The Sports Nippon newspaper reported on Saturday on some of the artists it says will participate in this year's Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle), the New Year's Eve singing contest that is Japan's most viewed music television program. According to the report, this year's first-time performers include Rebecca (the rock band who are reuniting after two decades), the four-person band Gesu no Kiwami Otome, AKB48's rival idol group Nogizaka46, 34-year-old singer Gen Hoshino, 19-year-old Sakurako Ohara, and the Love Live! franchise's female idol group μ's.

The newspaper additionally reported that this year's enka singers include 35-year-old Hiroshi Miyama, 32-year-old Keisuke Yamauchi, and 39-year-old Yukino Ichikawa.

The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper's Mantan Web site reported on Sunday that "expectations are high" for μ's to perform at the event this year, but did not specifically say that they would. The website added that the group has performed on NHK programs numerous times this year to good results.

Mantan Web added that it expects NHK to announce participants at the beginning of this week. The official website for the event has not yet officially announced any performers.

Last year debut appearances at the event included: Johnny & Associates band V6, AKB48 sister idol group HKT48, May J. (singer of the Japanese theme song for Disney's Frozen ), and four-man band SEKAI NO OWARI. Other artists included Nana Mizuki, L'Arc-en-Ciel, Porno Graffiti, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Ayaka, AAA, and more. The event also included a Yo-kai Watch corner with theme song artists Dream5 and King Cream Soda.

Update: Nogizaka46 is a rival group to AKB48, not a sister group. Thanks, Pado.

[Via Yaraon!]