Gen Hoshino to perform the Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary official theme song at Kouhaku Uta Gassen 76

Kouhaku Uta Gassen is a staple of New Year’s eve in Japan. It’s an annual music contest broadcast ever year on the NHK on December 31st, which sees two teams of performers (singers, bands, etc.) compete. And this year, the show will have a slight Nintendo flavour!

The NHK has announced that Gen Hoshino, a popular singer, will perform during the 76th edition of the show (it will be his 11th appearance!). He will sing “Souzou (Create)”, from his latest album, “Gen” (released this year).

But that song isn’t just any old song: it was used as the official Super Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary Theme Song in Japan, and was even used in promotional videos, commercials, etc..

And that’s not all! The performance will take place not at the NHK Hall (where Kouhaku Uta Gassen is held), but at… the Nintendo Museum! It will be the very first time that an artist will get to perform at the museum, which opened last year.

This special performance is part of Nintendo’s celebrations for the Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary, and will showcase Gen Hoshino’s “playful spirit” and “joy of creation.” Unfortunately, the NHK specifies that the performance will be pre-recorded.

For those who are not familiar with Souzou, here’s the official music video:

Unfortunately, it’s not clear if a recording of the performance will be made available at a later date, for those outside Japan who don’t have access to the NHK.

Source: NHK