List of best-selling singles in Japan
Best-selling singles by year
Table:
Year

Title

Artist

Sales

Chart Peak

References

1989

"Diamonds"

Princess Princess

814,570

1

[138]

1990

"Odoru Pompokolin"

B.B.Queens

1,308,440

1

[139]

1991

"Oh Yeah!"/"Love Story wa Totsuzen ni"

Kazumasa Oda

2,541,910

1

[140]

1992

"Kimi ga Iru Dake de"

Kome Kome Club

2,762,210

1

[141]

1993

"Yah Yah Yah / Yume no Bannin"

Chage and Aska

2,407,960

1

[142]

1994

"Innocent World"

Mr. Children

1,812,970

1

[143]

1995

"Love Love Love"/"Arashi ga Kuru"

Dreams Come True

2,351,940

1

[144]

1996

"Namonaki Uta"

Mr. Children

2,302,910

1

[145]

1997

"Can You Celebrate?"

Namie Amuro

2,223,090

1

[146]

1998

"Yuuwaku"

GLAY

1,611,920

1

[147]

1999

"Dango 3 Kyodai"

Kentarō Hayami, Ayumi Shigemori, Himawari Kids and Dango Gasshōdan

2,918,220

1

[148]

2000

"Tsunami"

Southern All Stars

2,886,940

1

[149]

2001

"Can You Keep a Secret?"

Utada Hikaru

1,484,940

1

[150]

2002

"H"

Ayumi Hamasaki

1,000,260

1

[151]

2003

"Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana"

SMAP

2,108,565

1

[152]

2004

"Hitomi o Tojite"

Ken Hirai

834,448

2

[153]

2005

"Seishun Amigo"

Shūji to Akira

945,315

1

[154]

2006

"Real Face"

KAT-TUN

1,038,923

1

[155]

2007

"Sen no Kaze ni Natte"

Masafumi Akikawa

1,115,499

1

[156]

2008

"Truth/Kaze no Mukō e"

Arashi

618,229

1

[157]

Considering the accompanying table along with the supplementary paragraphs listed at the end.

Provide an answer to this question: The band that put out the top-selling J-Pop single of the 1990s was formed when ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Avoid adding external knowledge.

Princess Princess ( プリンセス・プリンセス , Purinsesu Purinsesu , commonly referred to as Puri-Puri ) was a five-piece Japanese rock/pop girl band active from 1983 to 1996 . They were previously known as Julian Mama and Akasaka Komachi ( one album was released under this name ) . After 16 years , they reunited in November 2012 for several concerts in order to help with recovery from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami . They performed six concerts ; November 3 and 4 at the Sendai Sun Plaza Hall , then November 20 , 21 , 23 and 24 at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo . They performed at Tokyo Dome on December 23 and 24 , 2012 . They also performed at the 2012 Kōhaku Uta Gassen on New Year 's Eve .
Odoru Pompokolin ( おどるポンポコリン , Odoru Ponpokorin , Dance the Pompokolin ) is a song by Japanese pop group B.B.Queens , serving as their debut single on April 4 , 1990 . It was used as the original ending theme of the anime series Chibi Maruko-chan . On July 9 , 1990 , Odoru Pompokolin reached the top of the Oricon Singles Charts , and again on July 23 , on August 20 , before serving as the number 1 weekly song throughout the month of September 1990 . It ultimately remained on the charts for a total of 54 weeks , sold 1.9 million copies , and won both record of the year and pop rock song of the year at the 32nd Japan Record Awards as well as the 1991 JASRAC Award . The song was composed and arranged by Tetsuro Oda with lyrics by Momoko Sakura , author of Chibi Maruko-chan . Odoru Pompokolin became very popular as an anime theme song , reaching number 8 on a list of 100 unforgettable anime theme songs compiled by TV Asahi and then at number 1 on a list of the top 20 anime theme songs of the 1990s , also compiled by TV Asahi . Covers include an uptempo happy hardcore version which was featured on Anime Speed , a heavy metal cover by Animetal on their fanclub exclusive For the Bravehearts Only ! single , an English-language version titled Dancing Pompokolin by Captain Jack which was featured in the game Dance Dance Revolution and other music games , a version by ManaKana used as the Chibi Maruko-chan opening theme song from 1998 to 2000 , and a cover by Kaela Kimura on her album 5 Years which has been used as the opening for the anime throughout 2010 . In 2011 , B.B.Queens reunited and recorded a new version of Odoru Pompokolin to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Chibi Maruko-chan 's initial manga release . This version subtitled Chibi Maruko-chan Birthday 25th Version ( ちびまる子ちゃん 誕生 25th Version , Chibi Marukochan Tanjō 25th Version ) , coupled with a new version of Keiko Utoku and Fusanosuke Kondo 's Good-by Morning , was released as a single on May 1 , 2011 . This new version of the song also entered use as the Chibi Maruko-chan theme beginning with the May 1 , 2011 , broadcast of the new season . In August 13 , 2014 , the girl-group E-girls released a cover of Odoru Ponpokorin as their 10th single , coupled with a cover of Dreams Come True 's Happy !
B.B.Queens ( B.B.クイーンズ , Bī Bī Kuīnzu ) were a 1990s J-Pop band whose debut single Odoru Pompokolin was the # 1 song in 1990 on the Oricon charts , won the 32nd Japan Record Awards , was listed as the 3rd song on the JASRAC lists for 1991 , and certified as a Million Record .
Kazumasa Oda ( 小田 和正 , Oda Kazumasa , born September 20 , 1947 ) is a Japanese singer-songwriter , and composer . He was the leader of folk rock band Off Course from 1969 to 1989 , and has done solo work since 1985 . As the vocalist of Off Course , Oda wrote many Japanese standard numbers in the 70s and 80s . The group 's most successful singles - Sayonara ( 1979 ) , Yes-No ( 1980 ) , and Kimi ga Uso o Tsuita ( 1984 ) - were written by Oda . In 1985 he began work as a solo musician . He produced many hit singles as singer-songwriter , such as Little Tokyo ( 1989 ) , Itsuka Dokokade ( 1992 ) , Tsutaetai Koto ga Arunda ( 1997 ) and Kirakira ( 2002 ) . His most successful single was Love Story wa Totsuzen ni ( 1991 ) , the theme song of a Japanese TV drama called Tokyo Love Story . It sold over 2,580,000 copies and became the ninth best-selling single in Japan .
Kimi ga Iru Dake de ( 君がいるだけで , lit . Just by you being here ) is a Japanese song by Kome Kome Club released on May 4 , 1992 . On the Japanese Oricon chart , it sold 924,780 copies in one week and debuted at the number-one position . It held the top rank in total of six weeks . It sold over 2.89 million copies and is the top-selling J-Pop single of the 1990s and sixth best-selling song in Japan since 1968 , when the official Oricon sales records start . The song was the best promotion single of their new album Octave , which sold around two million copies . The song won the grand prix award at the 34th Japan Record Awards of pops [ sic ] and rock genre . It was used for the theme song of the drama 素顔のままで Sugao no Mama de , which starred 80 's idol singers Narumi Yasuda and Akina Nakamori .
Kome Kome Club ( 米米CLUB , Kome Kome Kurabu ) is a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1982 . It is widely recognized as the only Japanese pop rock musical group which achieved commercial success by blending soul and funk musical styles . They also use the style of rakugo .
Yah Yah Yah / Yume no Bannin ( YAH YAH YAH/夢の番人 ) is a single by Japanese popular music duo Chage and Aska . It was released on March 3 , 1993 . It was number-one on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart . It was the best-selling single in Japan in 1993 , with 2.407 million copies sold and it is the 11th best-selling physical single in Japan , having sold a total of 2.419 million copies .
Chage and Aska ( チャゲ & 飛鳥 ) are a Japanese popular music duo composed of male singer-songwriters from Fukuoka Prefecture : Chage ( チャゲ ) ( born January 6 , 1958 ) and Aska ( 飛鳥涼（RYO Aska ) ) ( born February 24 , 1958 ) . To date they have sold over 31 million albums and singles in Japan .
Innocent World is the fifth single released by Mr. Children on June 1 , 1994 .
Mr.Children ( Japanese : ミスターチルドレン , Hepburn : Misutā Chirudoren ) , commonly referred to by their contracted nickname Misu-Chiru ( ミスチル ) , are a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1989 . Consisting of Kazutoshi Sakurai , Kenichi Tahara , Keisuke Nakagawa , and Hideya Suzuki , they made their major label debut in 1992 . They are one of the best selling artists in Japan and one of the most successful Japanese rock artists , having sold over 75 million records and creating the Mis-chil Phenomenon ( ミスチル現象 ) in the mid-1990s in Japan . They held the record for the highest first week sales of a single in Japan for 15 years , with 1.2 million copies of their 10th single Namonaki Uta ( 名もなき詩 ) , have 30 consecutive number 1 singles , replaced Glay as the all-male band ( with 3 or more members ) to have the most number 1 albums on the Oricon charts , and won the Japan Record Award in 1994 for Innocent World and in 2004 for Sign . As of 2012 , Mr. Children has published fifteen original studio albums and 34 physical singles , along with five compilations , a live album , and fifteen home video releases . The band 's music is mainly composed and written by lead singer Sakurai , with the exception of the Suzuki-penned songs Asia and # 2601 from the albums Atomic Heart and Discovery , and occasional collaborative song writing with producer Takeshi Kobayashi. [ a ] . In 2012 they celebrated their 20th debut anniversary by releasing dual best album titled Mr. Children 2001-2005 ＜micro＞ and Mr. Children 2005-2010 ＜macro＞ . Both albums dominated the best-selling album category in the 2012 Oricon yearly chart , selling over 2.5 million copies . Mr.Children has become the third artists who achieved TOP 2 spots on the yearly album ranking , and this is the first time in 14 years for any artist to achieve this . Moreover , [ ( An Imitation ) Blood Orange ] , an album of new material released in November 2012 , debuted No.1 on the Oricon Chart - at the end of the year , all three albums released that year were in the Top 10 best selling albums of 2012 . In 2015 , Mr. Children was named No.1 Concert Mobilization Power Ranking based on the overall number of people whom attended their performances during 2015 in Japan , mobilizing 1,119,000 fans ( 36 concerts )
Love Love Love ( stylized as LOVE LOVE LOVE ) is a song recorded by Japanese band Dreams Come True for their eighth studio album , Love Unlimited ∞ . It was released as the album 's lead single by Epic/Sony Records on July 24 , 1995 . It is the theme song to the TBS drama series Aishiteiru to Itte Kure . The single 's B-side , Arashi ga Kuru , was also featured throughout the series ' twelve episodes . With over two million copies sold , Love Love Love is the tenth best-selling Japanese single of all time and remains the band 's most successful single .
Dreams Come True ( ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー , Dorīmuzu Kamu Turū ) are a Japanese pop band formed in 1988 , comprising Miwa Yoshida ( lead vocals ) and Masato Nakamura ( bass ) . Founding member Takahiro Nishikawa ( keyboards ) left in 2003 to pursue a solo career . The band has sold more than 50 million records worldwide .
Namonaki Uta ( 名もなき詩 , Nameless Poem ) is the tenth single by Mr. Children , released by Toy 's Factory on February 5 , 1996 . The cover of the single is Kazutoshi Sakurai 's face whose tongue was written no name . Namonaki Uta was used as the theme song of Japanese television drama Pure . On the Japanese Oricon weekly chart , the single Namonaki Uta opened at number-one with the first week sales of over 1.208 million copies , establishing the Japanese highest first-week single sales record . It topped the 1996 Oricon yearly single charts and sold over 2.308 million copies in total . It is the second best-selling song for the band behind their 1994 single Tomorrow Never Knows . The song was covered by Kohmi Hirose on her 2010 album Drama Songs .
Can You Celebrate ? is Namie Amuro 's seventh solo single under the Avex Trax label . Released on February 19 , 1997 , Can You Celebrate is the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japanese music history , with sales of 2,296,200 copies . It is also the theme song for Japanese drama Virgin Road ( バージンロード ) in 1997 , which starred Emi Wakui , Tetsuya Takeda and Takashi Sorimachi . Namie Amuro herself appears in the opening sequence of the drama , along with Tetsuya Komuro on the piano .
Namie Amuro ( 安室奈美恵 , Amuro Namie /nɑːmiˈeɪ/ NAH-mee-AY , born September 20 , 1977 ) is a former Japanese recording artist , producer , songwriter , dancer , model , actress and entrepreneur who was active between 1992 and 2018 . A leading figure of the Japanese entertainment industry since the early 90s , Amuro is known for breaking the youthful idol stereotype of J-Pop , changing the fashion trends and lifestyle of women in Japan , her experimentation across music styles , and for her visual imagery in music videos and live performances . Due to her career longevity , resilience , professionalism , efforts behind-the-scenes in the music industry , and her way of living , she is a pop culture icon in Japan and Asia . She has been referred to as the diva of the Heisei era and the Queen of Japanese Pop , and has been recognized as having the influence and career impact domestically equivalent to artists such as Janet Jackson and Madonna in Western music and pop culture . Born in Naha , Okinawa , Japan , Amuro debuted as the lead singer of the idol group Super Monkey 's when she was 14 years old . Despite early sales disappointments , she ventured into modeling and acting , attracting domestic attention with the group 's best-selling single Try Me ( Watashi o Shinjite ) . She signed to Avex Trax in 1995 and debuted as a solo artist with the single Body Feels Exit . Her 1996 studio album , Sweet 19 Blues , sold over 3 million copies , setting the record at the time for the biggest selling album by a female artist in Japan and the highest selling album debut in the world ( currently ranked # 15 in the world 's largest first week album sales ) . One of the singles from her album Concentration 20 ( 1997 ) , Can You Celebrate ? , is the best-selling single by a solo female artist in Japanese music history . From 1999 , Amuro partnered with international musicians and producers on her records , beginning with Genius 2000 ( 2000 ) . In the early 2000s , Amuro 's music evolved from pop to R & B , and Amuro saw a decline in sales . Play ( 2007 ) , her eighth studio album , heralded a period of commercial resurgence .
Yuuwaku ( temptation ) is the 13th single by Japanese band Glay . It reached No . 1 on the weekly Oricon charts and sold 1,611,920 copies in 1998 , becoming the best selling Japanese single of the year . It charted for 20 weeks and sold a total of 1,625,520 copies . The title song was used as the TDK Mini Disc CM song .
Glay is a Japanese rock band , formed in Hakodate in 1988 . Glay primarily composes songs in the rock and pop genres , but they have also arranged songs using elements from a wide variety of genres , including progressive rock , punk , electronic , R & B , folk , reggae , and ska . Originally a visual kei band , the group slowly shifted to less dramatic attire through the years . As of 2008 , Glay had sold an estimated 51 million records ; 28 million singles and 23 million albums , making them one of the top ten best-selling artists of all time in Japan .
Dango 3 Kyodai ( だんご3兄弟 , Dango San Kyōdai , Three Dango Brothers ) is a Japanese song released on March 3 , 1999 . The song caused a social phenomenon in Japan . On the Japanese Oricon weekly single charts , it debuted at the number-one position with the sales of over one million copies . It was considered that the song might surpass the record of Oyoge ! Taiyaki-kun . However , it spent at the top position for only three consecutive weeks . In fact , this song proved that Oyoge ! Taiyaki-kun had been extraordinary . According to the Oricon , it sold over 2.91 million copies , becoming the third best-selling single in Japan at that time . However , Southern All Stars 's Tsunami surpassed the record in 2005 .
Ayumi Shigemori ( 茂森 あゆみ , Shigemori Ayumi , born 15 December 1971 in Kumamoto ) is a Japanese actress and pop star . She sang on the major J-pop hit Dango 3 Kyodai .
Tsunami is a song by the Southern All Stars , released as their forty-fourth single on January 26 , 2000 .
Southern All Stars ( サザンオールスターズ , Sazan Ōrusutaazu ) , also known by the abbreviations Sazan ( サザン ) and SAS , are a Japanese rock band that first formed in 1974 . The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata ( lead vocals and guitars ) , Yuko Hara ( vocals and keyboards ) , Kazuyuki Sekiguchi ( bass ) , Hiroshi Matsuda ( drums ) and Hideyuki Kegani Nozawa ( percussion ) . In addition to the present lineup , former guitarist Takashi Omori had worked in the band until 2001 . After the contract with Victor Entertainment , the band released their top-ten charting debut single Katte ni Sindbad in 1978 . Since then , Southern has been one of the best-selling music groups in the past 30 years of Japan , selling more than 47 million albums and singles in Japan alone . They have had over 40 top-ten hit singles and 16 number-one albums on the Japan 's Oricon Charts as of 2008 . Their 1998 compilation Umi no Yeah ! ! has sold more than 3.3 million copies and became the best-selling double album in Japanese history . Their most commercially successful song Tsunami , released in 2000 , has sold over 2.9 million units in Japan alone , and provided the band with honor of winning the 42nd Japan Record Awards . The band was also acclaimed and ranked number one in HMV Japan 's 2003 list of 100 most influential Japanese musicians . In 2007 , Rolling Stone Japan ranked their album Ninkimono de Ikō number 32 on a list of the greatest Japanese rock albums of all time . They are also the only group to ever have 44 songs on the Oricon Top 100 weekly single chart simultaneously .
Can You Keep a Secret ? is a song by Hikaru Utada , released as her seventh Japanese-language single ( 9th overall ) on February 16 , 2001 . It was the theme song for a Japanese television drama called Hero , in which Utada had her acting debut , appearing in a cameo as a waitress . Can You Keep a Secret ? debuted at number one on the Oricon chart , selling 783,620 in its first week , and was her third single to be number one for two consecutive weeks . The single has sold 1,485,000 to date and became the number one single of 2001 in Japan . In the World Charts , Can You Keep a Secret ? reached number 37 for single airplay and number 9 for sales . The most recent figures ( May 26 , 2006 ) show that the single sold 1,484,940 units in total . It also remains one of Utada 's fan favorites . The music video for this song includes a robot whom Hikaru appears to be in a relationship with . Utada performed Can You Keep a Secret ?
Utada Hikaru ( 宇多田 ヒカル , born January 19 , 1983 ) , who has also gone by Hikaru Utada and the mononym Utada ( English : /uːˈtɑːdə/ , Japanese : [ ɯtada ] ) , is a Japanese-American singer-songwriter and producer . Born in the United States to Japanese parents , record producer Utada Teruzane and enka singer Keiko Fuji , Utada began to write music and lyrics at an early age and often traveled to Tokyo as a result of her father 's job . Eventually , a recording contract with Toshiba-EMI was signed and , under the stage name Cubic U , Utada released her English-language debut album Precious in early 1998 , but it was a commercial failure . In the following year , heavily influenced by R & B and dance-pop , her Japanese-language debut First Love was released and became an instant success . Backed by the massive success of singles Automatic , Time Will Tell , and Movin ' On Without You , the album sold two million copies in its first week in Japan , topped the Oricon charts for six non-consecutive weeks and went on to sell six million more throughout the rest of 1999 . First Love eventually became the country 's best-selling album of all time . Her following album Distance was released in early 2001 and spawned Utada 's biggest hit singles - Addicted to You , Wait & See ( Risk ) and Can You Keep a Secret ? - , which became million-sellers . The album was commercially successful and broke several sales records after three million copies were sold in its first week of availability in Japan , instantly becoming the country 's fastest-selling album . In 2002 , backed by chart-topping singles such as Traveling , Hikari and Sakura Drops , Deep River , which incorporates elements of pop folk , was released and went on to become one of Japan 's top-selling records of all-time . Subsequent full-length releases - Exodus , Ultra Blue and Heart Station - achieved million-selling status certified by the Recording Industry Association of Japan . After a prolonged hiatus , Utada released acoustic-driven Fantôme and Hatsukoi , which reached number-one on the Oricon album charts .
H is an EP by Japanese recording artist Ayumi Hamasaki , featuring songs later included on her fifth studio album Rainbow ( 2002 ) . The EP contains the songs Independent , July 1st and Hanabi , all written and co-composed by Hamasaki ( under the alias Crea ) , alongside composer Dai Nagao and producer Max Matsuura . Hamasaki had written and recorded the three songs when she was still hurt and influenced by the events of the September 11 attacks and the completion of her fourth studio album I Am . ( 2002 ) . The attacks influenced Hamasaki 's lyrical and musical direction , and had made her decide to create more worldly-inspired music . The EP utilizes dance and pop music , with each song being influenced by pop rock , electronica , and trip hop music . Like Rainbow , it contains ambient-influenced sounds such as handclaps and cheering . The lyrical content deals with freedom , fun and sadness , continuing themes seen on her previous album . The EP received mostly positive reviews from music critics , who commended the production value . Many critics praised it as being one of Hamasaki 's career highlights . The EP was commercially successful in her native Japan , peaking at number one on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart . It became the only single in 2002 the same year to sell over one million units in Japan , and was certified by the Recording Industry Association of Japan for one million copies shipped to stores .
Ayumi Hamasaki ( 浜崎あゆみ , Hamasaki Ayumi , born October 2 , 1978 ) is a Japanese singer , songwriter , record producer , actress , model , spokesperson and entrepreneur . Through her entire career , she has written all her lyrical content , and has sometimes composed her music . Born and raised in Fukuoka , Fukuoka Prefecture , Hamasaki moved to Tokyo at fourteen in 1993 to pursue a career in singing and acting . In 1998 , under the tutelage of Avex CEO Max Matsuura , Hamasaki released her debut single Poker Face [ fn 1 ] and debut major-label album A Song for XX . The album debuted at the top of the Oricon charts and remained there for five weeks , selling over a million copies . [ fn 1 ] Her next ten albums shipped over a million copies in Japan , with her third , Duty , selling nearly three million . A Best , her first compilation album , is her best-selling album , with more than four million copies sold in Japan . Since 2006 , after her album Secret was released , album and single sales have declined . Hamasaki has sold over 80 million records , making her the best-selling Japanese solo artist of all time . Hamasaki has several domestic record achievements for her singles , such as the most number-one hits by a female artist ( 38 ) ; the most consecutive number-one hits by a solo artist ( twenty-five ) , and the most million-sellers . [ fn 2 ] From 1999 to 2010 , Hamasaki had at least two singles each year topping the charts . Hamasaki is the first female recording artist to have ten studio albums since her debut to top the Oricon and the first artist to have a number-one album for 13 consecutive years since her debut .
Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana ( 世界に一つだけの花 , The One and Only Flower in the World ) is a song recorded by Japanese boy band SMAP . The Noriyuki Makihara composed song was released as a single in 2003 and sold more than 2.57 million copies , becoming the third best-selling single in Japan in Oricon history . Along with Hikaru Utada 's Colors , it was one of the only two singles to sell over a million copies in 2003 , a year that saw CD sales declining due to the Japanese economic slump . The single made it to the top of the Oricon 2003 Yearly singles chart . As of December 2016 it is the third best-selling single in Japan , with 3.000 million copies sold . This song became popular in karaoke .
SMAP was a Japanese boy band , composed of Masahiro Nakai , Takuya Kimura , Goro Inagaki , Tsuyoshi Kusanagi , and Shingo Katori . The group was created in 1988 by music producer Johnny Kitagawa , founder of Johnny & Associates , originally as a six-piece with Katsuyuki Mori , until his departure from the band in 1996 . After making their debut in 1991 , the group took the Japanese entertainment industry by storm , becoming the most successful boy band in Japanese history and the bestselling band in Asia , often referred to as a national treasure and a fortune and property of the country in Japan . SMAP was regarded as an iconic figure in Japan , after achieving an unprecedented level of success in numerous genres in the entertainment industry , including music , television , film , radio , and theater , as a group and individually . Being the first boy band to have a career for more than twenty years and to have extended its activities into various fields outside of music , SMAP was credited for changing the Japanese entertainment and music industry , in terms of prolonging longevity of boy bands and broadening careers by creating new opportunities for bands that followed . After starting out as a typical boy band , with a fan base predominantly female teens , they gradually transformed into a band with a wider audience , expanding their fan base to preteens , male adults , and even the elderly , after their success as actors and television personalities . SMAP released 55 singles , all of which reached the top 10 in the charts , 22 consecutive number one singles , and 33 number one singles in total . The band has had 24 top 10 albums and 14 number one albums . The One and Only Flower in the World , released in 2003 , is the best selling single in the 21st century and the third best selling single in Japanese history and has become the most recognized song in Japan , as it appears in text books used in school and children are taught to learn the song at a young age . Other best selling singles by the group include , Beyond the Night Sky , Lion Heart , Shake , Aoi Inazuma , which also have become the most popular songs in Japan . Throughout their career , the band has sold over 38,5 million records in Japan alone . In April 1996 , the group launched their weekly variety show , SMAP×SMAP , which quickly gained high ratings and became one of the most famous television shows in Japan .
Sentimentalovers ( also styled SENTIMENTALovers ) is the sixth full-length album released by singer and songwriter Ken Hirai . It was released on November 24 , 2004 and sold over 1,660,885 copies .
Ken Hirai ( 平井 堅 , Hirai Ken , born January 17 , 1972 ) is a Japanese R & B and pop singer . Since his debut , Hirai has worked as a model , actor , composer , lyricist , singer , and spokesperson . During his career , Hirai has released 45 singles and nine studio albums as of January 2019 . According to Oricon , his single Hitomi o Tojite ( Close Your Eyes ) became the best-selling single of 2004 in Japan , while his compilation album Ken Hirai 10th Anniversary Complete Single Collection '95-'05 Utabaka became the best-selling album of 2006 in Japan .
Shūji to Akira ( 修二と彰 , lit . Shūji and Akira ) was a special temporary unit formed by KAT-TUN member Kazuya Kamenashi and NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita for their 2005 drama Nobuta o Produce . Shūji ( 修二 ) and Akira ( 彰 ) are the names of the characters Kamenashi and Yamashita play in the drama respectively . Although the drama has long finished on television , the duo have revived their performance of their song Seishun Amigo ( 青春アミーゴ , Youthful Friends ) numerous times . In 2017 , they formed another special temporary unit , Kame to Yamapi ( 亀と山P , lit . Kame and Yamapi ) , for their 2017 drama Boku , Unmei no Hito desu .
Real Face is a song written by Shikao Suga , Joker , Tak Matsumoto and Chokkaku for the debut single and debut album of the Japanese boy band , KAT-TUN . It was released on March 22 , 2006 , and debuted on the Oricon daily and weekly singles charts at number 1 where it stayed on the latter for 3 weeks . The song would eventually sell over a million copies by the end of 2006 and was named Japan 's best-selling single of the year .
KAT-TUN ( カトゥーン , Katūn ) is a Japanese boy band formed under Johnny & Associates ( Johnny 's ) in 2001 . The group 's name was originally an acronym based on the first letter of each member 's family name : Kazuya Kamenashi , Jin Akanishi , Junnosuke Taguchi , Koki Tanaka , Tatsuya Ueda , and Yuichi Nakamaru . Their debut on March 22 , 2006 was marked by a tripartite release of a CD single , album and music DVD on their exclusive record label J-One Records . Since then , all of their single , album and music DVD releases have debuted at number one on the Oricon music and DVD charts . In 2010 , Akanishi left the group to start a solo career , making the group 's acronym then come from KAmenashi , Taguchi , Tanaka , Ueda , and Nakamaru , and the group toured with five members . In 2013 , Tanaka 's contract was terminated for several violations , leaving KAT-TUN as a four-man ensemble , and Tatsuya Ueda took the T to keep the acronym . By the end of March 2016 , Taguchi left both the group and the agency , leaving KAT-TUN with only three remaining members . The band sold 13,7 million copies in Japan .
Sen no Kaze ni Natte ( 千の風になって ) is a single by Japanese singer Masafumi Akikawa . The lyrics are a Japanese translation of the poem , 'Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep ' . It was released on May 24 , 2006 . It reached number one on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart . It was the best-selling single in Japan in 2007 , with 1,115,499 copies .
Masafumi Akikawa ( 秋川 雅史 , Akikawa Masafumi ) is a Japanese tenor singer . He has released a number of CDs , in which he has sung a broad range of genres , from classical to pop . He appeared on the 57th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen broadcast .
Truth/Kaze no Mukō e ( truth/風の向こうへ , Truth/Beyond the Wind ) is a single released by Japanese boy band Arashi . It was released on August 20 , 2008 by their record label J Storm . Truth/Kaze no Mukō e was released in three formats : a regular edition and two limited editions . The regular edition comes with a bonus track titled Smile ( スマイル , Sumairu ) and the instrumentals of all the songs while the limited editions both come with a DVD .
Arashi ( 嵐 , lit . Storm ) is a Japanese boy band consisting of five members formed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency . The members are Ohno Satoshi , Sakurai Sho , Aiba Masaki , Ninomiya Kazunari , and Matsumoto Jun . Arashi officially formed on September 15 , 1999 , in Honolulu , Hawaii , and made their debut CD on November 3 , 1999 . The group was initially signed to Pony Canyon and released one studio album and six singles - beginning with their 1999 eponymous debut single before moving to the Johnny 's subsidiary label J Storm in 2001 , which was initially set up for their succeeding releases . While their debut single sold close to a million copies , the group took a mixture of pop and alternate/contemporary approach to its music which attracted core followers , but subsequently faced commercially slow sales . With the release of their eighteenth single Love So Sweet , Arashi began to gain commercial success as it was used as the opening theme song for the high-rating drama Hana Yori Dango 2 whose protagonist is played by Matsumoto Jun , making it one of the top five best-selling singles of 2007 in Japan and the group 's first single to exceed 400,000 copies sold overall in nearly seven years . For the next two years , Arashi gained a number of achievements and records as they became the first artist to place the top two rankings on the Oricon singles yearly chart for two consecutive years with their singles Truth / Kaze no Mukō e and One Love in 2008 and Believe / Kumorinochi , Kaisei and Ashita no Kioku / Crazy Moon ( Kimi wa Muteki ) in 2009 , simultaneously topped the 2009 Oricon singles , album and music DVD yearly charts , and became the third artist in Oricon history to monopolize the top three best-selling singles of the year . In 2010 , all six of Arashi 's singles ranked within the top ten of the Oricon singles yearly chart , and their million-selling studio album Boku no Miteiru Fūkei was named the best-selling album of the year in Japan . As of September 2019 [ update ] , the group had sold over 54 million copies of albums , singles and videos and became the best selling boy band in Asia . Since then , Arashi has continued to release chart-topping singles and albums , perform in sold-out concert tours , host a number of variety shows , and remain an influential figure in Japanese media . On January 27 , 2019 , Arashi announced that group activities would pause from December 31 , 2020 .