Akemashite, etc. . . . Before I do anything else, I'd like to thank NHK for providing me with my yearly dose of enka on the 2001 edition of "Kohaku Utagassen (Red and White Song Contest)."

In fact, there was waaaaaaaay too much enka, with far too many of the same old faces singing the same old songs. I had hoped that enka chanteuse Sayuri Ishikawa -- who has a really gutsy singing style -- would inject a little bit of soul into the show, but she turned in a fairly pedestrian performance compared to previous years.

In other "Kohaku" events of note, Hiromi Go announced that he will be "taking a rest" from now on, meaning that he will no longer be gracing the yearend songfest with his presence -- at least until he has another of his increasingly infrequent hits. The musical performance of veteran comedy troupe the Drifters was mildly amusing, although I was disappointed that Boo Takagi did not treat us to his ukulele stylings, a sideline that in recent years has become his trademark gimmick. The Drifters were definitely preferable to the over-the-top, schlocky production number highlighting the 2002 Japan-South Korea World Cup, which looked like it was staged by the North Korean Department of Mass Displays of Revolutionary Enthusiasm.