Back to Basics: Behind the Scenes of Kōhaku Singer Selection

A proposal to have the entire 7th generation of enka performers appear.

On November 19, the performers for the “75th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen” were announced, revealing that, for the second consecutive year, no artists from STARTO ENTERTAINMENT (hereafter, STARTO Co.) would participate.

“NHK had reportedly acknowledged progress in compensation for the victims of the sexual abuse issue and attempted to invite former Johnny’s Office talents to Kōhaku. Among them, they considered the return of two groups, ‘Snow Man,’ whose CDs sell exceptionally well, and ‘SixTONES,’ popular with younger audiences. However, STARTO Co. reportedly hoped for additional groups to be included. The discussions with STARTO Co. did not reach a resolution, which seemingly delayed the announcement of the Kōhaku performers compared to usual,” said a music program insider.

Then, on October 20, the broadcast of “NHK Special: Unveiling the Reality of the Idol Empire Built by Johnny Kitagawa likely had a significant impact on STARTO Co.’s decision-making. Nonetheless, the music program production team, eager to feature STARTO Co.’s artists in Kōhaku, reportedly continued negotiations until the last moment.

Although the result was zero participants this year as well, NHK had been considering increasing slots for first-time appearances by young enka and kayōkyoku singers since spring, in case this outcome materialized.

“Since a few years ago, 20-something enka and kayō singers, collectively called the ‘7th Generation of Enka,’ have been holding joint concerts across record labels and production companies. This movement centers on talented newcomers debuted by various companies as post-Hikawa artists following Kiyoshi Hikawa’s (47) hiatus from music activities. Among them were Leon Niihama (28), who secured his first appearance, and three other handsome enka singers. Around this summer, there was even a proposal to have all four of them perform,” the same music insider revealed.

Articles reporting on the possibility of barter deals

In the end, only Leon Niihama secured the ticket for his first appearance, but music critics say it was a well-deserved selection.

“His new song ‘Subete Ageyo’ was produced by Noritake Kinashi, with lyrics and composition by George Tokoro. On November 22, Tokoro received the Composition Award at the ’66th Glorious! Japan Record Awards.’ Additionally, contribution is an important factor in being selected as a ‘Kōhaku singer.’ In this regard, Niihama is a regular on shows like ‘Nodo Jiman’ and ‘Uta Con,’ and this year, his cover of Hideki Saijou’s ‘Kizu Darake no Laura’ on ‘SONGS’ became a major topic of discussion,” said a music critic.

Considering the contribution factor, the names of Kenshi Yonezu (33), who was in charge of the theme song for the first half of the morning drama Tora ni Tsubasa, and B’z, who are in charge of the theme song for the latter half of the morning drama Omusubi, have not yet been announced.

“Every year, ‘Kōhaku’ announces big-name singers in December as a surprise, so the participation of these two groups is said to be certain. In fact, Niihama and ‘B’z’ are from the same agency, and Niihama’s first appearance on ‘SONGS’ (NHK) was as a guest on an episode featuring Takahiro Matsumoto (63) as the main guest.

Because of this, some articles reported that Niihama’s selection might be a barter deal, but that is completely unfounded. ‘Subete Ageyo’ has ranked in the top ten of the Oricon enka and kayō rankings for 33 weeks, and has reached number one five times,” said the same critic.

Kiyoshi Hikawa will also appear in a special slot, and regulars like Hiromi Go (69), Junretsu, Keisuke Yamauchi (41), and Hiroshi Miyama (44) are also on the list. In the red team, Sayuri Ishikawa (66), who has appeared 47 times, and Fuyumi Sakamoto (57), with 36 appearances, are included. Yoshimi Tendo (70), with 29 appearances, and Kaori Mizumori (51), who always surprises with her costumes, will make her 22nd appearance. For the older generation, who are the main audience for Kōhaku, these choices are definitely more pleasing.

Depending on the reception of this year’s Kōhaku, it’s possible that next year we could see a significant increase in enka and kayōkyoku singers.