Kōhaku Uta Gassen

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Kōhaku Uta Gassen (紅白歌合戦?), more commonly known as simply "Kōhaku," is an annual music show televised by NHK on New Year's Eve in Japan, ending shortly before midnight (when NHK switches to a frenzy of "Happy New Year" greetings from around the nation). Literally "Red and White Song Battle," the program divides the most popular music artists of the year into competing teams of red and white. The "red" team or akagumi (赤組, 紅組?) is composed of all female artists (or groups with female vocals), while the "white" team or shirogumi (白組?) is all male (or groups with male vocals). The honor of performing on Kōhaku is strictly by invitation, so only the most successful J-Pop artists and enka singers can perform. In addition to the actual music performances, the costumes, hair-styles, makeup, dancing, and lighting are also important.

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[edit] Song selection process

The songs and performers are examined by a selection committee. The bases for selection are record sales and adaptability to the edition's theme.

At the same time, a survey on various demographics is conducted regarding the most popular singers for each, and what kind of music people want to hear. This and the song selection explain the amalgamation of J-Pop acts and enka and adult contemporary artists.

Even today, a performance on Kōhaku is said to be a big highlight in a singer's career because of the show's large reach.

[edit] The show proper

When the show was first broadcasted on radio in 1951, each team had a few performers, all of whom would perform within the span of an hour. Since 1989, television viewers watch and radio listeners listen for at least four hours as both teams, each having at least 25 performers, perform their songs.

At the end of the show, the audience and a panel of judges—notable celebrities who may or may not have a connection to the music industry—vote to select the winning team. In the past, the audience vote has been composed of a head count of the venue audience members, who can vote for either team (NHK Hall, which has been the venue for most Kouhaku editions since 1971, can seat 3,000 people). This counted as one vote.

But as of the 54th (2003) and 55th editions (2004), viewers who watch the program through ISDB-T could also take part in the voting by having their own head count in their respective households. Although it is still sketchy to determine in the 55th, the audience vote is counted as two votes; one for the venue audience and one for ISDB-T viewers.

The audience vote(s) are added to those of the judges who each have to vote for one team. The team with the most votes wins.

The above process is done differently in the 56th edition (2005). Instead, the NHK Hall head count, the vote count from cellphone users, and the vote count from ISDB-T viewers each count as one vote. As stated above, the team that gets at least two votes wins.

In the 57th edition (2006), aside from cellphone and ISDB-T viewers and the NHK Hall audience, 1seg users will also vote. It is still determined how this new composition will figure in the source of team votes.

Aside from the performances, there are special performances where certain performers do their act together, and the so-called "Ring Show" where performers from both teams take part in a "singing exercise."

[edit] Results

Kōhaku # Date Red Team Host White Team Host Mediator Results
1 3 January 1951 Michiko Katō Shuuichi Fujikura Masaharu Tanabe White
2 3 January 1952 Kiyoko Tange Shuuichi Fujikura Masaharu Tanabe White
3 2 January 1953 Juka Honda Teru Miyata Masayori Shimura White
4 31 December 1953 Takiko Mizunoe Keizo Takahashi Seigoro Kitade Red
5 31 December 1954 Natsue Fukuji Keizo Takahashi Shouzaburō Ishii Red
6 31 December 1955 Teru Miyata Keizo Takahashi Shouzaburō Ishii Red
7 31 December 1956 Teru Miyata Keizo Takahashi Shouzaburō Ishii White
8 31 December 1957 Takiko Mizunoe Keizo Takahashi Shouzaburō Ishii Red
9 31 December 1958 Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Keizo Takahashi Shouzaburō Ishii Red
10 31 December 1959 Meiko Nakamura Keizo Takahashi Shouzaburō Ishii Red
11 31 December 1960 Meiko Nakamura Keizo Takahashi Shouzaburō Ishii White
12 31 December 1961 Meiko Nakamura Keizo Takahashi Toshiaki Hosaka White
13 31 December 1962 Mitsuko Mori Teru Miyata Shouzaburō Ishii White
14 31 December 1963 Eri Chiemi Teru Miyata Shouzaburō Ishii Red
15 31 December 1964 Eri Chiemi Teru Miyata Shouzaburō Ishii White
16 31 December 1965 Michiko Hayashi Teru Miyata Shouzaburō Ishii White
17 31 December 1966 Peggy Hayama Teru Miyata Shouzaburō Ishii Red
18 31 December 1967 Yumiko Kokonoe Teru Miyata Shouzaburō Ishii Red
19 31 December 1968 Kiyoko Suizenji Kyu Sakamoto Teru Miyata White
20 31 December 1969 Yukari Ito Kyu Sakamoto Teru Miyata Red
21 31 December 1970 Hibari Misora Teru Miyata Shizuo Yamakawa Red
22 31 December 1971 Kiyoko Suizenji Teru Miyata Shizuo Yamakawa White
23 31 December 1972 Naomi Sagara Teru Miyata Shizuo Yamakawa Red
24 31 December 1973 Kiyoko Suizenji Teru Miyata Shizuo Yamakawa Red
25 31 December 1974 Naomi Sagara Shizuo Yamakawa Masao Domon & Youzou Nakae Red
26 31 December 1975 Naomi Sagara Shizuo Yamakawa Hiroshi Aikawa White
27 31 December 1976 Naomi Sagara Shizuo Yamakawa Hiroshi Aikawa Red
28 31 December 1977 Naomi Sagara Shizuo Yamakawa Hiroshi Aikawa White
29 31 December 1978 Mitsuko Mori Shizuo Yamakawa Hiroshi Aikawa White
30 31 December 1979 Kiyoko Suizenji Shizuo Yamakawa Youzou Nakae Red
31 31 December 1980 Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Shizuo Yamakawa Youzou Nakae Red
32 31 December 1981 Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Shizuo Yamakawa Keiichi Ubukata White
33 31 December 1982 Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Shizuo Yamakawa Keiichi Ubukata Red
34 31 December 1983 Tetsuko Kuroyanagi Kenji Suzuki Tamori White
35 31 December 1984 Mitsuko Mori Kenji Suzuki Keiichi Ubukata Red
36 31 December 1985 Masako Mori Kenji Suzuki Masaho Senda Red
37 31 December 1986 Yuki Saitō & Yoriko Mekata Yuuzou Kayama & Masaho Senda Seiichi Yoshikawa White
38 31 December 1987 Akiko Wada Yuuzou Kayama Seiichi Yoshikawa Red
39 31 December 1988 Akiko Wada Yuuzou Kayama Keiko Sugiura White
40 31 December 1989 Yoshiko Mita Tetsuya Takeda Sadatomo Matsudaira Red
41 31 December 1990 Yoshiko Mita Toshiyuki Nishida Sadatomo Matsudaira White
42 31 December 1991 Yuuko Ayano Masaaki Sakai Shizuo Yamakawa Red
43 31 December 1992 Hikari Ishida Masaaki Sakai Shizuo Yamakawa White
44 31 December 1993 Hikari Ishida Masaaki Sakai Miyuki Morita White
45 31 December 1994 Emiko Kaminuma Ichiro Furutachi Yasuo Miyakawa Red
46 31 December 1995 Emiko Kaminuma Ichiro Furutachi Ryuuji Miyamoto & Mitsuyo Kusano White
47 31 December 1996 Takako Matsu Ichiro Furutachi Ryuuji Miyamoto & Mitsuyo Kusano White
48 31 December 1997 Akiko Wada Masahiro Nakai Ryuuji Miyamoto White
49 31 December 1998 Junko Kubo Masahiro Nakai Ryuuji Miyamoto Red
50 31 December 1999 Junko Kubo Nakamura Kankurō V Ryuuji Miyamoto White
51 31 December 2000 Junko Kubo Motoya Izumi Ryuuji Miyamoto Red
52 31 December 2001 Yumiko Udou Wataru Abe Tamio Miyake White
53 31 December 2002 Yumiko Udou Wataru Abe Tamio Miyake Red
54 31 December 2003 Yumiko Udou & Takako Zenba Wataru Abe & Tetsuya Takayama Touko Takeuchi White
55 31 December 2004 Fumie Ono Wataru Abe Masaaki Horio Red
56 31 December 2005 Mino Monta, Motoyo Yamane, Yukie Nakama, and Koji Yamamoto* White
57 31 December 2006 Yukie Nakama Masahiro Nakai Tamio Miyake & Megumi Kurosaki TBD

* Until the 55th edition, a set of hosts in the Kōhaku consists of each team's host(s) and a mediator. However, these roles were blurred on the 56th as all four were intermingling with both teams. The team hosts and mediators returned on the 57th edition

[edit] Popularity

Kōhaku was once the most-watched show on Japanese television of the year. One major factor was that New Year's Eve in Japan is a holiday traditionally spent at home (see Omisoka). Over the years, the annual event's popularity has declined from an all-time high of 81.4 (14th event) to an all-time low of 30.8/39.3 (55th event) in the Kantō region. [1] Despite the drop, Kōhaku is consistently the top-rated musical event each year. [2]

[edit] Notable J-Pop acts on Kōhaku

Here is a list of some notable J-Pop/J-Rock acts who have performed on Kōhaku in recent years:

[edit] Notable foreign acts on Kōhaku

Although Kōhaku is mostly Japanese, foreign artists, particularly from neighboring countries, who have hits popular in Japan have also taken part. Here is the complete list of foreign artists who have done so:

[edit] Asian

  • Friends of Love the Earth (Featured in the 56th)
  • RYU (Featured in the 55th)
  • Lee Jung-hyun (Featured in the 55th)
  • BoA (Featured in the show from the 53rd through 56th, to perform on the 57th)
  • Twelve Girls Band (Featured in the 53rd)
  • Black Biscuit (Featured in the 49th)
  • Kye Eun-sook (Featured in the 39th through 45th)
  • Kim Yon-ja (Featured in the 40th and 45th)
  • Smokey Mountain (Featured in the 42nd)
  • Teresa Teng (Featured in the 36th, 37th and 42nd)
  • Oyunna (Featured in the 41st)
  • Gary Valenciano (Featured in the 41st)
  • Cho Yong-Pil (Featured in the 38th, 39th and 41st)
  • Patty Kim (Featured in the 40th)
  • Alan Tam (Featured in the 40th)
  • Judy Ongg (Featured in the 30th and 31st)
  • Agnes Chan (Featured in the 24th, 25th and 26th)

[edit] Non-Asian

[edit] References

  1. ^ Official viewership ratings since 13th event (Japanese)
  2. ^ Official top-30 viewership ratings from 1995 to 2005

[edit] External links

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