1963 in Japanese music

The 6th Osaka International Festival (Japanese: 大阪国際フェスティバル) was held from 13 April to 6 May 1963.^[1] The 5th Japan Record Awards were held on 27 December 1963.^[2] The 14th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen was held on 31 December 1963.^[3]

The 12th Otaka prize was won by Yuzo Toyama and Makoto Moroi.^[4]

Utamatic

The following reached number 1 according to the weekly Utamatic singles chart published in Billboard:

• 5 January, 12 January, 19 January, 26 January and 2 February: L'Eclisse - Colletto Tempia (Japanese: コレット・テンピア) (Victor) and Mari Sono [ja] (Polydor)^[5]
• 9 February: Kiroko No Tango (Japanese: 霧子のタンゴ) - Frank Nagai^[6]
• 27 April, 4 May, 11 May, 18 May and 25 May: Shima Sodachi (Japanese: 島育ち) - Yoshio Tabata (Teichiku), Miki Nakasone [ja] (King) and Yukiji Asaoka (Toshiba).^[7] (Theme song of the film Shima Sodachi).
• 1 June, 8 June, 15 June, 22 June and 29 June: Akai Handkerchief [ja] - Yūjirō Ishihara.^[8] (Theme song of the film Red Handkerchief).
• 5 October, 12 October, 19 October, 26 October, 2 November, 9 November and 16 November: Kohkou 3-nen Sei [ja] - Kazuo Funaki^[9]
• 23 November, 30 November, 7 December: (You're the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley^[10]
• 14 December, 21 December and 28 December: Yuuhi No Oka - Yūjirō Ishihara and Ruriko Asaoka^[11] (Theme song of the film Yuuhi No Oka [ja])

Local

The following reached number 1 according to the weekly local singles chart published in Cash Box:

• 5 January, 12 January, 19 January, 26 January, 2 February, 9 February, 16 February, 2 March, 9 March and 16 March: Itsudemo Yume O [ja] - Yukio Hashi^[12]
• 23 March, 30 March, 20 April and 27 April: Kiroko No Tango (Japanese: 霧子のタンゴ) - Frank Nagai^[13]
• 6 April and 13 April: Hitoribotchi No Futari (Japanese: 一人ぼっちの二人) - Kyu Sakamoto^[14]
• 4 May, 11 May, 18 May, 8 June, 15 June, 22 June, 29 June, 3 August, 10 August, 17 August and 24 August: Shima Sodachi (Japanese: 島育ち) - Yukiji Asaoka^[15]
• 25 May, 1 June and 6 July: Akai Handkerchief [ja] - Yūjirō Ishihara.^[16] (Akai Hankachi).
• 13 July, 20 July and 27 July: Shussekaido (Japanese: 出世街道) - Midori Hatakeyama [ja]^[17]
• 31 August: Maikohan [ja] - Yukio Hashi^[18]
• 28 September, 5 October, 12 October, 19 October, 26 October, 2 November, 9 November: Kokoh Sannensei [ja] - Kazuo Funaki^[19] (Kohkou 3-nen Sei).
• 16 November and 22 November: Shugakuryoko (Japanese: 修学旅行) - Kazuo Funaki^[20]
• 30 November: Hoshizora Ni Ryoteo (Japanese: 星空に両手を) - Hiroshi Moriya [ja] and Chiyoko Shimakura^[21]
• 7 December, 14 December, 21 December, 28 December: Shiroi Seifuku [ja] - Yukio Hashi^[22]

International

The following reached number 1 according to the weekly international singles chart published in Cash Box:

• 5 January, 12 January, 19 January, 26 January, 2 February, 9 February and 16 February: L'Eclisse - Colletto Tempia (Japanese: コレット・テンピア) (Victor) and Mari Sono [ja] (Polydor)^[23]
• 23 February, 2 March, 9 March, 16 March, 27 April and 4 May: The Longest Day (Japanese: 史上最大の作戦のマーチ) - Mitch Miller (Columbia) and Shigeru Katsumi [ja] (Toshiba)^[24][25]
• 23 March: Return to Sender - Elvis Presley^[26]
• 30 March, 6 April and 20 April: Sherry - The Four Seasons (Vee Jay) and Paradise King [ja] (Toshiba)^[27]
• 11 May, 18 May and 25 May: Bobby's Girl - Marcie Blane (London), Mari Umeki [ja] (Toshiba), Yukari Ito [ja] (King), Kumiko Goto [ja] (Columbia), Susan Maughan (Philips)^[28] The Japanese name of this song is "Bobby Nikubittake" (Japanese: ボビーに首ったけ).
• 1 June, 8 June, 15 June, 22 June, 29 June, 6 July, 13 July, 20 July, 27 July, 3 August, 10 August, 17 August, 24 August and 31 August: Hey Paula - Paul & Paula (Philips), Paradise King [ja] (Toshiba), Michiyo Azusa and Yasuo Tanabe [ja] (King) and Elaine and Derek (Pye)^[29]
• 28 September and 5 October: Soundtrack of The Great Escape^[30]
• 12 October and 19 October: First Quarrel - Paul & Paula (Philips), Michiyo Azusa and Yasuo Tanabe [ja] (King) and S Kako and R Yasuoka (Toshiba)^[31] The Japanese name of this song is "Kenka De Deito" (けんかでデイト).
• 26 October, 2 November, 9 November, 16 November, 22 November and 30 November: (You're the) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley^[32]
• 7 December and 14 December: One Boy (Japanese: ワン・ポーイ) - Joanie Sommers^[33]
• 21 December and 28 December: 55 Days at Peking - The Brothers Four.^[34] (From the film 55 Days at Peking).

Michiyo Azusa's Konnichiwa Akachan [ja] (Japanese: こんにちは赤ちゃん) was number 1 in the Japanese kayokyoku annual singles chart published in Billboard.^[35]

The Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra was established.^[36]

The music of Bad Girl and The Insect Woman, by Toshiro Mayuzumi, won the 18th Mainichi Film Award for Best Music.^[37]

56 million records were produced.^[38] There were an estimated 5,000 jukeboxes.^[39] Nippon Crown was established.^[40]