Minami Moriyama: A Journey Through Resilience and Talent
“There’s a viewership habit among audiences, especially for morning and evening programs, where they tend to stick to the same shows for a long time. Amidst this, what’s become a topic among some viewers is the transfer of Minami Moriyama, a fourth-year announcer at TV Asahi (25). She has been selected as the main caster for ‘Super J Channel’ starting this spring, and her remarkable promotion has sparked astonishment,” says a television magazine writer.
TV Asahi has been known since the era of Mariko Dō (42) to assign female announcers to flagship programs like ‘Music Station’ immediately after their recruitment, emphasizing the use of fresh talent more than other stations. Moriyama was appointed to the early morning show ‘Good! Morning’ shortly after joining TV Asahi in April 2021.
“After handling ‘Good! Morning’ for a year, she was then selected for the nationwide broadcast ‘Hayabusa Shinichi Morning Show.’ It was surprising even among female announcers at other stations when Moriyama was promoted to ‘Morning Show’ by replacing Chi Haru Saito (27), who had been the assistant. In ‘Morning Show,’ which features strong-willed male commentators such as Tetsuya Tamagawa, Ryojū Ishihara, and Kazuma Nagashima, Moriyama quickly established rapport. She was also adored by Hayabusa-san,” says a TV Asahi insider.
On social media and among fans,
“During the weather segment before the end of the program, Moriyama earnestly doing the one-point stretch instructed by meteorologist Shinwa Kataoka was a hit.”
“Forget about Tamagawa-san and the older men, I just want to see Moriyama on screen all the time.”
The change of announcer assignments for the live wide and news programs due to the reorganization in April seems to have finally settled down.
Viewers have viewing habits, and they tend to watch the same programs all the time, especially in the mornings and evenings. One topic of conversation among some viewers is the transfer of TV Asahi’s Minami Moriyama, 25, who has been with the company for four years. She has been selected to be the main anchor of “Super J Channel” from this spring, and her unusual rise in the ranks is causing widespread surprise” (writer for a TV magazine).
TV Asahi has been known since the days of Mariko Do (42) to assign female announcers to its flagship programs such as “Music Station” immediately after they join the company, and tends to place more emphasis on fresh talent than other stations. Moriyama was appointed to the early morning “Good. Morning” program immediately after joining TV Asahi in April ’21! Morning.
After a year in charge of “Good! Morning” for a year, she was next selected for the nationally televised “Hatori Shinichi Morning Show. Moriyama was promoted to the “Morning Show,” replacing Chiharu Saito (27), who had previously worked as an assistant, to the surprise of female announcers at other stations.
The “Morning Show” is full of commentators with strong personalities, such as Toru Tamagawa, who is the oizumiban, Yoshizumi Ishihara, and Kazushige Nagashima, but Moriyama quickly became comfortable with them. She was also adored by Mr. Hatori,” said a TV Asahi insider.
On SNS and among fans,
Moriyama seriously practicing one-point stretches by Nobukazu Kataoka, a weather forecaster, during the weather corner before the end of the program.
“I don’t care about Tamagawa-san or the old man, I just want Moriyama-ana to be on the show all the time.
Many people said, “I wish they would just show Moriyama alone all the time. Moriyama has big eyes, long straight hair, and a ladylike fashion style. Moriyama is a highly skilled announcer who has a reputation for always being imposing. In fact, she has been active as a TV personality since her school days.
Moriyama Minami, originally from Kumamoto Prefecture, was selected as a finalist for “Miss Seventeen 2015” during her high school years. During her time at Hosei University, she was a member of the student division “Sprout” of “Saint Four” where personalities like Abe Kayako, who later became a caster for “Mezamashi Doyoubi” (27), and Yamamoto Rina, who later joined TBS (29), were also present.
“To outsiders, her university life might seem glamorous, but she’s actually quite serious. She doesn’t have any frivolous traits in her personality, shows no interest in fashion brands, and tends to dress simply, even in her commuting attire,” says the aforementioned insider.
Until March of this year, the main anchor for “J Channel” was Morikawa Yutaka (30), who received high praise both inside and outside the network. However, she has been on leave from the station since April due to accompanying her husband’s job transfer. It was at this juncture that Moriyama was chosen.
“In fact, it’s said that the Chairman Hayakawa’s influence strongly affects female appearances, including reporters, at TV Asahi. Moriyama, in her fourth year at the company, skipping over many senior female announcers to step up to a flagship program, has led to speculation that ‘Chairman Hayakawa’s single command’ might have been at work,” says the source.
Nevertheless, given her activities since her student days and her reputation from previous programs, her skills are undeniable. She’s appreciated for always listening to field reporters’ reports with a sincere attitude,” says a Wide Show staff member.
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