New Year’s Victories

Two of Japan’s biggest music stars, 75-year-old conductor Seiji Ozawa and 54-year-old former Southern All Stars leader Keisuke Kuwata, spent at least part of 2010 battling esophageal cancer but ended the year with triumphs.

Ozawa managed to last the entire 90 minutes, without intermission, of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem” at Carnegie Hall Dec. 18 to conclude the JapanNYC festival, of which he is the artistic director.

Because of severe back problems aggravated by his post-treatment convalescence, Ozawa had been unable to spend more than 20 minutes on the podium, and during the early portion of the festival he was only able to conduct parts of certain programs.

Kuwata, who suspended his activities in July after being diagnosed, returned to the stage for the first time since then as a last-minute addition to the big annual New Year’s Eve song contest by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

It was also reported that he resumed recording in October.

The Southern All Stars, which disbanded several years ago, remains one of the biggest-selling rock groups in Japanese history.