Why is K-pop absent from this year’s Kohaku?

This year, we’ve seen the largest success rate for K-pop in Japan since the debut of BoA back in 2001, which has caused a renewal of the famed term, “Hallyu/Korean wave”. With BIG BANG,KARA, and Shoujo Jidai/SNSD all shocking fans with their high entries on the Oricon charts, many believed that any one of these groups – or all of them – would be given an invitation to the famous stage at the end of year music special, Kohaku, which occurs on New Year’s Eve.

To some, receiving an invitation to this stage is one of the highlights of a musical career in Japan. Once you receive an invitation, you instantly gain access to a wide variety of audiences, perhaps even gaining a few more fans. Artists such as Angela Aki and Koda Kumi, who have caught their big breaks with one or several hits, have previously gained an invitation to the show are now a staple on the New Year’s special, and both artists are attending once again for 2010.

So why is it that one of the biggest trends in the Japanese music scene this year, and perhaps well into 2011, is absent from the stage?

According to head director of Kohaku, Keisuke Inoue, although it was discussed, an offer simply wasn’t put out.

“It is certain that this year, K-pop has been remarkable on the Japanese music scene. This movement will surely continue into next year, and we will support it and see to it, by all means, that it will reach Kohaku’s stage“.

Last year, one of the major surprises on Kohaku was the performance by Susan Boyle, who was the only foreign act.

Inoue also stated the planning of Kohaku was a careful process, where participants were selected and their music was listened to with a certain frame of mind for the show.

Although the official list’s absence of Korean artists came as a surprise to many, there are speculations that KARA and Shoujo Jidai/SNSD might have debuted too late in the year to make it onto the show, despite their success. To add to that point, many Japanese artists work very hard for several years before getting an offer, so the sudden appearance of these groups might have caused a controversy if they had been offered a place on the show “too easily”.

Are you disappointed with the absence of Korean artists on this year’s Kohaku? Let us know your thoughts!