63rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen


The 63rd NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, referred to from hereon as "Kōhaku", aired December 31, 2012 from NHK Hall in Japan beginning from 7:15 p.m. JST.

Broadcast

On December 18, 2012, NHK announced it will broadcast Kōhaku live using ultra-high-definition television technology from two locations: Tokyo Tower and at NHK's Yokohama station. NHK first used UHDTV for a Kōhaku during its 57th event in 2006.

Performance Order

Debuting or returning artists are in bold.

Songs Performed on medleys

Personnel

Main host and team leaders

The 63rd event is faced with controversy over the non-existence of acts from South Korea In one source, it is suspected that government-funded NHK avoided inviting Korean acts because of the territorial disputes over Liancourt Rocks between the South Korean and Japanese governments. Sports Chosun reported on a statement made by an NHK representative. "The fact that President Lee Myung Bak has demanded an apology is a great factor. After this incident occurred, there have been more and more hallyu stars who have stated that 'Dokdo is ours.' Considering this, viewers might have ill feelings about the K-pop stars appearing," said the NHK representative.