=LOVE’s ‘Koi, Hajimemashita.’ Hits No. 1, RIIZE’s ‘Sunburst’ Debuts at No. 2 on Japan Hot 100
=LOVE's single "Koi, Hajimemashita." has claimed the top spot on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, released on 2 September, marking the group's first-ever half-million opening week. The achievement highlights the strength of physical single sales in the Japanese market, while newer international acts such as RIIZE make significant chart inroads with localised releases.
The title track of =LOVE's 21st single, out since 26 August, sold 503,043 copies to lead sales, while also ranking eighth for video views and ninth for streaming, driving a 385% week-on-week rise in overall points. RIIZE's "Sunburst" debuted at No. 2 on strong physical sales and radio airplay, while EBiDAN's "Yes! Tokyo" held at No. 3 and previous chart-topper TOMORROW X TOGETHER's "Setsuna Hanabi" slipped to No. 4. Elsewhere, MORE STAR debuted at No. 5, Motoki Ohmori's "Haiiro" entered at No. 12 topping downloads, Kenshi Yonezu's "IRIS OUT" marked its 50th week on the chart, and TAKARA's "Akarui Yume" debuted at No. 16 after topping radio play.
In short
- =LOVE's "Koi, Hajimemashita." tops Japan Hot 100 with 503,043 copies sold
- RIIZE's "Sunburst" debuts at No. 2 on strong sales and airplay
- TXT's former No. 1 "Setsuna Hanabi" falls to fourth place
Explained simply
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 ranks songs in Japan using several measures, including physical sales, streaming, video views, downloads and radio play. These measures can give a song a high position through different combinations of audience activity.
=LOVE is a Japanese pop group, while RIIZE is a South Korean group releasing music for Japanese listeners. Local releases and strong sales of physical singles are part of a market where both domestic acts and international artists compete for attention.
The chart offers a snapshot of how listeners discover and buy music in Japan. Comparing its rankings with the underlying measures helps show whether a song’s performance is being driven by sales, listening or radio exposure.