty Fendick (champion)
* Anne Minter (quarterfinals)
* Stephanie Rehe (final)
* Etsuko Inoue (first round)
* Gigi Fernández (second 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 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 1 | N Zvereva | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Yanagi | 0 | 4 | | 1 | N Zvereva | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Gerken | 4 | 1 | | Q | M Javer | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | M Javer | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | Q | M Javer | 5 | 1 | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Devries | 6 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | 6 | S Rehe | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | E Smylie | 2 | 6 | 1 | | A Devries | 1 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Kidowaki | 2 | 2 | | 6 | S Rehe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | S Rehe | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | S Rehe | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 3 | C Lindqvist | 6 | 1 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | M Werdel | 3 | 3 | | | | |
| | B Schultz | 1 | 6 | 6 | | B Schultz | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | B Nagelsen | 3 | 6 | 6 | | B Nagelsen | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Kijimuta | 6 | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | B Schultz | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Bonder | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | | M Werdel | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Werdel | 7 | 6 | | | M Werdel | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Van Nostrand | 5 | 5 | | 8 | G Fernández | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | G Fernández | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | Stephanie Rehe | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | A Minter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | Patty Fendick | 6 | 7 |
| Q | M Jaggard | 2 | 2 | | 5 | A Minter | 4 | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | H Witvoet | 6 | 6 | | | H Witvoet | 6 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | S Meier | 2 | 1 | | | | | | | 5 | A Minter | 0 | 6 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Q | S Sloane | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 4 | P Fendick | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Parkhomenko | 1 | 1 | | Q | S Sloane | 2 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Q | N Medvedeva | 4 | 6 | | 4 | P Fendick | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | P Fendick | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | P Fendick | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| 7 | E Inoue | 6 | 4 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | L Meskhi | 0 | 3 | | | | |
| | N Bykova | 0 | 6 | 6 | | N Bykova | 4 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | A Henricksson | 3 | 4 | | | L Meskhi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | L Meskhi | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | L Meskhi | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | B Cordwell | 5 | 4 | | | | | | | 2 | L Savchenko | 3 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | R White | 7 | 6 | | | R White | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | K Okamoto | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | L Savchenko | 3 | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | L Savchenko | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |