This year's Kohaku Uta Gassen will see performances by three acts that are well known to the Akihabara crowd: idol group AKB48, "otaku idol" Shoko Nakagawa, and popular gravure idol Leah Dizon. It will be the first Kohaku appearance for all of them.

According to reports, NHK is planning to have them be the "top batter" (opening act) for the Red Team. Each of the three will sing their own songs, then will take the stage together for an anime theme song performance. Negotiations with the relevant management agencies are still under way, but the plan is said to be very likely to happen.

On Friday, a production announcement was held for "Happy Darts," said to be the first Japanese film revolving around the game of darts. Directed by Tomoko Matsunashi, the movie deals with an office lady in her thirties who discovers the joys of life through darts.

Emiri Henmi has been cast in the lead role, supported by model Izumi Mori (in her first movie role), Eri Nitta, and Hitomi Sato. The movie opens next fall.

Shun Shioya and Misako Yasuda will co-star in a drama special titled "Kyou wa Shibuya de 6 Ji." The comedy story won Fuji TV's Young Scenario Awards this year.

Shioya plays a young man who has been a NEET for six years, while Yasuda plays an unsuccessful model. The two become acquainted over the internet and arrange to meet in Shibuya one evening, but they both happen to mistake someone else for each other.

The drama will air on January 5 at 11:30pm.