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NHK Chairman Katsuto Momii is confident that popular "boy band" SMAP will appear on the New Year's Eve program "Kohaku Uta Gassen" (Red and White Song Contest).
The group, which announced that they would disband on Dec 31 after 20 years, has not said whether they will appear on "Kohaku," despite being invited to by NHK. They have been a fixture on the program for years.
Momii told a news conference that he had spoken with the group's management to try and convince them that SMAP should appear on the program. When asked why he was so confident, Momii stated that it was just a "hunch," but added that he will be persistent in trying to convince SMAP to appear.
However, Momii told the press that negotiations are still in the early stages.
© Japan Today
15 Comments
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kaynide
What a strange thing to say. How can one possibly be confident when all they have is a "hunch" and that negotiations are in "early stages".
If SMAP were smart (devious?), they could easily charge 2x-5x their normal fee to be on Kohaku because this fool would pay it to save face.
TakahiroDomingo
please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong
Mlodinow
Of course he's confident. SMAP won't go out without a final performance somewhere on the 31st. It's either a final concert somewhere in Tokyo or its on Kohaku. Given that it's already December & no announcement of a concert yet, that only really leaves one option...
Graham DeShazo
As soon as Johnny gets his cut.......
Personally I wish they'd skip it. And there is no way on Earth I'm watching that garbage.
Outrider
this is japan. its already decided. the rest is bs for the masses. smap will be there.
forzaducati
Instead of SMAP, why don’t they hire Piko Taro to that snooze fest, with PPAP, the uncut, 15 minute version. At least he writes his own “material”.
GW
momii enough please, don't do this! Your on your way out of NHK thank goodness(heard your colleagues don't like you and you wont get a new contract!), now let smap bow out with a no-show puleeeeze!
smithinjapan
"Momii told a news conference that he had spoken with the group’s management to try and convince them that SMAP should appear on the program."
Good on Momii -- who cares what the band members think? just go above their heads in the typical Japanese fashion and try to force them to do so by pressuring those above them to do the same. I hope one of the SMAP members, or better yet all of them, personally tell Momii to shove it up his backside for not asking them directly how they feel.
sillygirl
Who cares?
Kurobune
Yatta ! Yatta ! Yatta ! Ganbarre, SMAP ! Ganbarre, shiro-kumi !
DaDude
All SMAP has to do is play a CD and lip sync like they usually do. It ain't all that hard!
MarkX
The wife is a huge SMAP fan and she said its been reported that Kimtaku will be out of the country, and in Hawaii for the New Years holiday, while the other members are gathering at Tamori's house! OF course its all rumors, but I'd love for it to be true!
theeastisred
Momii should lock himself in a negotiating room with SMAP for the next month then when they emerge it will all be over for both parties.
lucabrasi
i can't help being reminded of the row over young, over-paid footballers who consider themseives too "cool" to play for England, when there are millions out there who'd give their left eye for the privilege.
Smap have fans -apparently- who've kept the boys in sports cars and fancy suits for years. If the band can't be bothered to bow out gracefully on Japanese TV's annual highlight, in tribute to those fans, then they go down in my estimation.
Not that they care....
turbotsat
Maybe they're just trying to build up tension ...