Mulboyne wrote:..The main Billboard Japan Hot 100 singles chart will be based on a combination of sales and airplay data..

It looks AKB48's unfair trade to sell 44 copies of CD at the same time in exchange for one concert ticket surprised a lot of common people who had never been called 'idol otaku' in their life in this country. Not only this unfair trade, now a lot of excessive promotional activities done by this group and its agency is suspected of the violation of the Antimonopoly Act or other laws. For example, at AKB theater, they are selling some lottery tickets to receive special services from AKB48 members – for instance, the right to receive the reply of fan letter, or the right to take a photo with a member, etc. (never be the one like Soap Land, just in case though). And it is rumored those 'hits' are controlled by their manager , and he gives priority to regular customers who visits the theater very often. If he dies, to control the result of this kind of lottery is also regarded as an unfair trade. In addition, they sold a set of copies with the ticket for its 10th anniversary ticket. Needless to say, it may be a fraud, because nobody can not assure this group would continue until 2015.

Certainly, it's sure these ways are excessive, and it's very easy to criticize AKB48 and its agency. However, it's not only AKB48 that sell CD copies in such a special promotional way. Now a lot of musicians in this county throw those some special presents in albums and singles. Special live concerts or handshake meetings held for a release is not only the special product of idol music world. Release some kinds of jackets to motivate a fan to purchase multiple copies have already become a very common way. Next we should think is why. Why do they have to go desperate and work hard to sell a lot of copies at once?

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It's sure the sales of CD singles are decreasing recently, and this is one of the factors. Even we include legal downloads, the sales of Japanese music industry as a whole is falling sharply after the start of new millennium. So, to sustain the organization enlarged during music boom in 80s or 90s , Japanese music companies need desperate promotional activities and their returns. But we should also notice, they are just desperate in the first week after the release. In the first week , a lot of musicians appear on TV shows, radio shows, and have lots of concerts to promote the single. However, in the next week, idols become idle again.

This is caused by an unique system of Japanese music charts from Oricon which counts only the number of copies which sold at music shops. No matter how a song is requested for millions of people and the song is aired at radio show for thousands of times, Oricon doesn't care. No matter how a song is sold well only at a small record shop in Okinawa, the number won't be included in Oricon charts. And Oricon doesn't count the number of downloads, either.

To make matters worse, this kind of research in Japan is almostly monopolized by Oricon, and people from fans to some professionals such as ad agents or sponsors wouldn't believe the charts except for Oricon.

So, every musicians release something in Japan needs to do well in Oricon charts. Otherwise, the song will never be recognized by the most of Japanese and just be buried in the darkness. Even if 1,000 copies are bought by a single people or an interested party, Oricon doesn't care, so agencies have to increase the number itself somehow. It's another darkness of this far east country continues since Oricon charts were estabrished 40 years ago.

However, this distorted system may end soon. Billboard starts its own charts in Japan. Actually, it is Japanese company in Osaka licensed by Billboard , Hanshin Contents Link, that actually starts this new charts. But different from Oricon, joining hands with Japanese most famous rental video chain, Tsutaya, this charts will include aired timed at radio shows. It is uncertain whether it includes downloaded times, but if it does, this Japanese Billboard may threaten the fort of Oricon after 40 years.

This charts have already started at Tsutaya Online from February 28th.

http://www.tsutaya.co.jp/ranking/billboard/charts/j_100/j_100.html

And as you can see, now there have already appeared some difference from Oricon. Shota's 'Home' is at #3, while Oricon puts him at #5. In Oricon, Jero's Umiyuki is #4, but at Tsutaya or Billboard, it's #9. And in Billboard top 20, there are a lot of unfamiliar names which are never seen in even top20 in Oricon.

It depends on you and customers which one to trust on. But it looks the one from Billboard is more useful to the person like me who is always hunger for a brand-new music which is free from the control of major label. Speaking of music charts in Japan, Oricon had been the only choice, but it seems we should always pay attention for this Billboard (licensed) Charts from today.