Japanese TV Appearance

Lena Zavaroni appeared as a guest performer on the Japanese television variety show Big Show: As Long As There Is Song (「ビッグショー 歌のある限り」), broadcast by NHK. The headlined act for the episode was Japanese pop star Kenji Sawada (沢田研二), one of the most prominent solo artists of the era. The programme followed a one-man show format, with guest performers occasionally featured alongside the main act.

During the broadcast Lena performed a Japanese-language version of “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me)” along with two other songs. A Japanese-language single had already been released on 25 July 1974, by Philips, following a recording session held on 10 July 1974. This places the single’s release before the television appearance. The performance highlights Lena’s versatility as a young international performer engaging with audiences beyond the English-speaking world.

The full set of songs performed by Lena during the broadcast included:

Broadcast & Research Notes

NHK (日本放送協会) is Japan’s national public broadcaster, similar in role to the BBC. It began television broadcasting in 1953 and is known for its high production standards, educational programming, and cultural broadcasts.

The programme Lena Zavaroni appeared on was part of NHK’s Big Show: As Long As There Is Song (「ビッグショー 歌のある限り」), a long-running musical variety series. Each episode typically featured a prominent Japanese artist as the central performer, supported by a live orchestra and guest appearances. The show’s format and broadcast history are documented on the Japanese Wikipedia page for Big Show.

In the episode featuring Lena, the headlined act was Kenji Sawada (沢田研二), one of Japan’s most popular solo singers of the time. Lena appeared as a guest performer and sang three songs: “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me)” in Japanese, “(You’ve Got) Personality”, and “The End of the World”.

Her Japanese-language single of “Ma! (He’s Making Eyes At Me)” was recorded on 10 July 1974 and released by Philips on 25 July, ahead of the broadcast. Lena stated in interviews that she learned the lyrics phonetically, and her confident delivery reflects her professionalism and adaptability—especially at such a young age.

Research for this post involved cross-referencing video footage, Japanese-language sources, and broadcast records. While individual performances are confirmed through available clips, the full broadcast sequence—including the order of songs and any spoken segments—remains unverified and may contain additional context not accessible to non-Japanese speakers without translation.

This post is shared in the spirit of preserving Lena’s legacy with care and accuracy. She gave so much in her short life, and the least we can do is treat her story with the dignity it deserves.