I just noticed the no Namie. What the hell? Also the mens list looks fairly weak to me with no Larc, B'z, or Gackt.

Official 2005 Kouhaku artist list
 

From oricon

【紅組】
AI（初）
aiko （4）
石 川 さ ゆ り （28）
伊　藤　由　奈 （初）Ito Yuna
大　塚　　愛 （2） Otsuka Ai
川 中 美 幸 （18）
倉 木　麻　衣 （3）Kuraki Mai
香 西 か お り （13）
倖　田 來 未 （初）Koda Kumi
小 林 幸 子 （27）
ゴ　リ　エ （初）
坂 本 冬 美 （17）
島　谷 ひ と み （4）Shimatani Hitomi
鈴　木　亜　美 （3）Suzuki Ami
天 童 よ し み （10）
DREAMS COME TRUE （10）
中　島 美　嘉 （4）Nakashima Mika
長 山 洋 子 （12）
夏　川 り み （4）
浜 崎 あ ゆ み （7）Ayu
一　青　　窈 （3）Hitoto You
平　原　綾　香 （2）Hirahara Ayaka
藤　 あ や 子 （14）
B o A （4）
松 浦 亜 弥 （5）& DEF.DIVA （初）Matsuura Aya
松任谷由実 with Friends Of Love The Earth （初）Yuming live from Shanghai
水 森 か お り　 （3）
モ ー ニ ン グ 娘 。 （8）
森　山　良　子 （10）
渡 辺 美　里 （初）


【白組】
ア　リ　ス （2）
五 木 ひ ろ し （35）
w-inds. （4）
m-flo（初）loves Akiko Wada （29）
氣　志　團 （2）
北 島 三 郎 （42）
北 山 た け し （初）
グ ル ー プ 魂 （初）
C H E M I S T R Y （5）
ゴ ス ペ ラ ー ズ （5）
コ ブ ク ロ （初）
さ だ ま さ し （17）
ス キ マ ス イ ッ チ （初）
S M A P （13）
T.M. Revolution （3）
D - 5 1 （初）
Def Tech （初）
T O K I O （12）
鳥 羽 一 郎 （18）
氷 川 き よ し （6）
布　施 　明 （21）
細 川 た か し （31）
ポルノグラフィティ （4）
前 川 　清 （15）
美 川 憲 一 （22）
森 　進 一 （38）
森 山　直 太 朗 （2）
山 川 　豊 （11）
山 崎 ま さ よ し （初）
W a T （初）

初 means first time; the order on the list isn't the order of appearance :)

For men they have Porno Graffitti, Tokio, Def Tech, SMAP, Kobukuro, Gospellers, Chemistry etc they aren't popular with overseas fans but they are still extremely popular among Japanese people.

Tokio isn't that popular these days. They were really, really popular maybe a couple of years ago. Same with the Gospellers. Chemistry is still recognizable, but they're fanbase has been shrinking a lot recently... Though their newest album revived them a bit, people have been moving on to Orange Range as the "boy group of the moment".

For me, the real draws in the male group (in terms of popularity nowadays) are Porno, Def Tech, SMAP, Kobukuro, Kishidan, Sukimasuichi, Kiyoshi Hikawa (the biggest male enka singer these days), and TM Revolution (who's experiencing a renewed fandom because of Gundam Seed). WaT, could be, but they're relatively newbies. Maybe D-51, but they only had one big hit single.

It'll still be a intimidating for them coming up against Ayu, Kaori Mizumori (the biggest female enka singer these days), aiko, Yuna Ito, Ai Ohtsuka, Kumi Koda, Mika Nakashima, BoA. Maybe even AI, whose song is like crazy popular in the karaoke bars. Mai Kuraki is sadly losing steam.

Now if Orange Range had been around... Or even Mr. Children.

What a dissapointment. No Namie, Gackt, or Laruku.

No Gackt? Odd...

That's the impression you get if you only look at sales and data. There are probably more people who dislike ORANGE RANGE than the ones who like them, but you can't see that with numbers. Just because an artist don't sell as much as they used to doesn't mean they aren't famous just that they aren't 'fresh' anymore.

No Lee Jung Hyun. She's amazing, but I guess Passion/Heavy World (Her only '05 songs) weren't so amazing. :(

I'm so glad I had an instinct to start recording her performance last year. I almost didn't get it, but I recorded it and watched it later the next day. Sooo lucky with that. ^-^

Er, don't be presumptuous. I don't only look at sales and data.

I read a lot of J-pop magazines and websites. I surf J-pop forums in Japanese. My Japanese is not very good but I understand what I can. The artists I mentioned are whoever I think is generating the most buzz. I'm not saying my opinion is perfect, but I will never make an opinion like this without anything to back it up.

I did mention AI, who's not selling as much. I did mention Kishidan, who's not selling as much.

Orange Range? Anyone popular must experience backlash. It's the way of life.

Your post seems to sound angry. Do you hate me or something?

too bad Gackt wont be there, but I am looking forward for Ayu and T.M.Revolution n_n and also Ai Otsuka & Yuna Ito

LOL, you guys don't know Ayu's japanese name?

This years like up for the 56th Kohaku!
 

from: http://www.nhk.or.jp/pr/english/topt..._e/s_e0510.htm
This years performers:

RED (Ladies)
AI
aiko
Ishikawa Sayuri
Ito Yuna
Otsuka Ai
Kawanaka Miyuki
Kuraki Mai
Kouzai Kaori
Kouda Kumi
Gorie
Sakamoto Fuyumi
Shimatani Hitomi
Suzuki Ami
Tendou Yoshimi
DREAMS COME TRUE
Nakashima Mika
Nagayama Youko
Natsukawa Rimi
Hamasaki Ayumi
Hitoto You
Hirahara Ayaka
Fuji Ayako
BoA
Matsuura Aya & DEF. DIVA
Matsutouya Yumi with Friends of Love the Earth
Mizumori Kaori
Morning Musume。
Moriyama Ryouko
Watanabe Misato

WHITE (Men)
Alice
Itsuki Hiroshi
w-inds.
m-flo :heart: Akiko Wada
Kishidan
Kitajima Saburou
Kitayama Takeshi
Group Tamashii
CHEMISTRY
Gospellers
Kobukuro
Sada Masashi
Sukima Switch
SMAP
T.M. Revolution
D-51
Def Tech
TOKIO
Toba Ichirou
Hikawa Kiyoshi
Fuse Akira
Hosokawa Takashi
Porno Graffitti
Maekawa Kiyoshi
Mikawa Kenichi
Mori Shinichi
Moriyama Naotarou
Yamakawa Yutaka
Yamazaki Masayoshi
WaT

I can't wait for this!!!!!! A lot of big stars are going to perform there!

wow
can't wait to see this...

I kinda wish Hikki would be there as well :dumbfound :dumbfound :dumbfound

Forgot about her :(

It would be really nice if she would sing Passion.

What? No Gackt? That makes me sad. Oh well. Go Red Team!

Wow the guys team blows this year. How do they expect to win without ORANGE RANGE, Ketsumeishi, B'z, and Mr. Children? I'm happy to see Def Tech, Kishidan, and The Gospellers in there. Hm, the red team looks better though. Thanks for the infooo...

Thanks for the info!

Why do Ayu have to sing "fairyland"?...

I KNOW!!!!! Very dissapointing... I don't like fairyland :no

maybe simply because it's a cool song (ayu probably loves it and there's a chance japanese ppl do to...). Maybe the depression of Pride, despair of alterna, Will being "almost" a b-side, or the loudness of is this LOVE? wouldn't suit with a new year event. (I myself don't like listening to depressive stuff on new year)

She probably wants to perform with Yoshio and Enrique at the event, something that wouldn't happen if she were to sing songs such as HEAVEN, STEP you or Pride. It seems like the only left to perform with them was actually fairyland...speculations I know.