It was announced on December 28th that singer Seiko Matsuda will be appearing as part of a special program at the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen Gassen, which will be broadcast on New Year's Eve. This will be her 25th appearance, her first in five years since the 71st edition in 2020.
This time, as a special project to conclude the Kohaku Uta Gassen, which commemorates 100 years of broadcasting, they will perform "Aoi Sango Reef," a song they sang at their first appearance in 1980, at the NHK Hall after the Red and White teams have finished their match.
Regarding her appearance, Matsuda commented, "I am truly honored to be able to perform on the Kohaku stage again on this glorious milestone of 100 years of broadcasting, and the 45th anniversary of my debut. The song I will be performing, 'Aoi Sango Reef,' is an important song that I can say is the starting point for me from my first appearance. I will sing it to the best of my ability, with gratitude to everyone. I look forward to seeing you all with smiles on New Year's Eve." The theme of the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen is "Connecting, Connecting, New Year's Eve," and it will be hosted by Ariyoshi Hiroiki, Ayase Haruka, Mio Imada, and announcer Suzuki Naoko. It will air from 7:20 PM to 11:45 PM on December 31st (with some news interruptions).
