NHK’s annual year-end music blowout, “Kohaku Uta Gassen,” has been airing for over 70 years, but it still manages to surprise.
The most recent edition, which aired on the national broadcaster on Dec. 31, delivered one such standout moment with rock duo B’z, reinforcing the importance of catering to older viewers.
B’z holds the title of Japan’s best selling act, yet members Koshi Inaba and Takahiro Matsumoto — in a career spanning more than three decades — had never graced the “Kohaku” stage until last week when they made their debut with a special set. According to a report in News Post Seven following the performance, NHK initially expected B’z to offer a pre-recorded video of them playing “Illumination,” the theme song to the NHK drama “Omusubi.” Owing to busy schedules, however, it turned out to be easier for Inaba and Matsumoto to just appear live at NHK Hall in Shibuya on New Year’s Eve — to the delight of Japanese Gen Xers.
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