Archives by Tag 'Kouhaku'

#61 Kouhaku Uta Gassen: SMAP delivers highest performer ratings

The 61st Kouhaku Uta Gassen was hosted by Nao Matsushita and Arashi. The official lineup had only 22 artists on each team, for a record low of 44 artists. 785,836 votes were cast, and the White Team (male) emerged victorious by a margin of 418,191 to 367,645. This is the 6th consecutive win for the White Team, and the 33rd overall (compared to 28 for the Red Team).

The minute-by-minute breakdown of the viewership ratings (in the Kanto region) for the 61st NHK Kouhaku was released to news outlets on Tuesday.

Based on the data, the ratings peak of the 4-hour show came near the end, reaching 49.7% at 11:41pm as the artists waited on stage for the winning team to be announced. Among the performers, the highest ratings were achieved just before that by SMAP’s 2-song medley performance as the show’s “ootori” (the final artist), measured at a peak of 48.9%.

This is SMAP’s fifth time achieving the highest ratings at Kouhaku They previously did it in 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

DREAMS COME TRUE, who performed last for the Red Team and took the stage just before SMAP, had the second highest ratings with 47.2%.

The second half of the show (after 9:30pm) averaged 41.7%, thanks to plenty of highly-rated performances. In fact, the last 15 performances of the show, starting with Yuzo Kayama and ending with SMAP, all rated 40.0% or higher. These included Masaharu Fukuyama (43.4%), Keisuke Kuwata (45.4%), Arashi (43.3%), Sachiko Kobayashi, and Ikimono Gakari.

A few other artists in the second half broke the 40.0% mark. During the first half, which only averaged 35.7%, AKB48 was the only artist to reach that threshold, with ratings of 40.3%.

Keisuke Kuwata to make special appearance at Kohaku

On December 27, NHK announced that singer Keisuke Kuwata （桑田佳祐）,54, of the popular group Southern All Stars, will be performing as a special guest at this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen.

Since kuwata announced he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer on July 28, 2010, He was forced to take a break earlier this year due to treatment for disease. The Kohaku performance will be his first public appearance since July.

Kuwata is known for his innovation with differing genres of Western music as well as the very popular J-pop music in his native Japan.

#61 Kouhaku Uta Gassen performance order

NHK announced the performance order for the upcoming Kouhaku Uta Gassen.It is now confirmed that SMAP and DREAMS COME TRUE will be the final performance for the White Team and Red Team, respectively, with SMAP serving as the the last performance of the whole contes. The first performance of Kouhaku will be done by Ayumi Hamasaki, for the third year in a row.

The performance order:

1. Ayumi Hamasaki – Virgin Road
2. EXILE – I Wish For You
3. AKB48 – Kouhaku 2010 AKB48 Kamikyoku SP
4. NYC – Yoku Asobi Yoku Manabe 100% NYC
5. Angela Aki – Kagayaku Hito
6. AAA – Aitai Riyuu
7. Mitsuko Nakamura – Kawachi Otoko Bushi
8. flumpool – Kimi ni Todoke
9. Ayaka Hirahara – Voyagers
10. Yusuke – Hito
11. Natsuko Godai – Hitori Zake
12. Takashi Hosokawa – Naniwabushi da yo Jinsei wa
13. Porno Graffitti – Kimi wa 100%
14. Kana Nishino – Best Friend
15. FUNKY MONKEY BABYS – Ato Hitotsu
16. Miyuki Kawanaka – Nirinkusa
17. HY – Toki wo Koe
18. Kumiko – INORI
19. Kaori Mizumori – Matsushima Kikou
20. Hideaki Tokunaga – Toki no Nagare ni Mi wo Makase
21. Nana Mizuki – PHANTOM MINDS
22. L’Arc~en~Ciel – BLESS
23. Yoshimi Tendo – Jinsei Michizure
24. Shinichi Mori – Erimo Misaki
25. Hiromi Go – GO!GO!Year Kouhaku Special Medley
26. aiko – Mukai Awase
27. Perfume – Nee
28. TOKIO – advance
29. Kumi Koda – KODA KUMI 2010 Special Medley
30. Hiroshi Itsuki – Oshiroi Hana
31. Akiko Wada – AKKOii! Kouhaku 2010 Special
32. Yuzo Kayama – Wakadaisho 50 Nen Special Medley
33. Masaharu Fukuyama – Michishirube
34. Sachiko Kobayashi – Kaachan no Hitorigoto
35. Kobukuro – Ryusei
36. Kana Uemura – Toilet no Kamisama
37. Arashi – 2010 Kouhaku Original Medley
38. Ikimono Gakari – Arigatou
39. Sayuri Ishikawa – Amagi Goe
40. Saburo Kitajima – Fusetsu Nagare Tabi
41. Fuyumi Sakamoto – Mata Kimi ni Koishiteru
42. Kiyoshi Hikawa – Nijiiro no Bayon
43. DREAMS COME TRUE – Ikite Yuku no Desu feat. The Kouhaku Special Brass Band
44. SMAP – This is love ’10 SP Medley

The order of the special segments have not yet been announced.

#61 Kouhaku Uta Gassen song list

NHK has announced the song list for #61 Kouhaku Uta Gassen.Eight of the groups perform medleys, and Mitsuko Nakamura sings “Kawachi Otoko Bushi” for the 8th time, which is a record for the show.

Red Team:

* aiko – Mukai Awase
* Angela Aki – Kagayaku Hito
* Ikimono Gakari – Arigatou
* Sayuri Ishikawa – Amagi Goe
* Kana Uemura – Toilet no Kamisama
* AKB48 – Kouhaku 2010 AKB48 Kamikyoku SP
* Miyuki Kawanaka – Nirinkusa
* Kumiko – INORI
* Kumi Koda – KODA KUMI 2010 Special Medley
* Natsuko Godai – Hitori Zake
* Sachiko Kobayashi – Kaachan no Hitorigoto
* Fuyumi Sakamoto – Mata Kimi ni Koishiteru
* Yoshimi Tendo – Jinsei Michizure
* DREAMS COME TRUE – Ikite Yuku no Desu feat. The Kouhaku Special Brass Band
* Mitsuko Nakamura – Kawachi Otoko Bushi
* Kana Nishino – Best Friend
* Ayumi Hamasaki – Virgin Road
* Perfume – Nee
* Ayaka Hirahara – Voyagers
* Nana Mizuki – PHANTOM MINDS
* Kaori Mizumori – Matsushima Kikou
* Akiko Wada – AKKOii! Kouhaku 2010 Special

White Team:

* Arashi – 2010 Kouhaku Original Medley
* Hiroshi Itsuki – Oshiroi Hana
* HY – Toki wo Koe
* EXILE – I Wish For You
* NYC – Yoku Asobi Yoku Manabe 100% NYC
* Yuzo Kayama – Wakadaisho 50 Nen Special Medley
* Saburo Kitajima – Fusetsu Nagare Tabi
* Hiromi Go – GO!GO!Year Kouhaku Special Medley
* Kobukuro – Ryusei
* SMAP – This is love ’10 SP Medley
* TOKIO – advance
* Hideaki Tokunaga – Toki no Nagare ni Mi wo Makase
* AAA – Aitai Riyuu
* Kiyoshi Hikawa – Nijiiro no Bayon
* FUNKY MONKEY BABYS – Ato Hitotsu
* Masaharu Fukuyama – Michishirube
* flumpool – Kimi ni Todoke
* Takashi Hosokawa – Naniwabushi da yo Jinsei wa
* Porno Graffitti – Kimi wa 100%
* Shinichi Mori – Erimo Misaki
* Yusuke – Hito
* L’Arc~en~Ciel – BLESS

（Artists are listed in Japanese alphabetical order）