This year’s 69th edition of Kohaku Utagassen went on with a higher degree of coherent entertainment and with a theme that was consistently kept the whole show. Japan is entering a new era in 2019 and as such Kohaku has reflected on the past 30 years. As somebody who has grown most of his adult life in Heisei I found…

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When I look back in time as a transition to a new year is about to start, I focus on what is most important, most relevant and most gravitational. This year is no exception although I must say that the more I relentlessly do this, the better I become at picking “the most important,” especially so at the time when…

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The 68th edition of Kohaku Utagassen went by on a rather conservative and predictable note. This year, the men (white team) won but as is my impression in recent years with every winning team, they won for the lack of better competition from the other side. This year the highlights go to the opening of the program with an interesting…

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