2012 in Japanese music
Events in 2012 in Japanese music.
Events
- 26th Japan Gold Disc Award
- January 20 – 3rd CD Shop Awards
- June 23 – 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Japan
- October 7 – 6th Animax Anison Grand Prix
- November 14 – 45th Japan Cable Awards
- November 22 – 45th Best Hits Kayosai
- December 5 – 2012 FNS Music Festival
- December 6 – 45th Japan Lyricist Awards
- December 30 – 54th Japan Record Awards
Charts
- List of number-one albums of 2012 (Japan)
- List of Oricon number-one singles of 2012
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2012 (Japan)
- List of number-one digital singles of 2012 (Japan)
Best-sellers
Artists
The following is a list of the five best-selling music artists in Japan in 2016 by value of sales, including sales of records and of DVDs and Blu-rays, according to Oricon.| Rank | Artist | Total earnings |
| 1 | AKB48 | |
| 2 | Exile | |
| 3 | Arashi | |
| 4 | Mr. Children | |
| 5 | Kanjani8 |
Albums
The following is a list of the top ten best-selling albums in Japan in 2016, according to Oricon.| Rank | Artist | Album | Sales |
| 1 | Mr. Children | Mr. Children 2005–2010 ＜macro＞ | 1,170,000 |
| 2 | Mr. Children | Mr. Children 2001–2005 ＜micro＞ | 1,105,000 |
| 3 | AKB48 | 1830m | 1,030,000 |
| 4 | Arashi | Popcorn | 848,000 |
| 5 | Exile / Atsushi | Exile Japan / Solo | 767,000 |
| 6 | Keisuke Kuwata | I Love You: Now and Forever | 758,000 |
| 7 | Kobukuro | All Singles Best 2 | 694,000 |
| 8 | Mr. Children | (An Imitation) Blood Orange | 613,000 |
| 9 | Yumi Matsutoya | The Best of Yumi Matsutoya 40th Anniversary | 550,000 |
| 10 | Tatsuro Yamashita | Opus: All Time Best 1975–2012 | 519,000 |
Debuting artists
; Soloists debuting- Misaki Iwasa
- Leo Ieiri
- Yūki Kaji
- Nagi Yanagi
- Mayu Watanabe
- Ray
- Daisuke Kishio
- Aoi Yūki
- Tomohisa Sako
- Alma Kaminiito
- Mikako Komatsu
- Konomi Suzuki
- Ayana Taketatsu
- Kana Hanazawa
- Nobuhiko Okamoto
- Rino Sashihara
- Kavka Shishido
- Luna Haruna
- Mai Aizawa
- Machico
- Erena Ono
- Takuma Terashima
- Rina Sumioka
- Kanako Tahara
- Yui Ogura
- Mariko Gotō
- Yumi Hara
- Yutaro Miura
- Sachika Misawa
- Kanako Takatsuki
- Sayoko Izumi
- Zaq
- Sakiko Matsui
- Sayoko Izumi
- Yoshino Nanjō
- Yunchi
- Tomomi Kasai
- Fuku Suzuki
- Shiori Niiyama
- Tia
; Returning from hiatus
Disbanding in 2012
;Disbanding; Going on hiatus