Music of Japan

The music of Japan 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 (enjoy). Japan is the largest market for music on physical media in the world, worth US$2 billion in 2014, and the second-largest overall music market, with a retail value of US$2.6 billion in 2014. The market is dominated by Japanese artists, with 37 of the top 50 best-selling albums and 49 of the top 50 best-selling singles in 2014.

Music of Japan

The music of Japan 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 (enjoy). Japan is the largest market for music on physical media in the world, worth US$2 billion in 2014, and the second-largest overall music market, with a retail value of US$2.6 billion in 2014. The market is dominated by Japanese artists, with 37 of the top 50 best-selling albums and 49 of the top 50 best-selling singles in 2014.