Japan is the largest music market in the world
 

From 2010, Japan is the largest music market in the world and surpassing USA. Japan has the largest total retail value while USA remains the largest total sales unit.
Japan also have the highest value purchase power per person

http://i45.tinypic.com/11cbcsw.png

Source : RIAJ

that right there is a total shock, lol. not really.
Japan is amazing.

Indeed!! :)

So, Ayumi is the bestselling solo artist in the history of the country with the biggest music industry in the world - making her the queen of the universe?

That's really awesome! :yatta

Finally...it's about time...
from what i remember last year USA still in number one
but the margin is so close...
and now...Japan finally taking over the first place

I stopped listening to the radio here years ago. Yay for Japan!

^ There're radio stations in North America? Lol
I'm not surprised that the USA is number 2. I am surprised that Japan is number 1, though.

This is sooo coool!!!

Who else is supposed to be ahead? Japan and the US have been 1and 2 for a long while now.

Im personally happy about this. And wow at the power of singles there.

Thank you AKB48.

I was honestly about to write the same thing in this thread but forgot to lol

But that average value per purchase really states why Japanese CDs are so expensive, especially the strong yen and overseas shipping charges...

I remember seeing this last year?

That sounds about right. XP

New or old news - whatever it is, it's really cool info to know! Go Japanese music!

last year update was for year 2009 and Japan still behind US

This does not surprise me , awesome :)

well I have to admit that I understand more how so many group/singers/everything that you want are out in Japan and quite stay a little while...
but I'm still amazed that they surpassed USA... Now US artist will all go to japan (just like korean ones) : it wil be a huge mess lol

^Um US artists have been slaying in Japan long before the Koreans jumped the bandwagon. Japan's been #2 for a while so it was still a huge moneymaker for US artists.

Sounds right to me! :P

I'm surprised by this, but im also surprised Korea's so far down with the HUGE KPOP wave thing lately.