2018 in Japanese music
The year 2018 in Japanese music.
Number ones
Awards
Albums released
August
Debuting and returning artists
Debuting groups
- April
- Day6
- dps
- Dreamcatcher
- Empire
- EXID
- Fantastics from Exile Tribe
- First Place
- GFriend
- Gugudan
- Hachimitsu Rocket
- King & Prince
- Mamamoo
- Myteen
- Neo Japonism
- Raise A Suilen
- Red Velvet
- Seventeen
- Spira Spica
- STU48
- Uijin
- Yoshimotozaka46
- Zutomayo
Debuting soloists
- Aina the End
- Shuta Sueyoshi
- Ryuji Imaichi
- Taiki Yamazaki
- Minori Suzuki
- Mai Fuchigami
- Misako Uno
- Ryucheru
- Rika Tachibana
- Kiyoe Yoshioka
- Kaori Ishihara
- Shigeru Joshima
- Haruka Yamazaki
- Yuma Uchida
- Makoto Furukawa
- Ryusei Yokohama
- Yuka Ozaki
- Reona
- Chiaki Satō
- Yuka Ozaki
- Akari Nanawo
- Chiaki Ito
- Meimi Tamura
- Halca
- Taemin
- Key
Returning from hiatus
Disbanding and retiring artists
Disbanding
- Idol Renaissance
- La PomPon
- Mix Speaker's,Inc.
- GEM
- Chelsy
- Cheeky Parade
- Chatmonchy
- Ciao Bella Cinquetti
- Tackey & Tsubasa
- Passpo
- Babyraids Japan
- Vanilla Beans
- X21
- Aqua Timez
- Secret
- Tahiti
Retiring
Going on hiatus
- Charisma.com
- Folks
- Tsubasa Imai
- Chris Hart
- Mao Denda
- Jero
- Yumi Hara
- Keito Okamoto
- Nobuo Uematsu
- Shiori Niiyama
- Rice
- Sads
Deaths
- January 26 – Junji Yayoshi, guitarist and record producer
- January 31 – Itokin, MC and track maker
- April 24 – Doji Morita, singer-songwriter
- April 27 – Yukiji Asaoka, singer and actress
- May 16 – Hideki Saijo, singer and actor
- October 12 – Takehisa Kosugi, composer and violinist
- November 14 – Masahiro Sayama, jazz pianist
- November 25 – Norio Maeda, jazz pianist, composer, and conductor