For half a century, Denver has hosted its version of Kouhaku Uta Gassen, a Japanese singing show, to ring in the New Year.
On January 25th, 2025, Denver Buddhist Temple and the Japan-America Society of Colorado (JASC) hosted the 48th annual Denver Kouhaku Uta Gassen competition. Kouhaku Uta Gassen (KUG), translating to “Red vs. White Singing Competition,” is a New Year’s program aired by Japan’s national television network Nippon Housou Kyokai (NHK) every New Year’s Eve since 1951. The competition’s premise is quite simple: the most popular artists of the year are divided into the red team, made up mostly of women, and the white team, made up mostly of men, who take turns performing for a large audience. The teams are judged on their respective performances by both a panel of judges and viewers at home, and one team ultimately claims the trophy. The program has been likened to the Super Bowl in terms of popularity and viewership, and an invitation to attend is seen as a "major” career accomplishment.
Though Denver’s KUG might not gather quite as much of an audience as NHK’s 4-hour broadcast, it still boasts considerable numbers: roughly 30 contestants regularly draw around 400-500 audience members. This is impressive growth from the 200 or so audience members the contest drew in the 1990s. Performances include sets from local Japanese schools, as well as by groups such as Okinawan dancers. Dating back to 1974, early iterations of Denver’s KUG focused largely on Enka, a traditional Japanese genre of music. However, there have been recent efforts to diversify performances to attract a larger audience. Now, Denver’s performances include J-rock and J-pop as well as English sets, mirroring efforts from the original Japanese program. Kouhaku proper has also expanded its performances to include international acts, especially K-pop groups such as TWICE, LE SSERAFIM, and Stray Kids.
In the past, Kouhaku events were popular across the United States, as Japanese communities recreated NHK’s program to entertain first-generation immigrants. However, as this generation has aged and begun to pass away, demand for cultural events like KUG has declined. Now the last competition in the country, Denver’s KUG is a testament to the resilience and vibrance of its Japanese American community. Despite its small Japanese American population of around 3000, Denver has maintained strong ties with Japan beyond just the singing competition.
This annual event is just one example of Denver’s deep-rooted connections to Japan, which extends beyond culture into economic and educational collaborations. Colorado is one of several states to host multiple Japan-America Societies, nonprofit groups that seek to bolster ties with Japan through educational and cultural events, with Denver home to the Japan America Society of Colorado. JASC’s activities include the “Kaiwa Club,” where participants gather biweekly to practice Japanese, the “Japan Cup” a Japanese competition for students, and a dragon boat team open to all interested members. Colorado and Japan share strong business ties as well: the Japan External Trade Organization has facilitated market entry for over 80 Japanese firms that now operate in Colorado. Japan and Colorado also collaborate closely in research initiatives through facilities such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a laboratory owned by the US Department of Energy. While these collaborations may seem unrelated to a singing competition, mutual understanding and trust are key to building partnerships. With Denver’s vibrant Japanese American communities, evidenced by resilient traditions including the singing competition, US-Japan cooperation is sure to endure in the region.
Tommis Meyer is a Spring 2025 Young Professional Intern at the East-West Center in Washington. Tommis is also in his final semester pursuing an undergraduate degree in Global International Relations at American University under its Joint Degree Program with Ritsumeikan University in Japan.