Matsutoya Yumi to participate in NHK’s “Kouhaku Uta Gassen”

Singer/Songwriter Matsutoya Yumi was announced as the latest artist to participate in NHK’s “Kouhaku Uta Gassen” (NHK’s music battle between the men vs. women on New Year’s Eve) and will start at 7:15 p.m. to 11:45 p.m.

Matsutoya will be performing the song “NO SIDE” which was the title track to her 1984 album “NO SIDE” and is the first song in the history of Japanese music to be be featured on television for the first time in 35 years (the song was used as a VTR for NHK’s “Sunday Sports 2020”) and the Japanese Rugby World Cup team will appear as special guests.

The song was written by Matsutoya Yumi and the title indicates the end of the game in rugby.  Matsutoya, a rugby fan, wrote the song while watching the national high school rugby football tournament held back in January 7, 1984.

When the song was originally presented for the artist Reimy, the lyrics were different as it was about when Japanese rugby was held in February in Waseda.  When Matsutoya Yumi recorded it, she changed the lyrics to “Winter Day”.

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