SMAP, Tohoshinki, SPEED, Jero, Mr. Children, Ayumi Hamasaki, Kumi Koda to perform on Kouhaku Uta Gassen

With the slipping viewership, organizers of the NHK New Year’s Eve Red-White Battle is trying different things this time around for its 59th Year.  Despite having 53 performers (compared to last year’s 58), the artist featured in the special is much varied.

This year will feature American enka star Jero who promised his grandmother that he will perform at Kouhaku Uta Gassen now a dream come true.  Also, performances by SMAP, TOKIO, Tohoshinki, SPEED, Kumi Koda, Ayumi Hamasaki and many other top tier artist.

But the biggest surprise during the announcement was that Mr. Children will be performing at the event.  For years, organizers have been trying to bring popular bands such as Southern All Stars, B’z or Mr. Children to the special to no avail but with Mr. Children to perform at Kouhaku is special.  SMAP leader Masahiro Nakai and actress Yukie Nakama will co-host the program.  The two were hosts back in 1996 and coincidentally, the two are starring in a new movie together.

Performers for this year’s Kouhaku Uta Gassen are:

Red team

aiko
Thelma Aoyama
Junko Akimoto
Ayaka
Angela Aki
Ikimonogakari
Sayuri Ishikawa
Ai Otsuka
Miyuki Kawanaka
Girl Next Door
Kumi Koda
Natsuko Godai
Sachiko Kobayashi
Fuyumi Sakamoto
SPEED
Yoshimi Tendo
Mika Nakashima
Natsuko Nakamura
Ayumi Hamasaki
Perfume
Yo Hitoto
Ayaka Hirahara
Ayako Fuji
Fujioka Fujimaki and Nozomi Ohashi
Kaori Mizumori
Akiko Wada

White team

Masashi Akikawa
Aqua Timez
Hiroshi Itsuki
Exile
Saburo Kitajima
Takeshi Kitayama
Kimaguren
Yusaku Kiyama
Kobukuro
Jero
Shuchishin with Pabo
SMAP
Toho Shinki
TOKIO
Hideaki Tokunaga
Kiyoshi Hikawa
Ken Hirai
Akira Fuse
Porno Graffiti
Kiyoshi Maekawa
Kenichi Mikawa
Mr. Children
Yutaka Mizutani
Shinichi Mori
Naotaro Moriyama
WaT

Image courtesy of Sankei Sports