Kimiko Jinnai, Newest Addition to “Every” Cast, as She Commits to the Team with Universal Appeal

On March 25th, news every. (hereinafter referred to as “Every”) on Nippon TV, with a completely new lineup of presenters, embarked on a fresh start.

“In the same time slot, TBS’s ‘N Sta’ also underwent a new structure from the same day. However, the main hosts from Monday to Thursday, Takaaki Inoue and Chiaki Horan, remain unchanged. From April 1st, Fuji TV’s ‘Live News It!’ will feature Miho Aoi from NHK, while TV Asahi’s ‘Super J Channel’ will see Minami Moriyama, formerly an assistant on ‘Shinichi Hatori Morning Show,’ replacing Yuki Morikawa.

Amidst these changes, the most visually transformed is ‘Every.’ The background behind NTV starting its new structure a week earlier than Fuji TV and TV Asahi is somewhat clouded by NTV’s apprehensions,” says a news program staff member.

Takahiko Fujii, who had been in charge of “Every” for 14 years and had maintained top ratings, moved to the late-night program “news zero” and became a freelancer. The main hosts now are Nana Suzue and Keisuke Mori, with Yuki Saito and Mirei Kiryu serving as Monday and Tuesday anchors, respectively, and Mirei Kiryu and Mirei Kiryu as Wednesday and Thursday anchors, respectively.

Among them, Kimiko Jin’nai, a former badminton player who has been serving as the main anchor alongside Fujii since April 2010, has decided to continue. During the ending on March 22nd, Fujii expressed gratitude to Jin’nai, saying, 

“I am very grateful for having such wonderful colleagues. Especially if Jin’nai wasn’t here, I don’t think I could have done ‘News Every’ for 14 years.”

Then, with tears in her eyes, she said to Jin’nai, 

“Although we’re not married, we’ve been really good friends,” 

And Jin’nai burst into tears beside her.

 

 

“When Fujii-san said ‘Although we’re not married,’ it’s because for many years, the program’s cast members have regarded Fujii as the ‘father’ figure and Jin’nai as the ‘mother’ figure. Especially Keiichiro Koyama, who appeared on NEWS from ’10 to ’18, and Yuta Watanabe, who worked outside the studio from ’14 for nine years, seemed to feel this way.

In reality, Fujii had provided vocal and announcement training to both of them, and when Koyama was involved in a scandal and left the show, Fujii stood next to him and made the announcement together. There were also instances where Fujii silently gave encouragement by adjusting Koyama’s tie, which was in his member color, and fans appreciated it,” says a TV magazine editor.

Jin’nai has been appearing as a sports caster since her days on “NNN News Plus 1” and “NNN News Real-time,” the predecessors of “Every.” Despite the program changes and renewals, she has continued to appear. With the recent announcement, some online users have raised questions like, ‘Will Jin’nai Tamiko remain?’ ‘Is there some hidden reason?’

“Indeed, there are voices within the station wondering why Jin’nai has been appearing for so long. But, she’s the one who feels it the most. She’s been saying to the staff around her for a long time, ‘If I were a viewer, I’d wonder why such a person is appearing.’ 

That’s why, even though she’s become a seasoned caster, she remains incredibly humble and puts in more effort than anyone else. She’s often seen studying diligently, writing down difficult kanji and broadcasting terms in her notebook, and even in the middle of summer, she comes to work wearing a scarf to protect her throat from getting cold. As someone with a sports background, she’s energetic, refreshing, and takes good care of younger co-stars and staff, which has endeared her as a motherly figure,” says a program producer.

 

 

It’s also well-known that her husband is former professional baseball player Akihito Kaneshi.

“Mr. Kaneshi manages a teppanyaki restaurant called ‘Kaneishi,’ and after the show, Jin’nai almost daily visits and greets customers as the hostess, going around to every table,” says the aforementioned producer. “The restaurant is often used as the venue for ‘Every’ gatherings, and there, you often see Jin’nai providing advice to younger colleagues.”

While there are many former athletes who serve as casters or commentators, Jin’nai is considered their mother figure and also holds a position akin to an older sister.

“Kumiko Ogura, along with other former badminton players, and former swimmers Masami Tanaka and Kyoko Iwasaki, all admire Jin’nai,” says a sports program director. “Previously, there was even a buzz about images of a women’s gathering including Yuri Ishida and Yumiko Udo. Wherever she goes, she’s like the big sister in a good way. With Fujii-san, who was a stabilizing force, gone, they must have concluded that Jin’nai is the only one who can bring the cast together,” he concludes.

It seems everyone is in agreement as to why mother Jin’nai Tamiko remained.