UPDATED: 67th ‘Kohaku’ Music Festival Airs Saturday on UTB18

Hosts Katsumi Arimura and Masaki Aiba

The 67th edition of the popular “Kohaku Uta Gassen” will air locally this Saturday on UTB18, broadcast channel 18.1, beginning at 6:30 p.m. and ending just past midnight.

Known widely as simply “Kohaku,” the annual year-end music festival is quite possibly the most-watched television program in Japan each year. The singing contest features the most popular and revered performers in Japan, both enduring stars and the hottest young idols. The acts are divided by gender into two teams – the red and the white – with judges and the audience deciding the winning team based on their performances.

Hosting this year will be actress Kasumi Arimura, star of the television drama “Amachan,” and pop idol singer Masaki Aiba of the group Arashi.

Stars scheduled for this year’s show include AKB48, Seiko Matsuda, Puffy, Arashi, Tokio, Masaharu Fukuyama, Hiroshi Itsuki and Keisuke Yamauchi. Perennial favorite Akiko Wada, is not on this year’s roster, after making 39 appearances on the program.

UTB18 Channel 18.1 is broadcast for free over the air and can be received in the traditional fashion, with an antenna connected to your TV. It is also available on some cable systems, including Cox Cable. Check your local cable provider for availability.