Public broadcaster NHK announced Monday the lineup for its annual New Year¡¯s Eve musical show ¡°Kohaku Uta Gassen,¡± with the notable absence of acts represented by Smile-Up, the talent agency formerly known as Johnny & Associates. It is the first time in 44 years that the company¡¯s performers will not appear on the music show.
The agency, still reeling from the fallout over its reckoning with founder Johnny Kitagawa¡¯s decadeslong history of alleged sexual assault and child abuse, did not factor into NHK¡¯s plans for this year¡¯s program, set to air Dec. 31 at 7:20 p.m. from NHK Hall in Tokyo.
As a result, the 74th edition of the show presents a broader look at the country¡¯s music landscape and its relation to the wider world. Reflecting this year¡¯s theme of ¡°Borderless,¡± two of the most notable first-time participants come from South Korea: Stray Kids and Seventeen. They will appear alongside returning group Le Sserafim and the debuting trio Misamo, comprising the three Japanese members of pop group Twice.
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