Ayu to appear in 61st Kouhaku for 12th time

[thangkhung91]

Originally Posted by Bigtop

Oh...Ayu's going to the Kouhaku, huh?

Now I only see 44 artists - WHAT!?
This has got to be the least-crowded Kouhaku we are about to ever see in a long time!

Some notes:

• Am I seeing 4, 5 or 6 Johnny's artists?
• Motohiro Hata was predicted to be but he's NOT in...
• YUI's still NOT interested in the Kouhaku...
• And if you thought the rumo(u)rs about Masahiko Kondo going to the Kouhaku as part of an agreement with Johnny's, FORGET IT - he's not coming to the Kouhaku!
• With the fact that Ai Otsuka is pregnant earlier this year after the marriage with RIP SLYME's SU, she's not going to be able to perform for a while as she awaits for her baby in April.
• AAA was part of the red team last year, but they're in the WHITE team this year.
• Now why in the world there is 44 when in 2006 there was 56, in 2007 and 2008 roughly 54, and last year 50? Either the count is right, or there may be some surprises...[/b]

To answer your question why there are less performers, one reason is that NHK invited Korean groups this year; KARA, Shoujo Jidai (SNSD) and Big Bang. They are however not attending because of Korea's own end-of-the-year music festivals between the 29th and the 31st.