At last, “NHK Nodo Jiman” will be broadcast tomorrow, October 12, from Amity Baycom Hall. There was a preliminary round today, the 11th, so I went to check it out!
Here’s the location on the map ↓
The address is 10-11 Rokutanjicho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo.
What the Venue Entrance Looked Like
There was a huge NHK broadcast truck at the entrance!
Anyone could enter the preliminary round for free. The main broadcast is only for those who won a reservation.
There was also a photo spot with the tubular bells, familiar from “Nodo Jiman.”
Oh, Domo-kun! This is the new Domo-kun that appeared with “NHK ONE,” a new service launched in October.
Inside the Venue
Just what you’d expect from a TV studio! It was impressive!
This is the front.
On stage right (the right side as seen from the audience), there are seats for the guest performers, and on the day of the broadcast, Kiyoshi Maekawa and Yoko Takahashi, known for “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” will be there.
The plaques for “This Week’s Champion” and the “Special Award” were already set up.
On stage left (the left side as seen from the audience), the selected performers will sit.
What Was It Like?
Performers sang for about one minute in groups of 50
- If you pass the document screening, you’re notified of your performer number based on the Japanese alphabetical order of the song title you’ll sing. On the day, after checking in, participants sit in the audience area, and groups of 50, such as “No. 1 to No. 50” and “No. 51 to No. 100,” go up on stage and sing in order. (Until “Thank you very much!” is announced after about a minute.)
- At the preliminary round, there were members of a boys’ choir, people singing in Miyatan outfits, Hanshin Tigers uniforms, and people belting out Aimyon songs. Everyone had so much personality! The producer hosting the event kept the energy up, and the audience was clapping along too, creating a really easygoing atmosphere for singing!
Afterward, there was a “karaoke contest” and photo time
- Once the judging of all 200 groups in the preliminaries was finished, a “karaoke contest” was held until the results were announced at 5:30 p.m. The organizers had prepared about five songs in advance, and anyone who wanted to sing could go up on stage. (Anyone was welcome!) Once the song started, people passed the microphone around and took turns singing one phrase at a time.
- This time, the songs included Aimyon’s “Marigold,” CHAGE&ASKA’s “YAH YAH YAH,” Yoko Takahashi’s “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” and Seiko Matsuda’s “Akai Sweet Pea”!
- And after that, it was photo time inside the venue! Photography is generally prohibited.
What songs will be performed during the main broadcast?
- The details are something to look forward to on the live broadcast, but it seems like there will be plenty of songs with a Nishinomiya connection! The judging was apparently so competitive that it “almost felt like a fistfight might break out.” That was the personal impression of the producer hosting the event.
- For “Nodo Jiman,” it’s not just about being good at singing. The selection also takes into account the motivation written during the document screening (why you want to sing that song, who you want to dedicate it to, and so on), the person’s individuality, and the overall age range and song lineup of the performers. Rather than simply choosing the best singers, it felt like they were choosing people who seemed interesting.
The live broadcast starts tomorrow, October 12, at 12:15 p.m. You can watch or listen on “NHK General TV (1ch),” “Radio 1 (AM666KHz in Osaka),” “NHK-FM (88.1MHz in Osaka, 86.5MHz in Kobe),” “International Broadcast (NHK World),” and “NHK ONE (simultaneous online streaming)”!
Finally
It was my first time going to watch a “Nodo Jiman” preliminary round, and the atmosphere made it feel easy to enjoy singing, with everyone clapping along and cheering people on!This is the first time in 22 years that “Nodo Jiman” has been held in Nishinomiya, since 2003. A “Nodo Jiman” held during the city’s 100th anniversary year. Be sure to watch tomorrow, the 12th, from 12:15 p.m.!
