On December 31 at 7:15 PM JST, NHK will air this year’s edition of its annual year end music show, Kohaku Uta Gassen. The show’s 67th edition will feature performances by the likes of Utada Hikaru, Arashi, Shiina Ringo, Hoshino Gen, AKB48, Seiko Matsuda, and many more. NHK released the list of songs that will be performed on the show a few days ago, and they’ve now revealed the order in which the songs will be performed. Check it out below!

Let me start off by saying that iTunes Japan itself doesn’t release sales numbers. The figures that I use for the iTunes chart every week come from an aggregate chart that is posted daily. The source for these charts has now released their year end iTunes single chart for 2016. The period covered is 12/24/15 – 12/23/16. RADWIMPS topped the chart with the movie version of “Zen Zen Zense”, followed by Utada Hikaru’s “Hanataba wo Kimi ni.” RADWIMPS appeared again to round out the top 3, this time with the movie version of “Nandemonai ya.”

This week, Hoshino Gen topped both Recochoku and iTunes for the tenth week in a row with “Koi.”

The latest album from AKB48 hits stores on January 25, 2017. More updates on the tracklist have been revealed. It’s been announced their 8th studio album “Thumbnail” will include a collaboration between Rino Sashihara from HKT48 and Morning Musume ’17.

Artists’ comments, tracklist and more after the jump!

On December 23, D.A.N. released their new digital single, “SSWB.” The over eight minute long song was mixed by AOKI takamasa and mastered by Yoshinori Sunahara. The single also includes remixes of their previously released songs “Native Dancer” and “Dive”, both by Albino Sound.

The music video for “SSWB” was recently released and it depicts young people spending a night out on the town in Tokyo. Check it out below, along with more information on the digital single!

On December 31 at 11:45 PM – January 1 at 5 AM, CDTV will air this year’s edition of its annual New Year’s Eve special, CDTV Special! New Year’s Eve Premier Live 2016→2017. The show’s first set of performers was recently announced. The list included [Alexandros], Leo Ieiri, Ikimonogakari, AKB48, HKT48, NMB48, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Kiritani Kenta, Keyakizaka46, JUJU, Sukima Switch, Nogizaka46, Hata Motohiro, back number, miwa, and Yuzu.

On December 23, tragedy struck outside Hakodate, Hokkaido. LDH’s unit PKCZ (composed of former EXILE member MAKIDAI, m-flo’s VERBAL, and DJ DARUMA) was involved in a car accident along with several of their staff. The vehicle they were traveling in collided with a large oncoming truck while they were exiting the parking lot of a roadside convenience store. Icy roads are suspected to be the reason for the crash. The group was on its way to Sapporo so that PKCZ could perform at a Sandaime J Soul Brothers concert, a concert which was later canceled as a result of the accident.

On December 23, SMAP’s agent announced that the group turned down a request from NHK to appear on this year’s Kohaku Uta Gassen. Instead of making their final appearance as a group on the show, which airs the same day they disband after being together for 25 years, their final appearance will be on the final episode of SMAP x SMAP. The show’s finale airs on December 26, after 20 years on the air.

In a letter addressed to the producers of Kohaku Uta Gassen released the same day by Johnny & Associates, the members of SMAP expressed thanks for the request and said “each of us thought hard about how our last stage should be.”