Interest
Full Lineup Revealed for This Year's Kōhaku Song Contest
posted on by Eric Stimson
The NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen ("Red and White Song Contest") is a long-running New Year's Eve tradition on Japanese TV, pitting two teams of female singers (the red team) and male singers (the white team) against each other. While the red team won last year, the white team has an overall lead with 36 wins against 30. The teams in this year's contest, the 67th, will be led by Kasumi Arimura (red team) and Masaki Aiba (white team). The full lineup of competing singers has also been announced.
A * next to the name indicates the singers' debut at the contest.
RED TEAM
- AI
- AKB48
- Ayaka
- E-girls
- Yukino Ichikawa*
- Ikimono-gakari
- Sayuri Ishikawa
- Keyakizaka 46*
- Kaori Kōzai
- Seiko Matsuda
- miwa
- Kaori Mizumori
- Kana Nishino
- Nogizaka 46
- Shinobu Ōtake*
- Perfume
- Puffy*
- Fuyumi Sakamoto
- Ringo Sheena
- Aya Shimazu
- Mariko Takahashi
- Yoshimi Tendō
- Hikaru Utada*
- AAA
- Arashi
- Kōhei Fukuda
- Masaharu Fukuyama
- Hiromi Gō
- Kiyoshi Hikawa
- Gen Hoshino
- Hiroshi Itsuki
- J Soul Brothers
- KANJANI∞
- KinKi Kids*
- Kenta Kiritani*
- Hiroshi Miyama
- Radiofish*
- RADWIMPS*
- SEKAI NO OWARI
- Sexy Zone
- Tokio
- V6
- X Japan
- Keisuke Yamauchi
- THE YELLOW MONKEY*
- Yuzu
This year's theme will be "Yume wo Utaō" ("Let's Sing Our Dreams").
The popular male idol group SMAP was in negotiations to appear for a 24th (and final) time in the contest but has evidently failed. They will disband on New Year's Eve.
Previous years have prominently featured anime music like Sailor Moon's "Moonlight Densetsu" and Love Live! School idol project's "Sore wa Bokutachi no Kiseki." Newcomer band RADWIMPS gained fame this year for their soundtrack to the hit anime film your name.
Sources: NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen official website and Man Tan Web; Image from TRAN-ARROW.COM
