2009 in Japanese music

The following is an overview of the year 2009 in Japanese music. 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 2009 in music.

Events

 * December 31 – 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen

Awards

 * May 30 – 2009 MTV Video Music Awards Japan
 * December 30 – 51st Japan Record Awards

Number-ones

 * Oricon number-one albums
 * Oricon number-one singles
 * Hot 100 number-one singles
 * RIAJ Digital Track Chart number-one singles

Artists
The two best-selling music artists in Japan in 2009 by value of sales, including sales of records and of DVDs and Blu-rays, according to Oricon, were Arashi, with ¥14.46 billion and Exile.

Albums
The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling albums in Japan in 2009, according to Oricon. The best-selling album of the year, All the Best! 1999–2009, sold more than 1.43 million copies.

Albums released
The following section includes albums by Japanese artists released in Japan in 2009 as well as Japanese-language albums by foreign artists released in the country during this year.
 * January 14 – Camouflage by Merzbow
 * January 21 - Shin-shiro by Sakanaction
 * January 28 – 4 Akogare My Star by Cute
 * January 28 – 5 by Flow
 * February 4 - 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de Original Soundtrack by Hideki Sakamoto and Naoki Sato
 * February 4 – Antenna by GO!GO!7188
 * March 4 – Kyūtai by MUCC
 * March 9 – Remio Best by Remioromen
 * March 17 – Hayley Sings Japanese Songs 2 by Hayley Westenra
 * March 18 – Akiko Infinity Kokia: Balance by Kokia
 * March 18 – Harmonia by Akiko Shikata
 * March 18 – Kokia Infinity Akiko: Balance by Kokia
 * March 21 – Do You Dreams Come True? by Dreams Come True
 * March 25 – Next Level by Ayumi Hamasaki
 * May 27 – Dream by Yuna Ito
 * May 27 – Family by May J.
 * June 10 – Shio, Koshō by Greeeen
 * June 24 – Hocus Pocus by Kaela Kimura
 * July 15 – Fight by Mayumi Iizuka
 * August 5 – Calling by Kobukuro
 * August 19 – All the Best! 1999–2009 by Arashi
 * September 2 – Box Emotions by Superfly
 * September 9 -Emotions by Thelma Aoyama
 * September 16 - Best Ai by Ai
 * September 23 – Ayaka's History 2006–2009 by Ayaka
 * October 21 – Best Scandal by Scandal
 * November 11 - Canaan Inspired Album by Faylan and Annabel
 * November 25 – Aurora by Nico Touches the Walls
 * November 25 - Canaan Original Sound Track: Ai by Hikaru Nanase
 * December 2 – Aisubeki Mirai e by Exile
 * December 9 – Carol by Chara
 * December 9 – I Am by Mao Denda
 * December 16 – Past<Future by Namie Amuro
 * December 23 – Anime's Compilation Best by Kotoko
 * December 23 – Hajimari no Uta by Ikimono-gakari
 * 13 Japanese Birds by Merzbow

Groups established

 * Angerme
 * bump.y
 * ClariS
 * Flower
 * Gacharic Spin
 * Oldcodex
 * Passepied
 * Passpo
 * SDN48
 * Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku
 * Sphere
 * YuiKaori

Groups disestablished

 * BeForU
 * Bleach
 * GAM
 * Kuroyume
 * Two-Mix

Deaths

 * Jasmine You dies on August 9.