Japanese album sales of Korean artists have decreased over the years?

    I hadn't really been paying attention, but then I saw the Japanese album sales of some groups, and that's when I start to notice: excluding BTS, have the Japanese album sales decreased of K-pop groups and artists over the years?


    Compared with 10 years ago, the overall album sales of K-pop artists has easily increased 5 times and more across the whole line (not sure if the same can be said for album revenues, but I'm guessing that increased too).

    However, when you check the Japanese album sales it's a lot less when you consider that early 2010s SNSD and Kara sold 0.5-1 million Japanese albums, something that current girl groups don't even come close to.


    Or does this only apply to K-pop girl groups and not the boy groups?

    Or is this a general Japanese trend, and are the Japanese groups and artists also selling far fewer Japanese albums than they used to 10 years ago?

    I recall AKB48 sold 1-2 million of their albums too 10 years ago, but when I check their sales now, that's far below their sales back then too. But that's maybe due to AKB48 not being that popular anymore and not a general trend.


    Anybody knows? Maybe this was already common knowledge, but I hadn't really been paying attention to album sales in Japan by K-pop groups (or J-pop groups), so I'd just assumed they had increased since all the K-pop album sales have tripled and more.

    Japan just focuses on a lot more other artists than back like 10-20 years ago


    Kenshi Yonezu for example, who is Japan's most famous singer sells quit a lot. I remember that one of the albums he had released in the last 2-ish years sold over 7 million times wich is a lot. Also artists like Ado or YOASOBI and Official HIGE DANDism are selling a lot in Japan. And a lot other soloists and duos and some bands are also going quit strong in Japan.


    And of cause there is Johnny's Entertainment who is still the most famous company in Japan. Johnny's-group Snow Man is also the most selling boygroup in Japan right now and debuted only a few months before the formerly most selling boygroup ARASHI, also a Johnny's-group, went into hiatus, Snow Man is so famous in Japan that their albums Snow Man S1 and Snow Man S2 were charting for a very long time. It took Snow Man S1 over a year to stop charting and Snow Man S2 is still going strong. Snow Man by the way debuted in January 2020 and sold almost 12 million CDs by now. Also Johnny's-group SixTONES is doing quit well and the same goes to some other groups like King&Prince, Naniwa Danshi,... but it could go down for King&Prince since 3 member have left the group recently and after former Keiyakizaka46-member Yurina Hirate got signed with Hybe people are now rumoring that after leaving King&prince they could possibly see more former JPop-idol join and think that Sho Hirano could be a possible candidate for that.


    Outside of those there is also a boom with boygroups who do quit well, sure most of them do not sell the most crazy numbers but if you follow the charts a lot you see that they still menage to chart quit in the front, wich is mostly with boygroups who got formed after Produce 101 Japan happend. And a lot companies adopted all the people that participated on all of the random survival shows that had happend in Japan over the past few years. Universal for example is such a company that took a lot people over the past few years who had apeared on survival shows, as for example ENJIN, OWV and OCTPATH who's member had been on Produce 101 Japan season 1 and season 2, NIK who is the winner group of the show G-EGG, but also other people like for example Yurina Kawaguchi who had been on GP999 before.


    And since survival shows became very popular in Japan the winner groups of some of these shows are doing extremly well right now. INI, JO1 and BE:FIRST are some examples of being a very popular group formed trought an survival show. INI was also the first boygroup in over 10 years who is not from Johnny's Entertainment that menaged to sell over 500K on an release, wich was their debut single. INI debuted in November of 2021 and sold almost 2 million CDs by now. BE:FIRST debuted on the same day as INI and sold more than a million by now. BE:FIRST is also going so strong in Japan at the moment, so that they were nominated for a lot awards allready. JO1 on the other hand debuted in March of 2020 and sold around 4 million CDs allready and is also one of the most famous groups in Japan right now.


    Japan also debuted a lot more underground girlgroups in the past few years wich also makes that people start to tend do give their atention to more local groups from the place they are from. I mean a person living in let's say Osaka tends more to listen to a smaller artist that might only performs in Osaka than to check out an artist that tours around entire Japan and the demand for such groups is groing wich gives a lot companies and their artists falls hopes. Japan is poping out a lot companies left and right and there are also a lot indipendend groups and artists without having a company who start to release music for a small group of fans. In 2022 for example I counted almost 200 newly debuted artists for Japan and it's just january of 2023 and I allready have about 8 names on the list for people that debut in January of this year.

  • AllKill VIP
    Quote from JiminieKookie

    Japan just focuses on a lot more other artists than back like 10-20 years ago


    Kenshi Yonezu for example, who is Japan's most famous singer sells quit a lot. I remember that one of the albums he had released in the last 2-ish years sold over 7 million times wich is a lot. Also artists like Ado or YOASOBI and Official HIGE DANDism are selling a lot in Japan. And a lot other soloists and duos and some bands are also going quit strong in Japan.

    Holy crap, 7 MILLION?! :wow: That is a LOT!!


    Thanks for your extensive post above, that was very informative. It was very informative, so I'm guessing it's not that the Japanese physical sales market is shrinking, but more that the Japanese people are currently more into local artists andless into the big J-pop groups from before? And K-pop groups outside of BTS have become less of an interest to them?


    Quote from killthisfenty

    I don’t feel the same impression for BG however physical is declining in Japan. People are streaming tbh every one is streaming only in kpop sales have a high value.

    To be fair, overall that would've been my expectation: that streaming would keep increasing and replacing the physical sales market like happens for most international artists.

    But K-pop has been so much of a fluke and countertrend when it comes to physical sales, that I assumed that Japanese physical sales for K-pop artists would have increased a lot too.

    Quote from FoReveries

    I hadn't really been paying attention to album sales in Japan by K-pop groups (or J-pop groups)

    Some examples for a few JPop-acts

    • Snow Man - Snow Man S 1 -> Released on September 29, 2021 / sold 1,007,565 (Album)
    • Snow Man - Snow Man S 2 -> Released on September 21, 2022 / sold 990,201 (Album)
    • Snow Man / SixTONES - D.D / Imitation Rain -> Released on January 22, 2020 / sold 1,854636 (Double A-side single)
    • Snow Man - Kissing My Lips / Stories -> Released on October 7th, 2020 / sold 1,173,175 (Double A-side single)
    • SixTONES - 1 ST -> Released on January 6th, 2021 / sold 610,699 (Album)
    • SixTONES - Navigator -> Released on July 22nd, 2020 / sold 762,489 (Single)
    • Naniwa Danshi - 1st Love -> Released on July 13th, 2022 / sold 850,968 (Album)
    • Naniwa Danshi - 初心LOVEうぶらぶ -> Released on November 12th, 2021 / sold 916,961 (Single)
    • JO1 - Wandering -> Released on December 13th, 2021 / sold 454,356 (Single)
    • JO1 - Midnight Sun -> Released on October 10th, 2022 / sold 525,624 (Single)
    • Kenshi Yonezu - Stray Sheep -> Released on August 5th, 2020 / sold 1,639,880(Album)
    • Kenshi Yonezu - Lemon -> Released on March 18th, 2018 / sold 551,000 (Physicly) 3,000,000 (digital) (Single)
    • Aimyon - Momentary Sixth Sense -> Released on February 13th, 2019 / sold 306,000 (Album)

    Just to name some stuff

    Jpn physical albums are also more expensive (regular editions is around 25-30 USD and the versions with DVD or BR or LE can go up to 40-100 USD). I think overall, it has been on a steady decline with ppl finally turning to digital and streams. With exception of a few Jpn artists and groups, no one is selling the amounts of a decade ago (in the millions).

    is there hard data to show what k-artists are selling now compared to 10 years ago?


    and given that album sales are higher than ever, is one saying the raw numbers from Japan are decreasing or the %?


    ie. let's say 10 years ago a group is selling 50K albums and 10K came from Japan so 20% but these days the group is selling 100K albums total and 15K from Japan - one might argue that in raw numbers the sales from Japan are increasing but one could also argue that the % contribution from Japan is decreasing - both are valid arguments

    Japan is surprisingly moving towards a streaming culture like the rest of the world so I'm not surprised. But I would have liked to know what BTS would have done in they released a Japanese album in the last two years.

    How much did Kpop groups and Jkpop groups sell in Japan in 2022? Here are the groups on Oricon's Album 500 list at the end of the year,




    3 ) SEVENTEEN – DREAM: 668,457

    4 ) BTS – Proof: 600,691

    7 ) SEVENTEEN – Face the Sun: 510,743

    11 ) SEVENTEEN - SEVENTEEN 4th Album Repackage 「SECTOR 17」: 290,052

    12 ) JO1 - KIZUNA : 283,122

    13 ) ENHYPEN - 定め : 277,261

    23 ) BE:FIRST - BE:1 : 185,563

    24 ) TOMORROW X TOGETHER - minisode 2:Thursday’s Child : 179,421

    27 ) StrayKids - CIRCUS : 157,016

    28 ) ENHYPEN - MANIFESTO : DAY 1 — 152,966

    29 ) &TEAM - First Howling : ME : 150,504

    30 ) NCT DREAM - Glitch Mode : 146,573

    32 ) ENHYPEN - DIMENSION : ANSWER : 143,045

    33 ) NCT127 - 2 Baddies : 139,730

    34 ) TWICE - Celebrate : 127,393

    45 ) NCT - Universe : 91,449

    46 ) TWICE - TWICE4 : 87,709

    48 ) TREASURE - THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER ONE -KR Ver.: 82,630

    50 ) StrayKids - MAXIDENT : 77,145

    51 ) StrayKids - ODDINARY : 74,963

    52 ) ATEEZ - THE WORLD EP.PARADIGM : 74,312

    53 ) Aespa - Girls : 73,269

    55 ) TREASURE - THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER ONE -JP Ver.: 70,143

    57 ) TREASURE - THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER TWO -JP Ver.: 66,579

    59 ) SEVENTEEN - Attacca : 66,074

    63 ) TREASURE - THE SECOND STEP : CHAPTER TWO : 62,319

    65 ) LE_SSERAFIM - ANTIFRAGILE : 60,298

    66 ) TWICE - BETWEEN 1&2 : 58,321

    76 ) LE_SSERAFIM - FEARLESS : 52,015

    77 ) BTS - BTS, THE BEST : 50,807

    78 ) ATEEZ - BEYOND : ZERO : 50,647

    83 ) Kep1er - FIRST IMPACT : 46,653

    86 ) TVXQ - Epitaph : 45,808

    88 ) THEBOYZ - SHE'S THE BOSS : 44,431

    92 ) ITZY - IT'z ITZY : 43,219

    96 ) ATEEZ - THE WORLD EP.1 : MOVEMENT : 41,867

    97 ) YUNHO - Kimi wa Saki e Iku : 41,316

    101 ) NCT127 - Sticker : 40,357

    104 ) ONEW - Life goes on : 38,585

    106 ) Kep1er - DOUBLAST : 37,694

    110 ) NiziU - U : 34,737

    114 ) BLACKPINK - BORN PINK : 33,271

    115 ) BTS - MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA : 32,939

    117 ) SEVENTEEN - An Ode : 32,524

    119 ) J_JUN - Fallinbow : 32,394

    124 ) TXT - The Chaos Chapter : 31,516

    127 ) BTS - LOVE YOURSELF 'Answer' : 30,697

    128 ) ENHYPEN - DIMENSION : DILEMMA : 30,444

    130 ) ASTRO - Drive to the Starry Road : 30,100

    131 ) TWICE - Formula of Love: O+T=<3 — 29,831

    136 ) SEVENTEEN - Your Choice — 28,355

    143 ) BTS - LOVE YOURSELF 'Tear' — 27,540

    144 ) StrayKids - GO LIVE — 27,479

    148 ) BTS - WINGS — 26,596

    151 ) Aespa - Savage — 26,194

    156 ) BTS - LOVE YOURSELF 'Her' — 25,567

    157 ) BTS MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 : 25,494

    162 ) RM Indigo : 25,123

    164 ) NCTDREAM Hot Sauce : 25,022

    169 ) Kep1er TROUBLESHOOTER : 23,624

    172 ) TREASURE THE FIRST STEP : TREASURE EFFECT : 23,371

    176 ) NAYEON IM NAYEON : 22,695

    177 ) ENHYPEN BORDER : CARNIVAL : 22,543

    179 ) WEi - Youth : 22,301

    181 ) ITZY - CHECKMATE : 22,216

    184 ) StrayKids - NOEASY : 21,857

    185 ) SEVENTEEN - [Semicolon] : 21,674

    190 ) SEVENTEEN - Heng:garae : 20,437

    192 ) ENHYPEN - BORDER : DAY ONE : 20,233

    194 ) ATEEZ - ZERO : FEVER EPILOGUE : 19,893

    195 ) BTS - BE : 19,800

    196 ) fromis_9 - from our Memento Box : 19,682

    203 ) ONEUS - TRICKSTER : 18,792

    206 ) TXT - Chaotic Wonderland : 18,416

    210 ) RedVelvet - Bloom : 18,156

    218 ) NewJeans - New Jeans : 17,242

    219 ) JangKeunSuk - Blooming : 17,202

    229 ) SUPERJUNIOR - The Road : Keep on Going : 15,345

    237 ) NCT - RESONANCE : 14,740

    241 ) RedVelvet - The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm : 14,491

    243 ) fromis_9 - Midnight Guest : 14,396

    248 ) Girls Generation - FOREVER 1 : 13,841

    253 ) BTS - The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever : 13,565

    260 ) iKON - FLASHBACK [+ i DECIDE] : 13,302

    286 ) BTS - The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, pt.2 : 11,835

    293 ) TXT - minisode1: Blue Hour : 11,471

    311 ) MOONBIN - SANHA Refuge : 10,819

    312 ) BTS - MAP OF THE SOUL : 7 ~THE JOURNEY~ : 10,659

    314 ) ASTRO - Rise Up : 10,417

    323 ) BTS - The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, pt.1 : 10,106

    329 ) StrayKids - SKZ2020 : 9,910

    333 ) BTOB - Be Together : 9,744

    337 ) BTS - THE BEST OF BTS -JAPAN EDITION- : 9,599

    348 ) TXT - The Dream Chapter: MAGIC : 9,333

    357 ) CRAVITY - NEW WAVE : 8,954

    359 ) ONEUS - Dopamine : 8,939

    361 ) AB6IX - SAVIOR : 8,789

    362 ) PENTAGON - IN:VITE U : 8,775

    363 ) SMTOWN 2021 - Winter SMTOWN : SMCU EXPRESS (NCT): 8,739

    365 ) iKON - FLASHBACK : 8,713

    380 ) StrayKids - I am NOT : 8,358

    388 ) ONEW - DICE : 8,173

    389 ) XIUMIN - Brand New : 8,151

    412 ) SEVENTEEN - 24H : 7,638

    425 ) THEBOYZ - BE AWARE : 7,345

    437 ) JINJIN_ROCKY - Restore : 7,080

    439 ) BTS - O!UL8,2? : 7,043

    440 ) Apeace - We are Apeace : 7,010

    445 ) OHMYGIRL - OH MY GIRL BEST : 6,984

    451 ) OMEGA_X - Stand up! : 6,881

    459 ) PENTAGON - Feelin' Like : 6,768

    462 ) SF9 - THE BEST ~Dear Fantasy~ : 6,765

    463 ) BTS - SKOOL LUV AFFAIR : 6,756

    464 ) BTS - DARK&WILD : 6,751

    469 ) StrayKids - ALL IN : 6,657

    489 ) GIDLE - I love : 6,347

    492 ) Billlie - The collective soul and unconscious : chapter one : 6,283

    Quote from JiminieKookie

    Not exactly. SEVENTEEN sold almost a million copies in Japan in 2022

    Is this per album or multiple albums?

    Quote from Yinye

    Jpn physical albums are also more expensive (regular editions is around 25-30 USD and the versions with DVD or BR or LE can go up to 40-100 USD). I think overall, it has been on a steady decline with ppl finally turning to digital and streams. With exception of a few Jpn artists and groups, no one is selling the amounts of a decade ago (in the millions).

    This seems the more to-be-expected trend, seeing how physical sales have decreased worldwide while streaming became dominant. K-pop and K-pop album sales so far seems to be the only exception to that rule.

    Quote from selfmate

    is there hard data to show what k-artists are selling now compared to 10 years ago?


    and given that album sales are higher than ever, is one saying the raw numbers from Japan are decreasing or the %?


    ie. let's say 10 years ago a group is selling 50K albums and 10K came from Japan so 20% but these days the group is selling 100K albums total and 15K from Japan - one might argue that in raw numbers the sales from Japan are increasing but one could also argue that the % contribution from Japan is decreasing - both are valid arguments

    I did find this data, a S00mpi article with the title 'K-Pop Artists Claim 42 Spots On Oricon’s 2022 Year-End Album And Single Charts' and this graph about K-pop album sales:


    KAoi5Dt6il2XMrOflKqX0a7dPBkud4QlcumT2tJyb8reQR9pfOHHMWBpF8dTPF6i2biRIsbAA2hI_h7HBHsdOCDy-qmnkxEn4mqhCYCggcCgMo-L=w780-rj-l80-nu-e365


    But maybe another way to compare is how peak Japanese sales per album for a group were doing compared to their peak Korean sales per album 10 years ago, and how it works for K-pop groups right now:

    * early 2010s: top Japanese sales/album vs top Korean sales/album *

    KARA: 500-800k vs 100k

    SNSD: 1M vs 470k

    TVXQ: 570k vs 600k


    * 2020-2022: Japanese sales/album vs Korean sales/album peak *

    BTS: 1M vs 5M

    Seventeen: 700k vs 3M

    TWICE: 220k vs 1.1M


    These are figures I found in a quick search, so correct me if I'm wrong, but the overall trend seems like this: Japanese physical albums market has shrunk compared with 10 yrs ago, but the top Japanese album sales for K-pop artists still look good because K-pop physical album sales as a whole has increased 5-10 times in the past decade.

    so whilst the japanese market is shrinking the overall kpop market within the japanese market is growing?

    interesting

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