1964 in Japanese music

The 7th Osaka International Festival (Japanese: 大阪国際フェスティバル) was held from 11 April to 4 May 1964.^[2] The 6th Japan Record Awards were held on 26 December 1964.^[3] The 15th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen was held on 31 December 1964.^[4]

The following reached number 1 according to weekly singles charts published in Billboard:

• 7 November, 14 November, 21 November, 28 November, 5 December, 12 December, 19 December and 26 December: Ozashiki Kouta [ja] - Mahina Stars [ja] and Matsuo Kazuko [ja]^[5]

Utamatic

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

• 4 January and 25 January: Yuuhi No Oka - Yūjirō Ishihara and Ruriko Asaoka^[6] (Theme song of the film Yuuhi No Oka [ja])
• 1 February, 8 February, 15 February, 22 February, 29 February, 7 March, 14 March, 21 March, 28 March, 4 April, 11 April, 18 April and 25 April: Washington Square - The Village Stompers^[7]
• 2 May, 9 May, 16 May, 23 May, 30 May, 6 June, 13 June, 20 June, 27 June, 4 July, 11 July, 18 July, 25 July, 1 August, 8 August, 15 August and 22 August: Tokyo Blues [ja] - Sachiko Nishida [ja]^[8]
• 29 August, 5 September, 12 September and 19 September: Movin' [ja] - Astronauts.^[9] The Japanese name of this song is Taiyo No Kanatani (Japanese: 太陽の彼方に).
• 26 September, 3 October, 10 October, 17 October, 24 October and 31 October: Ozashiki Kouta [ja] - Mahina Stars [ja] and Matsuo Kazuko [ja]^[10]

Japan's best sellers. Local. Japanese.

The following reached number 1 according to the weekly (non-international) Japan's best sellers singles chart, or local singles chart, or Japanese singles chart, published in Cash Box:

• 4 January: Shiroi Seifuku [ja] - Yukio Hashi^[11]
• 11 January, 18 January, 25 January and 1 February: Konnichiwa Akachan [ja] - Michiyo Azusa^[12]
• 8 February, 15 February, 22 February, 29 February and 7 March: Yumeo Sodate-yo (Japanese: 夢を育てよう) - Kyu Sakamoto^[13] This song was the B side of Ashita ga Arusa.
• 14 March, 4 April and 11 April: Nakamatachi (Japanese: 仲間たち) - Kazuo Funaki^[14]
• 21 March, 28 March and 18 April: Ah Seishun No Mune No Chi Wa (Japanese: あゝ青春の胸の血は) - Kazuo Funaki^[15]
• 9 May: Sugata Sanshiro (Japanese: 姿三四郎) - Hideo Murata^[16]
• 16 May, 23 May, 30 May and 20 June: Kimitachiga Ite Bokuga Ita (Japanese: 君たちがいて僕がいた) - Kazuo Funaki^[17]
• 6 June, 13 June and 27 June: Tokyo Blues [ja] - Sachiko Nishida [ja]^[18]
• 4 July, 11 July and 18 July: Kimidakeo [ja] - Teruhiko Saigō^[19]
• 25 July, 1 August, 8 August, 15 August, 22 August, 29 August, 5 September, 19 September, 26 September, 3 October, 10 October, 17 October, 24 October, 31 October and 7 November: Tokyo Olympic Ondo [ja] - Haruo Minami^[20]
• 14 November, 21 November, 28 November, 5 December, 12 December, 19 December and 26 December: Ozashiki Kouta [ja] - Mahina Stars [ja] and Matsuo Kazuko [ja]^[21]

International

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

• 4 January, 11 January, 18 January and 25 January: Be My Baby - The Ronettes, Johnny Deerfield (Columbia) Mieko Hirota (Toshiba) and Yukari Itoh [ja] (King)^[22]
• 1 February, 8 February, 15 February, 22 February, 29 February and 7 March: Washington Square - The Village Stompers (Epic), Spike Jones (Liberty) and Paradise King [ja] (Toshiba)^[23]
• 14 March and 18 April: Live Young - Troy Donahue^[24]
• 21 March and 28 March. Let's Make a Memory - Cliff Richard^[25]
• 4 April and 11 April: Please Please Me - The Beatles^[26]
• 9 May, 16 May, 23 May: I Want to Hold Your Hand - The Beatles (Odeon) and Three Funkies [ja] (Toshiba)^[27]
• 30 May, 6 June and 13 June: She Loves You - The Beatles^[28]
• 20 June and 27 June: Hello, Dolly! - Louis Armstrong^[29]
• 4 July and 18 July: Navy Blue - Diane Renay (20th Century Fox), Aiko Ito [ja] (Victor), Yumiko Kokonoe (Toshiba) and Yukari Ito [ja] (King).^[30][31][32]
• 11 July: Movin' [ja] - Astronauts^[33]
• 25 July, 1 August, 8 August and 15 August: Viva Las Vegas - Elvis Presley and Blue Jeans [ja]^[34]
• 22 August, 29 August and 5 September: From Russia With Love - Kenny Ball (Pye), The Village Stompers (Epic) and Matt Monro (Liberty)^[35]
• 19 September, 26 September, 3 October and 10 October: Non ho l'età - Gigliola Cinquetti (Seven Seas) and Michiyo Azusa (King)^[36]
• 17 October, 24 October, 31 October, 7 November, 14 November and 21 November: A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles^[37]
• 28 November and 5 December: I Should Have Known Better - The Beatles^[38]
• 12 December, 19 December and 26 December: Soundtrack of La Ragazza Di Bube^[39]

Kazuko Aoyama [ja]'s Ai To Shi O Mitsumete [ja] (Japanese: 愛と死をみつめて) was number 1 in the Japanese kayokyoku annual singles chart published in Billboard.^[40]

The music of Assassination and Woman in the Dunes, by Tōru Takemitsu, won the 19th Mainichi Film Award for Best Music.^[41] The first broadcast of Music Fair was on 31 August 1964.^[42]

The Lon 3000 jukebox was produced.^[43]

• 5 August: Koi Wo Suru Nara [ja] - Yukio Hashi^[44]