Music

The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 (ongaku), combining the kanji 音 "on" (sound) with the kanji 楽 "gaku" (enjoy).[1] Japan is the second largest music market in the world, with a total retail value of over 3 billion dollars in 2013 – dominated by Japanese artists with, as of December 2013 sales: 44 of the top 50 best selling albums[2] and 46 of the top 50 best selling singles in 2013.[3]

Local music often appears at karaoke venues, which is on lease from the record labels. Traditional Japanese music is quite different from Western music as it is often based on the intervals of human breathing rather than mathematical timing.[4]