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Nana Mizuki, T.M. Revolution to Unite Across Gender Lines on New Year's

In Japan, New Year is an occasion for everyone to go home and spend time with their families, eat a scrumptious feast, and pray at their neighborhood temple. It's also time to gather around the TV and watch Kōhaku Uta Gassen, or "The Red and White Song Contest." A Japanese institution, it's been broadcast every New Year's Eve on NHK since 1951 and features two teams of the most popular musicians in Japan that year duking it out by song. These teams, the eponymous "Red" and "White" Teams, are determined by gender (women the Red Team, men the White Team). So far, the Whites are in the lead with 34 wins versus the Reds' 29.

A curveball has been introduced this year, however: four singers will unite for two duets. Chris Hart. They have previously recorded an album together this year, Yume-ga Samete ("Awake from my Dream").

Nana Mizuki is a popular voice actress who has also gained fame as a singer; her noteworthy rules include Hinata Hyuuga in J-pop.