Singer Yoko Maekawa will make her debut on NHK’s “Utacon” on May 19, performing her iconic song “Cutie Honey” in a special collaboration with group CUTIE STREET. The themed special will showcase “Theme Songs Loved by All Generations”, bringing together established artists and new talents from the Japanese music industry in a single night.
The special episode will air on Tuesday, May 19, at 7:57 pm, with simultaneous broadcast on the NHK ONE platform. The performance will be broadcast live from NHK Hall and will be available on demand for a week after airing. Shosuke Tanihara and announcer Asa Ishibashi lead the program, which marks 45 years of musical television tradition on Japão.
#うたコン 明日放送
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時代をこえて愛される 主題歌特集🎵✨
詳細はこちら👇https://t.co/7Ozmy7M70k
🎶出演🎶
ORANGE RANGE#ORANGERANGE
CUTIE STREET#CUTIESTREET#島津亜矢#氷川きよし#一青窈#風輪#藤井フミヤ#前川陽子#松崎ナオ pic.twitter.com/izuuiCn9pm
Artistas renowned and memorable performances
Fumiya Fujii will open the performances with “Hoshikuzu no Stage”, the theme song from a classic drama from his time with The Checkers. Kiyoshi Hikawa will take the audience on a nostalgic journey with “Ah, Jinsei ni Namida Ari”, the theme of a high-profile historical drama, accompanied by the group Furin and the animated character Ojarumaru.
Aya Shimazu, which celebrates its 40th debut anniversary just two days after broadcast, will perform the Japanese version of “BEN”, an Michael Jackson classic that served as the theme song for a television drama in 2005. Yo Hitoto will perform “Hanamizuki”, an iconic song that became the soundtrack for a nationally prominent film and thriller drama.
ORANGE RANGE, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, has prepared a special medley that mixes hits from its two and a half decade history in the Japanese music market.
Seção “Uta no Museum” and themes from NHK productions
The “Uta no Museum” section is dedicated exclusively to theme songs from the public broadcaster’s programs. Nao Matsuzaki will perform “Kawabe no Ie”, a well-known song from the documentary “72 Horas”, while Fumiya Fujii will perform “Kokoro”, the theme song from the recent drama “Convenience Store Brothers: Tenderness Mojiko Kogane Village Store”, which premiered the previous month.
Esta section consolidates NHK’s tradition of producing memorable soundtracks that accompany generations of viewers, connecting music and audiovisual storytelling.
Elenco complete and special repertoire
The program brings together artists from different generations and musical styles:
- ORANGE RANGE (“Campione”, “Dramatic Heibon”)
- CUTIE STREET (“Nice da ne”, collaboration with Yoko Maekawa)
- Aya Shimazu (“BEN”)
- Kiyoshi Hikawa (“Ah Jinsei ni Namida Ari”)
- Yo Hitoto (“Hanamizuki”)
- Fumiya Fujii (“Hoshikuzu no Stage”, “Kokoro”)
- Yoko Maekawa (“Cutie Honey”)
- Nao Matsuzaki (“Kawabe no Ie”)
- Furin (vocal accompaniment)
The repertoire mixes timeless classics with more recent compositions, reflecting the musical diversity that has marked Japanese television programs, films and dramas over the past few decades. The choice of musical themes that transcended their original productions demonstrates the power of the song as an emotional link between the public and the media.
The simultaneous broadcast on NHK ONE expands the program’s reach, allowing fans to follow in real time or revisit the performances later through the on-demand availability platform, consolidating Utacon as an essential event on the broadcaster’s music calendar.
