Friendly to Senior
Care · Conversation
大晦日の紅白歌合戦は、毎年ご家族で観られていたんですか？ — Did you watch Kohaku Uta Gassen with your family every New Year's Eve? (Care · Conversation, Friendly to Senior, JLPT N3)
You
大晦日の紅白歌合戦は、毎年ご家族で観られていたんですか？
おおみそかのこうはくうたがっせんは、まいとしごかぞくでみられていたんですか？
Did you watch Kohaku Uta Gassen with your family every New Year's Eve?
Romaji: Oomisoka no Kouhaku Uta-gassen wa, maitoshi gokazoku de mirarete ita n desu ka? / Reply Romaji: Sou ne. Mikan tabe nagara kotatsu de minna de mita mono yo.
Reply
そうね。みかん食べながらコタツでみんなで観たものよ。
そうね。みかんたべながらコタツでみんなでみたものよ。
Yes, we ate mandarin oranges around the kotatsu and watched together.
Gesture & etiquette
If they hum a melody, hum along (or admit you don't know it and ask about the song). The mandarin orange + kotatsu image is universally beloved—smile broadly and lean into the warmth. Ask about favorite singers: 「お気に入りの歌手はどなたでしたか？」.
「紅白歌合戦」 has aired on NHK every New Year's Eve since 1951—the central Japanese family TV ritual. Red team (women) vs White team (men). Watching with mandarin oranges around the kotatsu is the iconic image. Asking about it unlocks year-by-year music memories (Misora Hibari, Yamaguchi Momoe, etc.) and family gathering scenes.