The Night Hibari Misora Refused to Step Aside — And a Teen Star Changed Everything

Was Yuming also once not selected?

Even as times change, Kōhaku Uta Gassen remains a dream program for singers. For anyone who becomes a singer, standing on that stage can be considered a status symbol.

Yumi Matsutoya, who was set to appear in a special segment of this year’s Kōhaku, marking the 100th Year of Shōwa and the 100th Year of Broadcasting, said:

“About 50 years ago, I stepped into a place far removed from the mainstream of the Japanese entertainment world. To think that the day would come when I could perform on this memorable Kōhaku Uta Gassen— it’s truly like a dream come true.”

During her era as Yumi Arai, she did not actually decline Kōhaku. Songs like “I Want to Return to That Day” and “The Room Grows Dim” were hits, but her name was not among the lineup. When the media asked NHK on the day the performers were announced why she was not selected, NHK responded: “She has limited television exposure,” and “She has support from younger audiences, but it is mostly urban and does not reach the regions.”

This was not limited to Yuming; Iruka with “Nagori Yuki” and Miyuki Nakajima were in similar situations. At that time, major stars such as Hibari Misora, Yujiro Ishihara, Chiemi Eri were the ones declining Kōhaku negotiations. When these artists were still newcomers, they were often omitted for the reason of limited television activity. For Yuming, who experienced that era, the importance of Kōhaku was clear.

In that context, performing as the trailing act for each team in Kōhaku is a great honor.

Until last year, MISIA and Masaharu Fukuyama performed as trailing acts for five consecutive years. In the Shōwa-era Kōhaku, the Red Team trailing act was almost always Hibari Misora. Hibari made her first appearance in the 5th

Chiyoko Shimakura Challenged the Throne of the Absolute Queen Hibari Misora

After her first appearance, Hibari Misora did not appear on Kōhaku for the next two years. Why? At that time, Kōhakuitself had not yet been recognized as a national event, so there was no need for her to appear. Moreover, for those two years after Hibari’s debut, Radio Tokyo (now TBS) created a program called All-Star Song Festival, completely copying the format of Kōhaku, airing at the same time as NHK, and paying several times the usual fees to secure performers. Hibari and the then-new Chiyoko Shimakura appeared on that program instead.

In 1955 (Showa 30), the first performer for the Red Team in All-Star Song Festival was the newly debuted Chiyoko Shimakura, while Hibari already performed as the final act. In 1957 (Showa 32), when TBS avoided a direct clash, Hibari returned to Kōhaku, and it was Chiyoko’s first appearance. Hibari, at age 20, confidently performed as the final act for the Red Team.

The era shifted from the time of Hamako Watanabe (Red Team final performer in the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th editions) and Shizuko Kasagi (3rd and 7th editions). From that point, Hibari performed as the final act 13 times, until her last appearance in 1972 (Showa 47). For only three years, from 1960 to 1962 (Showa 35–37), she handed the position to Chiyoko Shimakura.

Chiyoko Shimakura once shared in an interview:

“When I was young, I thought being the final act was just about the order. But later, appearing on a program with Hibari, when she sang several songs in a special segment and I was the final act afterward, I was shaking with nerves.”

Indeed, the popularity battle between Hibari and Chiyoko was fierce. Hibari consistently ranked first in popularity polls in Heibon magazine, while Chiyoko took first place in the rival magazine Myojo, receiving the baton from Hibari as the final performer. In 1960 (Showa 35), Hibari performed her Record Award-winning song “Aishuu Hatoba” as the first-half final act for the Red Team. In 1961 (Showa 36), she performed “Hibari’s Migratory Bird” to cheerfully open the second half. In the third year, 1962 (Showa 37), Hibari was given the masterpiece “Hibari’s Sado Love Story” and, naturally, should have sung as the final act.

The newlywed Hibari Misora suffered the humiliation of being stripped of the final act

However, the order in which she sang placed her sixth, like a newcomer. Why? This had long been a mystery, but the reason was recently clarified. That year, Hibari had married Akira Kobayashi, and it was her first New Year’s Eve as a newlywed. She wanted to spend the night with her husband, even if it meant declining Kōhaku. However, after NHKpersuaded her, she agreed to sing early in the program, with the understanding she could leave immediately afterward.

Nowadays, performers mostly just sing and give short support comments, but back then, all performers remained throughout the broadcast. Women stood on the left-hand side (from the audience’s perspective), men on the right-hand side, and even after finishing their performance, they cheered for both Red and White Teams. In this respect, Hibari was an exception.

An audio recording remains of that day, introducing the Red Team host Mitsuko Mori. Mori said, “I’m sorry, Kobayashi-san. I’ve put your wife out as ‘Hippabari’.” A pun on Hibari, used to introduce “Hibari’s Sado Love Story.” Hibari, who should have sung as the final act, performed in the first half and hurried home.

From the following year, voices calling out, “The final act must be Hibari.” grew louder, and she resumed her position as the final performer.

In 1964 (Showa 39), with the Tokyo Olympics and judo included as an Olympic sport for the first time, she performed the newly released drama theme song “Yawara” as the final act. This song went on to become her biggest hit over the next year. Naturally, in 1965 (Showa 40), she performed it again as the grand final act. At the time, it was considered improper to perform the same song on Kōhaku two years in a row, but it was widely agreed that not performing “Yawara” would have been strange. So, she performed it two consecutive years as a special, yet natural, exception.

The following year, she sang “Kanashii Sake,” but around 1970 (Showa 45), there were no significant hits, and magazines and newspapers speculated: “Will the next final act after Hibari be Keiko Fuji or Mina Aoe?” However, that year, Hibari took on the Red Team host role and safely performed as the final act.

Behind the Scenes of Kohaku: Record Company Wars

The following year, 1971, Hibari marked her 25th anniversary in show business, and the plan was made for her to both host and close the show once again. If she weren’t hosting, it was said that the closing spot might go to Kiyoko Suizenji. At a press conference held at the Umeda Koma Theater in Osaka at the end of October, she spoke:

“I’ll never host Kohaku again. I was shocked seeing last year’s lineup. People who obviously should have been included, both this one and that one, were left out. You get singers in the lineup you wouldn’t expect. You can’t perform properly. I have no intention of participating in a show like this. This year, I plan to decline.”

Her mother, sitting nearby, added, “Even if she does appear, Hibari has her achievements, so it has to be the closing spot. This is an absolute condition.”

There were indeed voices claiming it was arrogant for her to ask for the closing spot herself. However, she demonstrated the obvious truth: the closing performance is extremely important, and the person entrusted with it must have the skill to match the responsibility. This incident proved that a singer closing Kohaku must be universally recognized as a top-tier performer.

Although women naturally have less physical strength than men, in terms of singing ability, skill, and popularity, they can surpass men. From the start, Kohaku was a program that upheld gender equality. This also heightened the competitive atmosphere. Matchups between artists from the same record company were deliberately avoided, similar to how sumo wrestlers from the same stable don’t face each other.

Because of this, Hibari and Chiyoko Shimakura were exclusive to Columbia Records, as were earlier artists like Shizuko Kasagi and Akiko Futaba, so no male singer from Columbia ever closed the show during that era.

Early on, Hibari’s closing rivals were from King Records, like Mitsuya Mitahashi and Hachiro Kasuga. Later, artists such as Haruo Minami (Teichiku), Yukio Hashi, and Shinichi Mori (Victor) took the spot. In Hibari’s final appearance, for the first time Saburo Kitajima from Crown Records was assigned. Meanwhile, Columbia’s Hideo Murata, despite hits like “Osho” and “Minna no Shu,” never got to close the show.

For male performers from Columbia, the closing spot had been rare after Ichiro Fujiyama (1st, 2nd, 4th) and Noboru Kirishima (5th) when Hamako Watanabe closed for Victor. The next male closing wasn’t until Takashi Hosokawa’s “Yakiri no Watashi” at the 34th edition in 1983.

During Hibari’s absence, Chiyoko Shimakura returned to the closing spot. Later, with the hit “Kita no Yado Kara,” Harumi Miyako closed, still with Columbia. The veteran Teichiku label first had Aki Yashiro close with “Onna Minato Machi” in 1977 at the 28th edition. Here, Columbia’s female closing spot changed for the first time in 22 years.

For the male side, Hiroshi Itsuki closed with “Chikuma River” in 1975. After that, Saburo Kitajima, Hiroshi Itsuki, and Shinichi Mori entered an era of competing for the closing spot. To this day, Kitajima and Itsuki have closed 13 times, and Mori 9 times.

The Wall of Enka Broken by Momoe Yamaguchi at 19 Years Old

Until this period, the image of Kohaku closers must be enka singers was strong. That was overturned in 1978 (Showa 53) with the pop showdown between Momoe Yamaguchi and Kenji Sawada. Yamaguchi, at 19, closed the show, breaking Hibari Misora’s record at 20, performing “Playback Part II,” while Julie (Kenji Sawada) performed “LOVE – Dakishimetai.” The lyrics of the final line, “Goodbye, goodbye,” were said to be fitting for the closing.

However, the pop closing spot was only for that edition. In 1979 (Showa 54), for the 30th Kohaku, Ichiro Fujiyama, the first male closer, and regular closer Hibari Misora appeared as special guests. The closing spot went to the duo of Hiroshi Itsuki (“Omae to Futari”) and Aki Yashiro (“Funauta”), returning after two years.

Afterwards, the female side was passed to next-generation singers like Masako Mori, Sayuri Ishikawa, and Sachiko Kobayashi, while in pop, Akiko Wada began closing. Sayuri Ishikawa closed nine times, Akiko Wada seven times, but the realization of a young pop singer closing wouldn’t happen again until Namie Amuro in 1997 (Heisei 9), 19 years after Yamaguchi. Amuro closed with “CAN YOU CELEBRATE?” before taking maternity leave and returned the next year to Kohaku, performing the same song just before the final closing.

From this year onward, veteran closers returned, but the next young pop idol to close was in 2003 (Heisei 15)—a group, marking a new chapter in history: SMAP with “Sekai ni Hitotsu Dake no Hana.”

SMAP would continue as regular closers of the male side, six times in total. This legacy continued to groups like Arashiand Yuzu, and in 2026, for the first time in history, the rock band Mrs. GREEN APPLE would take the closing spot. On the female side, in 2009 (Heisei 21) at the 60th edition, DREAMS COME TRUE became the first group to close, which also marked the first co-ed group closing, and in 2012 (Heisei 24), Ikimono Gakari added to that record with “Kaze ga Fuiteiru.”

Meanwhile, the songstress Seiko Matsuda, who led the 1980s music scene, finally closed for the first time in 2014 (Heisei 26) on her 18th appearance. This would later connect to the MISIA and Masaharu Fukuyama duo in the Reiwa era.

This year, following Saburo Kitajima on his 50th appearance and Southern All Stars in the last Kohaku of the Heisei era, for the 100th year of broadcasting, Seiko Matsuda will perform after the showdown between the red and white sides as the ultimate final closer.

Looking at the history of Kohaku closers, it’s clear that only performers with proven track records, vocal ability, and universally recognized skill are entrusted with the spot. These are truly the selected artists of postwar Japanese popular music history.