JUMP Leads Countdown Concert as Fuji’s Attempt Favors Snow Man

The “Kohaku Countdown” will not be held this year either.

Fans had high expectations for the return of the event after two years.

It has been revealed that the New Year’s Eve live event “Johnny’s Countdown Live (Kohaku Countdown, or Kōkon),” featuring all the talents previously under Johnny’s agency, will not be held this year either. On November 30, STARTO Corporation announced that they would not hold the Kōkon, but instead, Hey! Say! JUMP will hold a solo countdown concert at Tokyo Dome.

“Kōkon was a yearly event broadcast by Fuji TV, and despite the late-night time slot, it consistently achieved high viewer ratings. However, last year, due to the turmoil surrounding the sexual abuse allegations against the late Johnny Kitagawa, the founder of the former Johnny’s, and the subsequent rebranding of the company, it became difficult to hold the event.

There were hopes that Kōkon would make a comeback this year, but before it was confirmed that the event would not take place, Fuji announced that it would broadcast ‘Tōsō-chū ~New Year’s Eve Special Odaiba Showdown!’ from 8:52 PM on December 31 to 12:30 AM the following day. It seems Fuji did not actively negotiate with STARTO about the possibility of broadcasting Kōkon” (TV station source).

For groups other than JUMP under STARTO, Snow Man will be live streaming their “Snow Man Special Live Enjoying New Year’s Eve with Everyone! 2024-2025” on YouTube on the 31st. This live broadcast, which was also held last year, set a new Japanese record with a peak concurrent viewership of 1,333,063. Many fans are actually more excited about the YouTube live stream than the potential Kōkon event.

However, there remains some doubt as to why Fuji chose to air Tōsō-chū, which didn’t achieve particularly strong numbers last year. When reflecting on this year, it becomes clear that Fuji has been especially focused on promoting the individual activities of the Snow Man members.

Snow Man was everywhere on Fuji TV.

In Fuji TV’s drama lineup, Ren Meguro (27) starred in the July season of “Umi no Hajimari” for the Monday 9 PM slot. Tatsuya Fukazawa (32) appeared in “Haru ni Nattara” and the currently airing “Watashi no Takaramono.” Koji Mukai (30) featured in “Living no Matsunaga-san” and “Mountain Doctor.” He also played the character “Massaman,” created from the variety show “Gekijoujin ga Honki de Kangaeta! Dokkiri GP,” and served as the main character for Fuji TV’s summer event, “Odaiba Bouken King 2024.”

That’s not all. Raul (21) appeared as a support for a dance competition during the “FNS 27-Hour TV,” and Shota Watanabe (32) co-hosted the variety show “Kono Sekai wa 1 Dafuru” alongside comedian Koji Higashino (57) starting in October.

Given how heavily Fuji TV has relied on Snow Man, it’s a bit puzzling that the network didn’t show any interest in the traditional “Kaukon.” However, it seems there was an underlying reason. A Fuji TV insider revealed:

“Fuji TV subtly approached STARTO, suggesting they would be interested in broadcasting ‘Kaukon’ if it were a Snow Man-only special. They were trying to reel in Snow Man. However, after the talks went nowhere, they ultimately decided to air ‘Tosou-chu’ again this year.”

Meanwhile, leader Hikaru Iwamoto (31) recently underwent surgery to remove a benign tumor in his nose, and the agency announced on November 29 that some of his activities would be restricted until he fully recovers. This has led to renewed concerns about the health of the members.

“In August, Meguro took a break from entertainment due to health issues. Then, in mid-November, he had to cancel filming just before starting a major movie project scheduled for next summer.

Currently, despite being on a nationwide dome tour until the end of the year, the members are appearing on music specials across multiple networks—working excessively. They are visibly worn out. If they don’t get some rest soon, they might break down,” said an entertainment journalist.

If the “Kōkon” had been held at Tokyo Dome with a live broadcast, the pressure on the members would have been immense. Given their recent overwork, focusing on the YouTube live broadcast might have turned out to be a better choice for their health in the long run.

 

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