Japanese Viewers Select K-Pop Acts They Hate To See On “NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen”
A Japanese magazine recently conducted a poll asking viewers which artists they don’t want to see again on NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen. Two K-pop acts made the list.
NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, also known as NHK Red And White Song Battle, is a worldwide famous annual television program in Japan where popular artists are put into different teams and battle it out with their performances. In recent years, K-pop artists have been invited to the show due to K-pop’s growing popularity.
In 2023, K-pop groups such as SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, NewJeans, and LE SSERAFIM performed on the show. In addition, groups consisting of Japanese members but managed by a K-pop agency, such as TWICE’s MiSaMo and NiziU, were also invited.
The poll was conducted based on the 2023 performers’ list, and two K-pop acts made it to the top five on their respective teams.
NiziU ranked 4th on the red team. They have appeared on the show four times, and a viewer commented, “They’re no longer trending. I’ve lost interest in them a long time ago.” Another poll-taker sees them as a Korean group and therefore does not need to appear on the Japanese show.
Stray Kids also ranked 4th, but on the white team. Unlike NiziU, who performed on the show many times, Stray Kids made their first appearance just last year. Some comments from Japanese viewers include, “I don’t know them at all and never listened to their songs. Why are they on the show?” and “The show has historical significance in Japan. There should only be Japanese artists.”
It will be interesting to see which K-pop acts, if any, get invited to the 75th show this year.
