2011 in Japanese music

The following is an overview of the year 2011 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 2011 in music.

Events

 * May 31 – July 18 – The First Japan Arena Tour (Girls' Generation)
 * December 31 – 62nd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen

Awards

 * June 25 – 2011 MTV Video Music Aid Japan
 * December 30 – 53rd 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 following is a list of the 5 best-selling music artists in Japan in 2011 by value of sales, including sales of records and of DVDs and Blu-rays, according to Oricon.

Albums
The following is a list of the top 10 best-selling albums in Japan in 2011, according to Oricon.

Albums released
The following section includes albums by Japanese artists released in Japan in 2011 as well as Japanese-language albums by foreign artists released in the country during this year.
 * January 19 – Eight by Do As Infinity
 * January 26 – Go by Girugamesh
 * February 23 – by Keisuke Kuwata
 * March 9 – by Exile
 * March 23 – Brand-new idol Society by BiS
 * March 30 – 7 Berryz Times by Berryz Kobo
 * April 27 – Checkmate! by Namie Amuro
 * June 1 – Cherish by Seiko Matsuda
 * June 1 – Girls' Generation by Girls' Generation
 * June 8 – Echo by Nothing's Carved in Stone
 * June 8 – Koko ni Ita Koto by AKB48
 * July 6 – Beautiful World by Arashi
 * July 20 – Luv Songs by Che'Nelle
 * July 27 – C'mon by B'z
 * August 3 – Dum Spiro Spero by Dir En Grey
 * August 10 – Baby Action by Scandal
 * August 17 – by SMAP
 * September 21 – After Eden by Kalafina
 * September 28 - DocumentaLy by Sakanaction
 * November 17 – Fight by Kanjani Eight
 * November 23 – Super Girl by Kara
 * November 30 – Republic of 2PM by 2PM
 * December 7 – Memories by Garnet Crow

Deaths

 * Yoshiko Tanaka dies on April 21 from Breast Cancer.
 * Joe Yamanaka dies on August 7.