The ratings are in a tailspin due to Johnny’s! NHK’s “Kohaku Uta Gassen” is hanging on to the names of “superstars” and “hidden gems”.

Surprise is the key for the last performer

While successful comedians are being promoted to MC roles at commercial broadcasters, there are whispers of a big-name comedian appearing as a “hidden gem” in the “Kohaku” program.

Takeshi Kitano (76), whose new movie “The Head” will be released in late November, is expected to appear as a singer. Like the historical drama, the film features the likes of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Oda Nobunaga, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, making it easy to collaborate with them. If the director himself appears, actors such as Hidetoshi Nishijima (52), who appeared in the movie, will probably come to support him.

The “Kohaku” is crowded with various songs and corners, but it is the artist who will perform the last act that is of particular interest. This year, it seems that the organizers are planning to focus on surprises, and it is expected that the main performer will be chosen from among singers who have not previously performed at the Kohaku.

There are strong calls for “Spitz,” whose theme song for the “Detective Conan” movie was a hit, to perform. Although they have no intention of participating in the festival and have been turned down numerous times, they would be a perfect surprise singer. Another candidate would be “M r.Children,” who just released an album this October. Kazutoshi Sakurai, 53, says he wants to spend the New Year’s holiday with his family, but his children have grown up, so this remains a possibility.

The most suitable group for the big finale is B’z,” said Kazutoshi Sakurai, 53, who said he wants to spend the New Year with his family. They are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year, and their CD sales are going well, but tickets for their live concerts, which sold out immediately on their 30th anniversary, did not sell out immediately this time. They have recently written a song for Ado (21) and are appealing to the media to give the impression that they are still active in order to attract new fans. It seems that “B’z” has been approached to perform in “Kohaku” through the route of performing the theme song for next year’s morning drama. In addition, “DREAMS COME TRUE” has been approached to perform the last song of the red group. Amidst much discussion about gender, it has been pointed out that color-coding men and women is outdated. In response to these points of view, we are planning to bring a male and female unit as the last performer.

This year’s New Year’s Eve will be a little different from previous years. Who knows what will happen this year?

From the November 10 and 17, 2023 issue of FRIDAY