60th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen - 2009.12.31 Highlights

So the new year comes and the Japanese know how to throw a party. It was time to go out HUGE, because it marks not only the 60th Kouhaku Uta Gassen, but it ends the decade!

What isit? Kouhaku is a red vs. white event of the best Japanese musicians/performers taking on a challenge against each other year every new years eve. Red is the women’s team and the white is the men’s team.

Let’s take a look who’s up
COMPILED VIDEO preview

Susan Boyle
Btw, yes that Susan Boyle! A special guest indeed. Probably a top highlight, besting some of the native Japanese in my opinion. (Not an easy feat.)

(NOTE: Unfortunately YOUTUBE does not have many of each video cut and uploaded by artist)

Artists for the red team included (with videos):

AYUMI Hamasaki (red team listed below)
Performed RULE. And did she ever! Started off the show with her new rock track, so it was a great choice. She came out with fireworks and let people WAKE up!
LINK (Can’t embed)
http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/rule-no-60-kouhaku-utagassen/1183984955

Aiko
Junko Akimoto
Ayaka
Angela Aki

Ikimono Gakari
Performed YELL with choir. This was my first time hearing, watching and enjoying this song. It was very wonderful and truly delightful to lift my spirits up.

Sayuri Ishikawa
AKB48
Ai Otsuka,
Performed IS. Isn’t she always cute? An upbeat rock track coupled with her cute voice, enough said.
(no link provided)

GIRL NEXT DOOR,
Performed Infinity. It’s really hard to say who’s performance was more energetic, her’s or Ayumi’s. I loved this one so much. The lead was panting at the end, but with a smile! (Sorry no streaming video found)

Miyuki Kawanaka
Kaela Kimura
Kumi Koda
Natsuko Godai
Sachiko Kobayashi
Fuyumi Sakamoto
Yoshimi Tendo
DREAMS COME TRUE
Mika Nakashima
Mitsuko Nakamura
Ayumi Hamasaki
Perfume
Ayaka Hirahara
Nana Mizuki
Kaori Mizumori
Akiko Wada

Artists for the white team included:

Arashi
Is no doubt one of the biggest artists on Kouhaku, and thus a mainstay. I couldn’t find you guys a decent video but here’s a melody and a low quality stream
Medley:

http://video.aol.co.uk/video-detail/arashi-medley-live-kouhaku-uta-gassen/3206656750

ALICE
Hiroshi Itsuki
EXILE
NYC boys
Saburo Kitajima
Takeshi Kitayama
Kobukuro
Jero
SMAP
53:00 into the show, they wooed the crowed with a tribute to Michael Jackson doing THRILLER! And I think MG would be proud, it was not bad.

TVXQ
Not bad, but not their best. But everyone loves to see TohoShinki regardless. There’s some tension between members due to the lawsuit against their record company, S.M. Still a lot of emotion put into it and hey nice set of suits.

TOKIO
Hideaki Tokunaga
Kiyoshi Hikawa
FUNKY MONKEY BABYS
They put the fun in Funky. This was also my first time listening to them and they left a good impression. This whole show was filled with such uplifting songs!

Masaharu Fukuyama
Akira Fuse
flumpool
Takashi Hosokawa
Porno Graffiti
Kenichi Mikawa
Shinichi Mori
Yusuke Kamiji
Yuzu
Remioromen

Conclusion:

Kohaku Audience ratings:
1. Dreams Comes True 50.1%
2. Smap 48.7%
3. Saburo Kitajima 48.6%
4. Ayaka 46.9%
5. Fuyumi Sakamoto 44.6%
6. Sayuri Ishikawa 43.7%
7. Arashi, 43.2%
8. Kiyoshi Hikawa 43.0%
9. perfume 43.0%
10. Masaharu Fukuyama 42.9%
—-

That pretty much closes the last year of the single digits with the bang! Off to a new decade. Wow. When I think Kouhaku, I always think of BoA and W-inds. They always chart high and I missed them this year. But still there was more than enough good stuff to watch in this year’s Kouhaku. I hope next year we’ll see them!

Thanks to tokyograph and jpopsuki for the video.