Kimura Takuya’s Two-Year Hidden Desire to Revive Kouhaku Countdown for Junior Artists

For the sake of his juniors

On April 10, it was reported by Tokyo Sports Web that Takuya Kimura (52) has proposed the revival of “Kouhaku Countdown Live,” sparking a big discussion.

According to the article on the site, a TV insider mentioned:

“(Kimura) wants to revive the Kouhaku Countdown Live to boost the morale of his juniors and inspire each other, aiming to give the agency further momentum.”

“In fact, this is not an absurd idea. Industry insiders believe it is very possible. Since the issue involving the former Johnny’s agency two years ago, Kimura has strongly felt the desire to do something for his juniors, and those close to him have been aware of his hidden intentions,” said a former sports journalist who covered Johnny’s.

“Kouhaku Countdown Live,” or “Koukon,” was held at Tokyo Dome from 1998 to 2022, featuring Johnny’s artists. While recent years focused on younger groups, the show used to feature prominent figures like Masahiko Kondo (60) and Noriyuki Higashiyama (58), who performed songs like “Orokamono” and “Kamen Butokai.” The latter part of the live show was broadcast live on Fuji TV, earning a household viewership rating of 12-13% (according to Video Research, Kanto region). However, due to the issues surrounding the late Johnny Kitagawa, the event was not held in 2023 or 2024.

“At the same time, since former Johnny’s talent has not appeared on NHK’s ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’ either, fans have been crying out, ‘How can we celebrate the New Year?’ Kouhaku Countdown Live was an event-like occasion where talents like Taiichi Kokubun (50) from TOKIO and Yoshihiko Inohara  (48) from former V6 served as hosts, and birthday songs were sung for Koichi Domoto (46) from KinKi Kids, whose birthday falls on January 1. It was a great opportunity for us to greet all the staff from the agency,” said a writer specializing in idol magazines.

Moreover, due to the trouble involving Masahiro Nakai (52) and the issues with Fuji TV, it seemed extremely difficult for the event to make a comeback this year. However, many industry insiders believe that, with Kimura’s influence and the full trust of Jun Fukuda (59), president of STARTO ENTERTAINMENT, there is a real possibility of the revival of Kouhaku Countdown Live.

The reason for choosing Kimutaku instead of Matsujun

In recent years, the opportunities for Kimura-kun to step up for his juniors have increased. Just recently, a surprise message from Kimura-kun was sent during the first episode of Golden SixTONES (NTV), and this month, new members of timelesz appeared as guests on his radio show Kimura Takuya Flow (TOKYO FM) for three weeks in a row (according to the previous writer).

However, on April 19th and 20th, the stage direction and supervision for Snow Man Live 1st Stadium Live Snow World held at Tokyo’s National Stadium were carried out by Arashi’s Matsumoto Jun (41). Despite this, why is Matsumoto’s name not being mentioned in relation to the “Kowkon revival”?

“Matsumoto Jun became independent from STARTO company on May 30th last year. On June 1st, he established his new company MJC Inc.. Moreover, after appearing in the NHK taiga drama Dousuru Ieyasu and the play Seisankaku Kankei, he has been focusing on his acting career, so it is said that, unless something extraordinary happens, he is unlikely to devote time to guiding juniors at STARTO company.

Since the National Stadium is associated with Arashi, it makes sense that Snow Man relied on Matsumoto for this live show. I don’t think he will be involved in the revival of Kowkon” (said a former Johnny’s reporter).

So, is there any realistic possibility of a Kowkon revival under Kimura’s leadership? We asked Mihoko Yamada, a longtime broadcast writer and columnist who has covered SMAP.

“SMAP didn’t have Jr. back them up during the second half of their concerts, and after their Kouhaku appearance, Nakai Masahiro didn’t appear on the rival program Kowkon because he was hosting CDTV Special (TBS). Therefore, there were periods where they were distanced from their juniors, but after their chief manager also started managing Kis-My-Ft2, some connections began to form again. Next year marks 10 years since SMAP disbanded.

During this time, Match and Higashi became absent, and now that Nakai has retired, the responsible Kimura-kun likely feels, ‘I am the one who must lead the juniors.’ Kowkon is a celebration where each group sings songs of other groups, with member shuffling, anniversary tributes, and special units with the year’s big stars singing. It’s a day where seniors and juniors can unite as one. If Kimura, who is the ultimate role model for juniors, takes on leadership, there’s no doubt it will lift their spirits.”

Now, the question is whether Tokyo Dome will be filled with the cheers of STARTO’s artists’ fans this New Year’s Eve. It’s something to watch for.