Kouhaku 2008

One New Year ritual that I wasn't able to keep up with while I was in England is Kouhaku, or the Red and White singing contest. This is where mainly MOR pop and yesteryear's enka favourites mingle and sing their best or new songs as part of the competition. Each act is assigned to either the Red Team or the White Team. In truth, not many people care who wins, it's all about just watching the performers. And for me at least, following who is on what team is problematic due to the ducking out for a cup of tea or my newly-discovered shiruko.

Anyway, the music. I was watching for Mr. Children and Perfume. I knew Mr. Children from my last time in Japan and more specifically for their hit of about three years ago, 'Kurumi'. Perfume I only knew of, and was expecting them to be a much more dancey, technoey proposition than they were.

Mr. Children's song, Gift, is from the same blueprint as 'Kurumi'; no bad thing in itself but I was hoping for something a bit, I don't know, better. But it was still fine.



Perfume were essentially a novelty pop act with a Daft Punk-lite backing track. I'll keep my eye out in future for them, just in case they have a song better than 'Polyrhythm'.

My surprise loves were Ai Otsuka, who sang a lovely ballad called 'Ai', about love - not herself. Mika Nakashima was someone I didn't know that was going to be on and she was alright. 'Orion' not her best song but not bad. Aiko wasn't too bad either but her song has left not a trace in my memory.



The enka wasn't bad but there's only so much enka that an elepop man can take. I know now that naniwa enka (Osaka-style enka) isn't my bag, but Jero's slap-bass enka, Shinichi Mori's sorrowful caterwaul and Sachiko Kobayashi's crazy, over the top performance were entertaining.

SMAP, seasoned light-entertainment veterans were their usual bow-legged, out-of-tune yet amiable selves. Ayumi Hamasaki was boring as usual. Exile, urgh. Kumi Koda's writers should probably be getting a court summons from Timbaland or The Neptunes.

But it was a good Kouhaku. Let's hope NHK plays it even riskier next year. I'd love to see Rip Slyme on there. How about you?