Popular rock singer Yazawa Eikichi (53) is a strong contender for this year’s Kohaku Utagassen (Red-White Song Contest), NHK’s annual New Year’s Eve spectacular. Last year, Nakajima Miyuki made her belated debut on the show and pulled in a massive 53% viewer rating and NHK had hoped to have her back. But she has a prior commitment, so now the focus is on “Ei-chan,” who has a broad fan base. If you don’t know him, he’s considered something like a Japanese Mick Jagger.
• A memorial service was held on Sunday for the late music critic Fukuda Ichiro, who died last month at the age of 78. The service was attended by 18 current and former members of Morning Musume. The group and their producer Tsunku had looked up to Fukuda as a father figure and the basic system of member changes and new groups was Fukuda’s idea. Messages of condolence were also received from such artists as Elton John and Jon Bon Jovi.