It was announced today that the flagship H!P groups will appear at NHK network's Kouhaku Uta Gassen this year. This marks the first appearance for C-ute & Berryz Koubou. Included in the show will be a special performance commemorating Morning Musume's 10th anniversary.
Appearing on Kouhaku is a great honor, as the show is watched by a large percentage of Japan every New Year's Eve. It's normally the most-watched TV show of the year, every year. You can find out more about it at the Wikipedia link above.
It's traditional for the Kouhaku organizers to release a photo of all the first-time artists, and this year is no exception. Here's the "newcomers" photo for the girls team, featuring C-ute & Berryz Koubou. AKB48 fans will also notice them on the right.
Dohhhup has put up a video of the exact moment C-ute & Berryz were told they'd be appearing on Kouhaku. We're not sure why C-ute leader Yajima Maimi isn't there, but It's safe to assume she had something else scheduled, or was in school.
Here's a full list of all artists appearing at Kouhaku. The number following the artist's name is the number of appearances they've had, including this year: