Japanese idol group Nogizaka46 participated in the 71st NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen's rehearsal on 29 December 2020.
After the rehearsal, while Nogizaka46 captain Akimoto Manatsu was asked about the show not pick their official rival AKB48, she commented both Nogizaka46 and AKB48 are Akimoto Yasuhi produced idol groups, they will inherit the will of AKB48, the mission to deliver the smiles to the audience as an idol.
Reference: Sponichi Annex
