The nonlinear vibration characteristics of hydrodynamic journal bearings with a circumferential groove we analyzed numerically when the external sinusoidal disturbances are given to the rotor-bearing system continuously. Furthermore, a cavitation algorithm, implementing the Jakobsson-Floberg-Olsson boundary condition, is adopted to predict cavitation regions in a fluid film more accurately than the conventional analysis. which uses the Reynolds boundary condition. It is found that the difference between linear and nonlinear analysis is much more remarkable as the amplitude of external disturbance increases, and it depends upon the excitation frequency of the external disturbance. It is also shown that the cavity region in the fluid film increases as the amplitude or excitation frequency of the external disturbance increases. The whirling center of the steady state orbit moves closer to the bearing center as the amplitude or excitation frequency of the external disturbance increases.