The absolute ace “Nippon TV’s Mizuto” is threatened by a surprising name that “surfaced through in-depth analysis” of the best female announcers today.

The talented female announcers who manage the program proceedings and add color to the program. Their gorgeous beauty tends to attract attention, but what is most sought after is their skill, knowledge, and ability to respond to incidents in a flexible and timely manner.

FRIDAY analyzed female announcers at five key stations and NHK, based on the opinions of experts, in terms of “skill,” “courage,” “potential,” “intelligence,” and “star power. A total of 15 people, including on-the-air staff from each station, female announcer critics, and columnists, were asked to judge the women. The highest score was 100 points (A), and the lowest score was 20 points (E) in 20-point increments. Let’s take a look at the results.

Speaking of NHK, it’s those two

Perhaps it is because NHK has many news programs, but NHK’s announcers showed a high level of quality in every category. NHK’s top two are Mayuko Wakuda (34) and Maho Kuwako (36).

She has a formal image of NHK, but she is a friendly and trustworthy newsreader. (Female Announcer Critic, Daijiro Maruyama)

Kuwako was behind Wakuda, but NHK staffers in their 40s were impressed by her diligence.

Kuwako’s enthusiasm for learning impressed NHK staffers in their 40s. “Announcers can express their opinions during pre-program checks, but Kuwako is especially enthusiastic,” said Maruyama. She does not just take things as they are, but tells us in her own words what she thinks needs to be improved, for example, ‘This part is difficult to understand,’ or ‘I would like you to explain this part in the video. On the other hand, she also listens to the advice of reporters and directors on a regular basis, and I can sense that she is making efforts to improve herself.

Next on the two-top list is Risa Hayashida, 33, aka “Linda,” who currently anchors “News Watch 9.

She is a graduate of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and joined NHK to work on music programs. She has an absolute sense of pitch, and I would love to see her host the Kohaku Uta Gassen. She has a master’s degree and is also highly intelligent, but she also shows a humorous side, as in her first appearance on “Bratamori,” for which she served as the fifth assistant, when she visited the Ginkakuji Temple in Kyoto and described the conical Muketsudai as “like pudding. We have high expectations for the future of Hayashida, who can be used in both a hard and soft way,” said Takeshi Misugi, an entertainment critic.

Nippon TV is still ″Mizuto-chan

NTV’s signature announcer is highly rated in all categories.

Mami Mizuto, 36, has rarely been seen to be clumsy on live TV. She is also good at leading the conversation, and her ability to get to the point without disrupting the flow of the conversation is outstanding. In the past, when reporting news related to the Tokyo Olympics, he coughed, but when he turned away from the camera and coughed, it did not subside, and he chose to step off the screen.

When I came back, I apologized once and said, ‘It’s okay!　I’m fine now! I’m fine now! The speed with which he switched back was impressive. Happenings like this are inevitable in live broadcasting, but Mizuto has the ability to keep the audience on the edge of their seats no matter what happens.

Erina Iwata, 28, who is expected to become the “post-Mizuto” announcer at Nippon TV, was not chosen as the MC of the successor program “DayDay.

She now has four regular programs in the golden prime time slot (7-11 p.m.), which TV stations emphasize. Since she was a newcomer, she has been a regular on “Sekai Maruhonami! TV Special Investigation Department” and “Sukkiri,” she was able to easily join in the conversation without being intimidated by the presence of such quirky celebrities as Beat Takeshi (76). She is quick-witted and her free talk is of a very high level. If Mizuto were to leave in the future, Iwata would be the one to fill the void.

There’s a youngster on the list who is “terrifying.”

Mariko Oe (44) was the top-ranked TV announcer in TV Tokyo.

In “Moya Moya Samaaz 2,” she was conducting the show neatly against “Samaaz,” while also showing a variety of styles. She has the air of a young lady, but she also has a great sense of humor and the ability to improvise, such as taking advantage of the sexual harassment teasing of the “Sama-Ma-Zu. Currently, she appears on “World Business Satellite (WBS)” as the main anchor. She is TV TOKYO’s unshakable ace, with a flexible and flexible approach,” said columnist Tamami Hiyama.

Maruyama, the aforementioned female TV announcer critic, mentioned Hitomi Tanaka (27) as the successor to Oe.

Tanaka’s voice is clear, so it is very easy to understand her even when she is moving and talking on location. Like her predecessor, Oe, she was the fourth assistant on “Moyasama” and attracted a lot of attention.

She is also highly skilled, as she does not show her displeasure even when she is soaked all over by the “wanderers” in the water balloon battle, while at the same time proceeding with the program without any unnecessary interjections. He has only been with the company for four years, so I fear for his future. She has followed the same career path as Oe, from “Moyasama” to “WBS,” and we have high expectations for her as the next ace of the network.

Talented Announcer Pulls Away

TV Asahi has a very successful announcer, Ayaka Hironaka (32), who has repeatedly ranked first in the popularity rankings of female announcers. She is also ranked first in the station in terms of her skills.

She is also ranked number one in terms of her skills. “If you evaluate her announcing skills, Yoko Oshita (53) comes out on top, but if you consider her potential for growth and star power, Hironaka is still number one,” said Mr. Kurokawa. She has rarely read the news, so her technique is sometimes said to be not so good, but her guts and star power are to be commended.

The experience she gained on “Music Station,” which she was in charge of as a rookie, was significant for her. She is not afraid to speak her mind no matter who is on the other end of the line, and her ad-libs are outstanding, as is her ability to interact with the comedians. She established a unique character among the station’s announcers with her “tongue-in-cheek” and “mocking” personality. Although she is on maternity leave, she will continue to lead TV Asahi as an ace after her return to work.

Attention Needed for Hidden Talent

In a survey of the power of the TV stations, veterans tend to make the rankings, but TBS’s Mako Tamura, 27, was the only one in her 20s to be ranked No. 1.

Tamura’s father is Norihisa Tamura, 58, a member of the House of Representatives and former Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare. Despite being a young lady born into a political family, she was the only one in her twenties to be ranked No. 1 in the “Lavit! she is an MC with Akira Kawashima of Kirin (44) and does variety shows with unique guests. She responds to the comedian’s reckless behavior and is physically resourceful, such as sitting on a chair with electric shocks as a penalty game.

Her guts and star quality are among the best in the station, and in the future she will probably expand her field of activities as a talent analyst like Hironaka. On the other hand, she also controls the free-spirited comedians and plays the role of a crisp facilitator. When news comes in, he quickly changes his expression and responds calmly. He is an announcer with a lot of room for growth, and his skills will improve with experience.

The ace of TBS has a strong image of Ai Eto (37), but there is another announcer who is more talented than Eto in this field.

Ai Hibi, 30, is rarely ranked among the most popular female TV announcers, but she is in fact a hidden talent. On “NSTA,” where she is the main anchor, she is able to read the news while keeping her eyes on the camera, and her intonation makes her easy to listen to.

On the other hand, he eats really deliciously when he does food reports, and surprisingly, he is a heavy drinker. He is also very active on variety shows, taking advantage of his friendliness. She is a potential “post-Eto Anna” candidate.

Is the “Announcer Kingdom” famous or not?

Fuji Television’s female announcers are regulars in the popularity rankings, but the total score of the top-ranked female announcer from each station is unexpectedly at the bottom of the list. The once proud “female announcer kingdom” has become a famous thing. However, there is one announcer who has the field staff’s approval.

Yumi Nagashima, 31, is an all-around announcer who can handle variety shows, music programs, and live broadcasts. What is particularly impressive is her ability to adjust the time scale (time) for live broadcasts. She always makes sure to include all the narration and canvassing without omission, even when the number of words is too large to fit into the time limit. She has a rich vocabulary, and I am impressed by the breadth of her expressions. She is expecting the birth of her first child this winter, but it seems that she intends to continue working until the very last minute” (Fuji employee).

One of Fuji’s top five young talent is also on the list.

Eriko Komuro, 24, is in her third year with Fuji and has taken over the baton as Nagashima’s successor on Mezamashi 8, one of Fuji’s flagship programs. On one occasion, there was trouble when the VTR did not start at the scheduled time, but Eriko Komuro was the first to broach the subject with the performers before the cue was issued, and she put the situation behind her. Even though she is still young, she has the strength not to get upset when sudden trouble occurs. He is one of the easiest announcers for the staff to work with, as he quickly grasps the flow of the script.

Comparing the first-place finishers from each station, Wakuda and Oe stand out in particular for their skills, Nagashima and Hironaka for their courage, and Tamura for her potential. Among these, Nippon TV’s Mizuto took first place with 452 points. She was followed by NHK’s Wakuda (440 points) and TV Asahi’s Hironaka (436 points). It was a close race, but the “most skillful” female announcer was Mitochan!

From the October 6, 2023 issue of FRIDAY