1983 in Japanese music

The 12th Tokyo Music Festival was held on 27 March 1983.^[4][5] The 25th Osaka International Festival (Japanese: 大阪国際フェスティバル) was held from 8 April to 8 May 1983.^[6] The 25th Yamaha Popular Song Contest was held on 15 May 1983.^[7] The 26th Yamaha Popular Song Contest was held on 2 October 1983.^[8] The 14th World Popular Song Festival was held from 29 to 30 October 1983.^[9][10] The final of the 12th FNS Music Festival was held on 20 December 1983.^[11] The 25th Japan Record Awards were held on 31 December 1983.^[12] The 34th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen was held on 31 December 1983.^[13]

The 32nd Otaka prize was won by Toshi Ichiyanagi.^[14]

Yumi Matsutoya had a concert at the Nippon Budokan on 6 July 1983.^[15]

The following reached number 1 on the weekly Oricon Singles Chart:^{[16][17][18][19]}

Music Labo

The following reached number 1 on the Music Labo chart:

• 10 January and 17 January: Seventeen [ja] - Akina Nakamori^[20]
• 24 January and 31 January: Variation (Hensoukyoku) - Akina Nakamori^[21]
• 7 February and 14 February: Eve Only [ja] - Toshihiko Tahara^[22]
• 21 February and 28 February: Another Page - Christopher Cross^[23]
• 7 March and 14 March: Reincarnation - Yumi Matsutoya^[24]
• 21 March: Yokan - Miyuki Nakajima^[25]
• 4 April, 11 April, 25 April and 2 May: Fantasy (Gensoukyoku) - Akina Nakamori^[26]
• 18 April: Rising [ja] - Masahiko Kondō^[27]
• 9 May, 16 May and 24 May: No Damage [ja] - Motoharu Sano^[28]
• 30 May: Momentos - Julio Iglesias^[29]
• 6 June: Uwakina Bokura - Yellow Magic Orchestra^[30]
• 13 June and 20 June: Utopia [ja] - Seiko Matsuda^[31]
• 27 June, 4 July and 11 July: Melodies - Tatsuro Yamashita^[32]
• 18 July, 25 July, 1 August and 8 August: Kireyi [ja] - Southern All Stars^[33]
• 15 August, 5 September, 12 September, 19 September, 26 September, 3 October, 10 October, 17 October, 23 October, 30 October and 7 November: Soundtrack of "Flashdance"^[34]
• 22 August and 29 August: New Akina Etranger - Akina Nakamori^[35]
• 14 November, 21 November: Nemurenai Jidai [ja] - Chiharu Matsuyama^[36]
• 28 November: Seiko Plazza [ja] - Seiko Matsuda^[37]
• 5 December: Colour by Numbers - Culture Club^[38]
• 12 December and 19 December: Voyager [ja] - Yumi Matsutoya^[39]
• 26 December: Canary [ja] - Seiko Matsuda^[40]

Cash Box

The following reached number 1 on the Cash Box of Japan chart:

• 15 January: Kinyiro No Ribon [ja] - Seiko Matsuda^[41]
• 29 January: Variation (Hensoukyoku) - Akina Nakamori^[42]
• 5 March: Shylights [ja] - Junichi Inagaki^[43]
• 12 March and 19 March: Another Page - Christopher Cross^[44]
• 2 April and 9 April: Reincarnation - Yumi Matsutoya^[45]
• 7 May: Fantasy (Gensoukyoku) - Akina Nakamori^[46]
• 28 May: Vitamin [ja] - EPO [ja]^[47]
• 16 July: Utopia [ja] Seiko Matsuda^[48]
• 13 August, 20 August and 3 September: Kireyi [ja] - Southern All Stars^[49]
• 24 September, 29 October, 5 November, 12 November and 10 December: Soundtrack of "Flashdance"^[50]
• 17 December: Seiko Plazza [ja] - Seiko Matsuda^[51]

Oricon

The following reached number 1 on the Oricon LP chart:^[52]

• 6 June: Naughty Boys - Yellow Magic Orchestra
• 4 July: Melodies - Tatsuro Yamashita
• 22 August and 29 August: New Akina Etranger - Akina Nakamori

Polydor Japan introduced the uniform coding system.^[53]

The music of Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, by Ryuichi Sakamoto, won the 38th Mainichi Film Award for Best Music.^[54] The music of The Geisha and Kairei (Japanese: 海嶺) and Sensei (all from 1983), by Masaru Sato, won the 7th Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Music (awarded in 1984).^[55] Musicals include Toshi in Takarazuka – Love Forever.

The expression "Fusaku No 83-nen-gumi" (Japanese: 不作の83年組) has been used to described a group of idols who debuted in 1983. "Okami Seven" (Japanese: お神セブン) is a group of idols who debuted in 1983.^{[56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]}

The song Forbidden Colours, by David Sylvian and Ryuichi Sakamoto, reached number 16 on the UK singles chart,^[66] and also charted in Ireland, Australia and Iceland. The single Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, by Ryuichi Sakamoto, reached number 93 on the UK singles chart,^[67] and also charted in Australia and New Zealand. The album Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, by Ryuichi Sakamoto, reached number 36 on the UK albums chart,^[68] and also charted in Australia,^[69] New Zealand,^[70] Sweden,^[71] Iceland^[72] and the Netherlands.^[73]

• April: Azumi Inoue released her debut single "Star Storm" (Japanese: スターストーム).^[74][75][76] The song is included in her first album "Space Fantasy" (Japanese: スペースファンタジー).^[77][78]
• Hiromi Koide [ja]^[79]

• Twilight (Yūgure Dayori) by Akina Nakamori
• Toki O Kakeru Shōjo by Tomoyo Harada
• Ai No Jidai by Saki Kubota
• Summer Suspicion by S. Kiyotaka & Omega Tribe
• Haru na no ni by Yoshie Kashiwabara
• "O-kay" by Mico^[80]
• 23 April: Koukiatsu Girl [ja] by Tatsuro Yamashita^[81]
• 21 November: Tasogare Dancing [ja] by Miki Asakura [ja].^[82]

• Service by Yellow Magic Orchestra
• Timely!! by Anri
• Nefertiti by Saki Kubota
• Lunatic Doll and Romantic Night by Mari Hamada
• Photographs and Jive Jive by Casiopea
• The Law of Devil's Land and Live-Loud-Alive: Loudness in Tokyo by Loudness
• Holy Expedition by Bow Wow
• The Water of the Rainbow by T-Square
• Can I Sing? by Masayoshi Takanaka

• Timeline of Japanese music
• 1983 in Japan
• 1983 in music
• w:ja:1983年の音楽