The February issue of Japan's premier classical music magazine, Ongaku-no-tomo, reported that 10,265 classical concerts were held in Japan in 2006, including 4,597 in Tokyo.

The total number is slightly down from 2005 (10,384), but the most striking pattern was more concerts being held in Tokyo and fewer in the rest of the county. By genre, the overall trends were fewer orchestral concerts and more vocal or opera productions. There were also a greater number of concerts featuring keyboard instruments, but the numbers for all other forms showed no changes at all.

According to the Nikkei (Japan's leading business newspaper), CD sales declined 2.3% overall, while classical CD sales gained by 10%.

An especially interesting phenomenon that continued through the year's end was triggered by a leap in sales of comic books featuring stories about classical music in general and orchestras in particular. The theme was picked up for TV dramas as well, with the result that many young people started showing up at orchestral concerts.