Japan's premier music event, the "Kohaku Uta Gassen," recently unveiled the lineup for its 76th annual broadcast. While the show is always a national focal point, this year's announcement has sparked controversy due to Ningning (Ning Yizhuo), the Chinese member of the South Korean girl group aespa. Tens of thousands have signed an online petition calling for aespa's performance to be canceled.
However, Japanese media reported today that NHK's Director-General of Media, Yamana Hiroo, held a regular press conference, stating that "artists currently on the list are expected to perform as scheduled." This response has angered Japanese netizens, who believe NHK is completely disregarding public demands, reigniting a wave of online complaints. 
Regarding aespa's scheduled performance, NHK Director-General Yamana stated: "For the 37 artists announced a few days ago, plus the special segments, we are essentially proceeding with the expectation that everyone will perform as normal." This statement effectively emphasizes that there are currently no plans for changes or cancellations. As the public face of NHK, the Director-General's remarks have deeply displeased netizens, who feel the petition's momentum is being completely ignored.
Naturally, these comments have sparked widespread dissatisfaction among netizens, who are flooding comment sections. Many point out that NHK is funded by taxpayer money and is now ignoring public sentiment, questioning why their fees are being used this way. The entire online community has erupted in outrage.
The petition to cancel aespa's performance has now surged past 70,000 signatures, with numbers expected to climb further.
With recent tensions in Sino-Japanese relations, this incident could further fuel public anger. While NHK's Director-General of Media, Yamana Hiroo, has been the only one to comment so far, a definitive response may still await an official statement. However, the current trajectory seems likely to only deepen Japanese public dissatisfaction with NHK.
via： livedoor news