Singer Hiromi Go appeared at the rehearsal for the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, held at the NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo on December 29th. He announced that he would be "retired" from Kouhaku after this, his 38th appearance.
Appearing before the press, Go began by saying, "First of all, there is something I need to announce to everyone," and announced, "I would like to mark this year's milestone (with Kohaku). I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at NHK who has given me this opportunity, and to everyone who has looked forward to it and supported me."
Regarding his retirement, he revealed, "I've been thinking about it for several years. I turned 70 this year, so I thought this would be a turning point. I had many discussions with my staff and came to this decision."
When asked why, he said it was because he wanted to encourage younger artists, explaining, "Kohaku is a special stage for me. It was also a place where I was able to grow as a person by being given the opportunity. Just as I felt that way myself, I want young people of the future to continue to take on challenges. I always want to support them."
This year he will be performing his signature song "240 Million Eyes - Exotic Japan," and said with a smile, "I want to put on a fun stage that is true to myself." He added with a smile, "It's not the end for me personally. My time on the Kohaku stage is over, but I don't think anything has changed."
The theme of the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen is "Connecting, Connecting, New Year's Eve," and it will be hosted by Hiroiki Ariyoshi, Haruka Ayase, Mio Imada, and announcer Naoko Suzuki. It will be broadcast from 7:20 pm to 11:45 pm on December 31st (with some news breaks).
