Translated by Mandilinn
November 16, 2017

A press conference announcing the participants for the “68th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassan” took place at Tokyo’s Shibuya station on the 16th. Among the participating singers, Namie Amuro, who announced her retirement in September of next year, was not present, but Yajima Ryo, production manager NHK revealed that negotiations for her appearance are still ongoing.

It would be the final appearance on Kouhaku in the singer’s career, and her first appearance on the show in 14 years (2003, 54th Kouhaku). After the press conference, production manager Yajima Ryo made a statement, saying, “We’re still in the process if negotiation, so we ask people to please wait patiently until talks have concluded.”. Various questions were asked on the subject, but NHK declined to comment.