The following is an overview of the year

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

Japanese music In Japan, music includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (''ongaku''), combining the kanji 音 ''on'' (sound) with the kanji 楽 ''gaku'' (music, comfort). Japan is the world ...

. It includes notable awards, lists of number-ones, yearly best-sellers, albums released, groups established and disestablished, deaths of notable Japanese music-related people as well as any other relevant Japanese music-related events. For overviews of the year in music from other countries, see

2008 in music This topic covers notable events and articles related to 2008 in music. This year was the peak of record sales in the United States, with sales declining year on year since then. Specific locations *2008 in British music * 2008 in Canadian m ...

Events

*December 31 – 29th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen

Awards

*May 30 –

2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards Japan were held on Saturday, May 31 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Awards Winners are in bold text. Video of the Year Exile — "I Believe" * Mr. Children — "Irodori" * Rihanna featuring Jay-Z — ...

*December 30 –

50th Japan Record Awards The 50th Annual Japan Record Awards took place at the New National Theatre in Shibuya, Tokyo, on December 30, 2008, starting at 6:30PM JST. The primary ceremonies were televised in Japan on TBS. Performers *Wink *Kome Kome Club *Aki Yashiro *Sh ...

Number-ones

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

Best-sellers

Artists

The best-selling

music artist A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

in Japan in 2008 by value of sales, including sales of records and of DVDs and Blu-rays, according to

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...

, was

Exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

, with .

Albums

The following is a list of the top 10

best-selling albums in Japan Japan is the Global music industry market share data, second-largest music market in the world and the following lists cover the top-selling albums in the country of Japan, based on information provided by the Recording Industry Association of Jap ...

in 2008, according to

Albums released

The following section includes albums by Japanese artists released in Japan in 2008 as well as Japanese-language albums by foreign artists released in the country during this year. *January 1 – '' Guilty'' by Ayumi Hamasaki *January 23 - ''

Night Fishing Night Fishing may refer to: * ''Night Fishing'' (album), 2008 album of Japanese rock band Sakanaction * ''Night Fishing'' (film), 2011 South Korean short film {{disambig ...

'' by

Sakanaction , stylised as sakanaction, are a Japanese rock band from Sapporo, Hokkaido. Their music is a fusion of alternative rock, electronic, pop, and new wave styles. The band consists of five members: Ichiro Yamaguchi, Motoharu Iwadera, Ami Kusakari, ...

*January 30 – ''

Kingdom Kingdom commonly refers to: * A monarchy ruled by a king or queen * Kingdom (biology), a category in biological taxonomy Kingdom may also refer to: Arts and media Television * ''Kingdom'' (British TV series), a 2007 British television drama s ...

'' by Kumi Koda *January 30 – ''

Darling Darling is a term of endearment of Old English origin. Darling or Darlin' or Darlings may also refer to: People * Darling (surname) * Darling Jimenez (born 1980), American boxer * Darling Légitimus (1907–1999), French actress Places Austral ...

'' by

Yui Horie is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with VIMS and Starchild. She has been affectionately nicknamed by her Japanese fans. She debuted as a voice actress in 1997, releasing her debut single "''My best friend''" on . Since then, sh ...

*February 13 – '' Award Supernova: Loves Best'' by M-Flo *February 13 – '' Love Is...'' by

Sachi Tainaka is a Japanese singer who is best known for her vocals in the opening songs of the anime version of ''Fate/stay night''. She has a 3½-octave vocal range. Although her name was written in katakana, her birth name is written in kanji are t ...

*February 20 – ''

Complete Single Collection '97–'08 The ''Complete Singles Collection '97–'08'' is a compilation album released by The Brilliant Green (stylized as the brilliant green) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto formed in 1995. They were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Th ...

'' by The Brilliant Green *February 27 – ''

The Face The face is a part of the body, the front of the head. Face may also refer to: Film * ''The Magician'' (1958 film) or ''The Face'' * ''The Face'' (1996 film), an American television film * ''Face'' (1997 film), a British crime drama by Antonia ...

'' by

BoA Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...

*February 27 – '' Daiji na Mono'' by Idoling!!! *February 27 – '' Izayoi no Tsuki, Canaria no Koi.'' by Yukari Tamura *March 5 – '' World World World'' by Asian Kung-Fu Generation *March 12 – '' Kyokuto Symphony: The Five Stars Night @Budokan'' by

Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...

*March 12 – '' Namida no Kiseki'' by Ai Nonaka *March 19 – '' Heart Station'' by

Hikaru Utada , who is also known by the mononym Utada, is a Japanese-American pop singer, songwriter and producer. By 2010, Utada had become one of the most influential, and best-selling, musical artists in Japan. Born in the United States to Japanese parent ...

*March 26 – by

*March 26 – ''

Shion Shion is a Japanese given name, and may refer to: Sportspeople *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese figure skater *, Japanese footballer Musicians *, a R&B singer *, a pop singer *, a singer-songwriter *Shion Tsurubo (鶴� ...

'' by MUCC *April 2 – ''

Hikari Nadeshiko ''Hikari Nadeshiko'' (ひかりなでしこ) is the second full-length album from Eiko Shimamiya. It includes the hit single ''Naraku no Hana'' (opening from the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai). It was released on April 2, 2008. It reached the 27t ...

'' by

Eiko Shimamiya , also called Eiko or Peko, is a female J-pop singer-songwriter, and producer who is currently affiliated with Heart Company. She is best known for singing the opening themes of the anime series ''Higurashi When They Cry''. Eiko also handles a s ...

*April 9 – ''

Gokutama Rock Cafe is the third studio album released by An Cafe on March 14, 2008 in Europe and April 9, 2008 in Japan. The European release of the album also featured three bonus tracks which were previously only available as B-Sides on their last three singles, ...

'' by An Cafe *April 9 – '' I Loved Yesterday'' by Yui *April 16 – ''

Game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator s ...

'' by

Perfume Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. Th ...

*April 23 – '' Dream "A" Live'' by

Arashi is a Japanese boy band consisting of five members formed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency. The members are Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. Arashi officially formed on September 15, 1999 ...

*May 14 – '' Superfly'' by Superfly *June 4 – '' KAT-TUN III: Queen of Pirates'' by KAT-TUN *June 18 – ''

B'z The Best "Ultra Pleasure" B'z The Best "Ultra Pleasure" is a compilation double-album by the Japanese hard rock duo B'z. It was released on June 18, 2008, and it is part of their 20th anniversary celebration. It peaked at #1 at Oricon charts and ''Billboard Japan'' Top Alb ...

'' by

B'z are a Japanese rock duo, consisting of guitarist, composer and producer Takahiro "Tak" Matsumoto and vocalist and lyricist Koshi Inaba, 佐伯明『B'z ウルトラクロニクル』ソニー・マガジンズ、2003年。新型光�B'zはなぜ ...

*June 23 – '' Hayley Sings Japanese Songs'' by

Hayley Westenra Hayley Dee Westenra (born 10 April 1987) is a New Zealand classical crossover singer and songwriter. Her first internationally released album, ''Pure'', reached number one on the UK classical charts in 2003 and has sold more than two million c ...

*June 25 – '' Ā, Domo. Ohisashiburi Desu.'' by Greeeen *June 25 – ''

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

'' by Chara *July 9 – ''

Panic Fancy ''Panic Fancy'' (stylized in all caps) is Japanese alternative rock (a.k.a. mixture rock) band Orange Range's ninth major album. Upon its launch on July 9, 2008, ''Panic Fancy'' topped the Japanese Oricon Album Charts at #1 position. The album fea ...

'' by Orange Range *July 11 – ''

Envy/Jesu ''Envy/Jesu'' is a split EP between Japanese hardcore band Envy and Justin Broadrick's Jesu. It was originally released in Japan by Daymare in 2008. Conspiracy Records released a 12" vinyl version, limited to 2,000 copies in white, transparent ...

'' by Envy and

Jesu Jesu may refer to: *Jesus (c. 4 BC – c. AD 30/33), Jewish religious leader and central figure of Christianity **Jesu (name), vocative and poetic form of Jesus' name Music * Jesu (band), a British experimental band formed by Justin Broadrick ** ...

*July 20 – ''

Best Fiction ''Best Fiction'' is the third greatest hits album by Japanese recording artist Namie Amuro, and the final greatest hits release from Avex Trax, her record company since 1995. The release follows her two previous greatest hits albums, '' 181920'' ( ...

'' by Namie Amuro *July 23 – '' Hakai'' by Wagdug Futuristic Unity *July 23 – '' Love & Peace'' by Emi Tawata *July 30 – ''

'' by Namie Amuro *September 3 – '' Arigatō'' by

Hatsune Okumura (born October 11, 1990) is a Japanese singer-songwriter signed to Avex Trax. Born and raised in Osaka, Okumura started to write lyrics and compose music at the age of five after attending music competitions. On September 5, 2007, she debuted w ...

*September 10 – '' 5'' by Berryz Kobo *September 10 – '' A Complete: All Singles'' by Ayumi Hamasaki *September 17 – ''

B'z The Best "Ultra Treasure" B'z The Best "Ultra Treasure" is a compilation album by the Japanese hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s w ...

'' by

*September 24 – '' Fairy Dance: Kokia Meets Ireland'' by Kokia *November 5 – ''

Best Destiny ''Best Destiny'' is pop singer Miliyah Kato's fourth album, and first greatest hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. W ...

'' by Miliyah Kato *November 11 – '' Uroboros'' by Dir En Grey *November 12 – '' Kanjō Effect'' by One Ok Rock *November 12 – ''

My Short Stories ''My Short Stories'' is the first B-side compilation album by the popular Japanese singer-songwriter Yui that was released on November 12, 2008. This album contains all the past B sides of her past singles and a new song titled "I'll be". The a ...

'' by Yui *November 19 – ''

More! More! More! ''More! More! More!'' is the tenth studio album by the Japanese electronica band Capsule, released on November 19, 2008. The album reached #3 and #6 on the Oricon daily and weekly charts, making it the band's most successful album in their caree ...

'' by Capsule *November 19 – ''

Color Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

'' by

NEWS News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different Media (communication), media: word of mouth, printing, Mail, postal systems, broadcasting, Telecommunications, electronic communication, or through the tes ...

*November 26 – ''

Voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production in ...

'' by Mika Nakashima *December 3 – by

*December 3 – '' Me...'' by

Emi Hinouchi is a Japanese urban music singer-songwriter. She was formerly signed under King Records' sub-label Venus-B and Taku Takahashi's Tachytelic Records. She is best known for writing songs for Heartsdales and for her collaborations with M-Flo. ...

*December 10 – ''

Awake -Evoke the Urge- ''Awake -Evoke the Urge-'' is the second studio album by metal band Deathgaze is a Japanese visual kei metal band formed in 2003. History Deathgaze was formed in the summer of 2003 by Hazuki, Ai, Naoki, and Kanna. After releasing their first ...

'' by

Deathgaze is a Japanese visual kei metal band formed in 2003. History Deathgaze was formed in the summer of 2003 by Hazuki, Ai, Naoki, and Kanna. After releasing their first EP, "294036224052", vocalist, Hazuki, left in spring 2004 to form his own band ...

*December 12 – ''

Supermarket Fantasy ''Supermarket Fantasy'', is the thirteenth (their official website lists it as the 15th) original studio album by Mr. Children , commonly referred to by their contracted nickname , are a Japanese pop rock band formed in 1989. Consisting of Kazu ...

'' by

Mr. Children , commonly referred to by their contracted nickname , 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 t ...

*December 17 – ''

Kirari to Fuyu is the third studio album of the character Kirari Tsukishima from the Japanese anime '' Kirarin Revolution''. The album was released on December 17, 2008 with songs performed by Koharu Kusumi from Morning Musume, credited as . Background and ...

'' by Koharu Kusumi *December 17 – '' Love Letter'' by Ai Otsuka

Groups established

Afilia Saga ''Afilia'' is a genus of moths of the family Notodontidae Notodontidae is a family of moths with approximately 3,800 known species. The family was described by James Francis Stephens in 1829. Moths of this family are found in all parts of the ...

Dempagumi.inc is a Japanese female Japanese idol, idol group from Akihabara, Tokyo. Their music generally follows the style of denpa song. All of its members are said to be former otaku. The group was formed in 2008 by producer Maiko Fukushima, and released ...

* Girl Next Door *

Hangry & Angry Hangry & Angry-f (stylized as HANGRY & ANGRY-f, previously known as hANGRY & ANGRY) was a Japanese female pop and rock duo created in 2008, consisting of former Morning Musume members Hitomi Yoshizawa ("Hangry") and Rika Ishikawa ("Angry"). Th ...

Happiness Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...

* no3b *

Momoiro Clover Z is a Japanese idol girl group, commonly abbreviated as MCZ or . The four members of MCZ are known for energetic performances, incorporating elements of ballet, gymnastics, and action movies. MCZ is notable for being the first female group to ho ...

* SKE48 *

Shugo Chara Egg! , also known as ''My Guardian Characters'', is a Japanese shōjo manga series created by the manga author duo, Peach-Pit. The story centers on elementary school girl Amu Hinamori, whose popular exterior, referred to as "cool and spicy" by her clas ...

Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 was a Japanese female idol group, and a subgroup of Japanese female idol group AKB48. Under Pony Canyon, the group debuted in January 2009 with the double A-side single " Hatsukoi Dash/Aoi Mirai." History In October 2008, Yasushi Akimoto announ ...

Groups disestablished

Athena & Robikerottsu Athena & Robikerottsu (アテナ&ロビケロッツ, "Athena and Robocarrots") was a Hello! Project unit consisting of Niigaki Risa, Mitsui Aika, Nakajima Saki, and Okai Chisato. Info This unit was formed in 2007 for the anime ''Robby and ...

References

{{Japan-music-stub

Events

Awards

Number-ones

Best-sellers

Artists

Albums

Albums released

Groups established

Groups disestablished

See also

References