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Nana Mizuki, AKB48, L'Arc-en-Ciel in New Year's Kōhaku

The Japanese public television broadcaster NHK announced the artist lineup for this year's Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle), the New Year's Eve singing contest that is Japan's most viewed music television program.

This year's lineup includes the third consecutive performance of Nana Mizuki, the first appearances of Mana Ashida and Sayaka Kanda, the all-female idol group AKB48, the rock bands L'Arc-en-Ciel and Porno Graffiti, perennial performers Ayumi Hamasaki and Akiko Wada, and the all-male groups Arashi, Exile, SMAP, and TOKIO. Mao Inoue and Arashi are the hosts for the Red and White Teams, respectively.

The NHK-General channel will run the program from 7:15 to 11:45 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

The lineup is as follows:

Red Team:

• aiko (10th appearance)
• Mana Ashida (1)
• Ayaka (5)
• Angela Aki (6)
• Ikimono-gakari (4)
• Sayuri Ishikawa (34)
• AKB48 (4)
• KARA (1)
• Miyuki Kawanaka (24)
• Sayaka Kanda (1)
• Kumi Koda (7)
• Natsuko Godai (18)
• Sachiko Kobayashi (33)
• Fuyumi Sakamoto (23)
• Ringo Shiina (1)
• Shoujo Jidai (1)
• Yoshimi Tendo (16)
• Rimi Natsukawa (6)
• Kana Nishino (2)
• Perfume (4)
• Ayumi Hamasaki (13)
• Ayaka Hirahara (8)
• Ayako Fuji (17)
• Seiko Matsuda (16)
• Yumi Matsutoya (2)
• Nana Mizuki (3)
• Kaori Mizumori (9)
• Akiko Wada (35)

White Team:

• Masafumi Akikawa (4)
• Arashi (3)
• Hiroshi Itsuki (41)
• Inawashirokos (1)
• EXILE (7)
• NYC (3)
• Saburo Kitajima (48)
• Hiromi Go (24)
• Fuku Suzuki (1)
• SMAP (19)
• Masao Sen (16)
• Tohoshinki (3)
• TOKIO (18)
• Hideaki Tokunaga (6)
• AAA (2)
• Tsuyoshi Nagauchi (3)
• Toshiyuki Nishida (4)
• Kiyoshi Hikawa (12)
• Ken Hirai (7)
• FUNKY MONKEY BABYS (3)
• Masaharu Fukuyama (4)
• flumpool (3)
• Takashi Hosokawa (35)
• Porno Graffitti (10)
• Shinichi Mori (44)
• Yuzu (4)
• L'Arc-en-Ciel (5)

Source: Tokyograph