News

Nana Mizuki, T.M.Revolution, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, AKB48 Return to New Year's Kōhaku

The Japanese public television broadcaster NHK announced the full artist lineup for this year's Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle), the New Year's Eve singing contest that is Japan's most viewed music television program.

This year's lineup includes the sixth consecutive performance of Nana Mizuki, the fifth appearance of T.M. Revolution, and the third appearance of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Johnny & Associates band V6, AKB48 sister idol group HKT48, May J. (singer of the Japanese theme song for Disney's Frozen), four-man band SEKAI NO OWARI, and Hiroko Yakushimaru are making their Kōhaku debuts. Howewver, Ayumi Hamasaki and Linked Horizon are not returning this year. Yuriko Yoshitaka and Arashi are the hosts for the Red and White Teams, respectively.

The NHK-General channel will run the program from 7:15 to 11:45 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

The lineup is as follows:

Red Team:

• Ayaka (7th appearance)
• E-girls (2)
• Ikimono-gakari (7)
• Sayuri Ishikawa (37)
• HKT48 (1)
• AKB48 (7)
• SKE48 (3)
• NMB48 (2)
• Sayaka Kanda (2)
• Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (3)
• Kaori Kōzai (18)
• Natsuko Godai (21)
• Fuyumi Sakamoto (26)
• Ringo Sheena (2)
• Yoshimi Tendo (19)
• Miyuki Nakajima (2)
• Kana Nishino (5)
• Perfume (7)
• Ayako Fuji (20)
• Seiko Matsuda (18)
• Nana Mizuki (6)
• Kaori Mizumori (12)
• miwa (2)
• May J. (1)
• Momoiro Clover Z (3)
• Hiroko Yakushimaru (1)
• Akiko Wada (37)

White Team:

• Arashi (6)
• Hiroshi Itsuki (44)
• EXILE (10)
• KANJANI Eight (3)
• Chris Hart (2)
• Hiromi Go (27)
• Golden Bomber (3)
• Sandaime J Soul Brothers (3)
• SMAP (22)
• SEKAI NO OWARI (1)
• Sexy Zone (2)
• T.M. Revolution (5)
• TOKIO (21)
• Hideaki Tokunaga (9)
• AAA (5)
• Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi (4)
• Kiyoshi Hikawa (15)
• V6 (1)
• Kōhei Fukuda (2)
• Masaharu Fukuyama (7)
• Takashi Hosokawa (38)
• Porno Graffitti (13)
• Akihiro Miwa (3)
• Shinichi Mori (47)