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1960 in Japanese music
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August 2026
1960
1960 Japanese music
In 1960 (Shōwa 35), Japanese music was released on records and included in films, and there were awards, contests and festivals.
Awards, contests and festivals
The 3rd Osaka International Festival (Japanese: 大阪国際フェスティバル) was held from 6 April to 8 May 1960.1960年度のラインナップ. Asahi Shimbun Foundation. The 2nd Japan Record Awards were held on 28 December 1960.第2回日本レコード大賞. Japan Composer's Association. The 11th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen was held on 31 December 1960.第11回NHK紅白歌合戦. NHK.
The 9th Otaka prize was won by Akio Yashiro for his cello concerto.尾高賞 in "Archive". NHK Symphony Orchestra.
Annual charts
Yukio Hashi's Itako Gasa ja 潮来笠 was number 1 in the Japanese kayokyoku annual singles chart published in Billboard. The Peanuts' Kanashiki 16 Sai ja 悲しき16才 and Kikue Hanamura ja 花村菊江's Itako Hanayome San ja 潮来花嫁さん were respectively numbers 4 and 5.Billboard. 19 December 1970. p J-32.
Classical music
The Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra was founded.Bonnie C Wade. Composing Japanese Musical Modernity. University of Chicago Press. 2014. p 219.
Film
The music of The Bad Sleep Well and Chikuhō no Kodomo Tachi ja 筑豊のこどもたち and Dokuritsu Gurentai Nishi e ja 独立愚連隊西へ, all by Masaru Sato, won the 15th Mainichi Film Award for Best Music.第15回 日本映画大賞
Film musicals included Alakazam the Great,Hongmei Sun. Transforming Monkey: Adaptation and Representation of a Chinese Epic. University of Washington Press. 2018. p 119. Taiyo Dake (太陽を抱け),Gailbraith. The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. 2008. p 170.太陽を抱け. Eiga.com. Utamatsuri Romansu Dochu (唄祭ロマンス道中)Gailbraith. The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. 2008. p 175.唄祭ロマンス道中. Eiga.com. and Arashi O Yobu Gakudan (嵐を呼ぶ楽団).Gailbraith. The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. 2008. p 167.嵐を呼ぶ楽団. From Pia, via Natalie.嵐を呼ぶ楽団. National Film Archive of Japan.
Theatre
Musicals included "Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o". (The theme song is Miagete Goran Yoru no Hoshi o).『あんぱん』に登場する『見上げてごらん夜の星を』を解説 日本ミュージカル史の第一歩に. Real Sound. 14 August 2025.
Jukeboxes
The Sega 1000 jukebox appeared.Jérémie Pelletier-Gagnon. Space and Play in Japanese Videogame Arcades. Routledge. 2024. p 31.History. Sega.
Music industry
There were 5,616 new record releases."Revival for Wonderland Disks at All-Time High". Billboard. 27 February 1961. p 14.
Other singles released
Aishū Hatoba ja 哀愁波止場 by Hibari Misora
Okesa Utaeba ja おけさ唄えば and Kenka Fuji ja 喧嘩富士 by Yukio Hashi
Songs
Inu No Omawarisan ja 犬のおまわりさんReinhard Zöllner. Geschichte Japans: von 1800 bis zur Gegenwart. utb. p 306.童謡・唱歌・懐かしの歌: CD付き. p 25.
See also
Timeline of Japanese music
1960 in Japan
1960 in music
w:ja:1960年の音楽
References
Ongaku Nenkan 1960. (Japanese: 音楽年鑑 1960) [English: Music Yearbook 1960]. Ongaku No Tomo Sha.