With the 76th edition of the Kohaku Utagassen on NHK less than 24 hours away as I type this, it appears that unless there is a mind-blowing sudden addition or deletion from the list, the participant list is all set and ready to go. I may just be crazy enough to wake up early and crank up the computer to watch the live version on Jme (although Jme will be broadcasting the special a few times for the next few days).
Anyways, in commemoration of the occasion and just to get those nostalgia juices flowing once more (since this is the blog for that sort of thing), I've decided to show the Top Batters for the first three editions I ever saw which are 1981, 1982 and 1983. For those who are new to the network's annual New Year's Eve event, the top batters are the first singers/bands representing the Red and White teams to perform. They set the tone for the gala atmosphere and back then, they were usually the youngest folks since it used to be the case that the aidoru and pop singers got their chances in the first half of the program before the moodier and more traditional stuff came in the second half of the show.
Let's enjoy the show and at least one of us will be posting an article on how we thought of this edition's Kohaku.
1981
Red: Naoko Kawai -- Smile for Me（スマイル・フォー・ミー）
White: Masahiko Kondo -- Gingiragin ni Sarigenaku （ギンギラギンにさりげなく）
1982
Red: Junko Mihara -- Honki de Love Me Good （ホンキでLove Me Good)
White: Hideki Saijo -- Gyarandu （ギャランドゥ）
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