Aya Takashima is the number one rated female announcer by alumni, but… Let’s decide who is the best female announcer of all time at Fuji Television Network!

Fuji Television produced many popular announcers and was called the “female announcer empire. Fuji’s female announcers supported the golden age of television as talented women, and sometimes caused a stir with their love affairs with famous athletes, popular actors, and celebrity businessmen.

Who are the most prominent female announcers at Fuji Television? After conducting in-depth interviews with Fuji Television staff, alumni, and experts, we have decided on the most powerful female announcer of all time at Fuji Television.

Aya Takashima (45) is the one that Fuji TV staff and alumni think the most highly of,” says a broadcaster, Yamamoto.

The one that Fuji TV staff and alumni most highly value is Aya Takashima (45),” said Mihoko Yamada, a broadcaster and writer. This year marks the 30th anniversary of Mezamashi TV, and I think that Aya Takashima is the best of all the previous Mezamashi TV announcers,” Yamada continued.

At Fuji, it is not only the announcing ability that counts, but also the ability to act funny in a variety show. For example, Akiko Yagi (58) can do both, and Minako Nakano (44) has a ditzy side that makes variety shows more exciting. In this respect, Takashima Anna is not the type to actively do interesting things. However, she is outstanding at directing the program. He has a high level of skill that allows him to always perform perfectly, whether it is a live broadcast or a taping. I think she is one of the best announcers in the world.”

While Takashima, who is now freelance, is highly praised, Yagi, who is one year older than Takashima, also receives high praise.

While Satsuki Ariga (deceased) and Keiko Kono (59) were known as the “three flower girls,” Yagi was a plain and unassuming figure, hidden behind the two others.

However, her simplicity became a weapon in “Akashiya Santa. She was able to talk to and make fun of Akashiya Sanma (68). Her friendliness was conveyed through the light-hearted way she talked with Mr. Sanma, and she was eventually selected as the first main anchor of “Mezamashi TV”. She was a pioneer in shaping the image of Fuji’s ace female announcer of today,” said Daijiro Maruyama, a female announcer critic.

Former Fuji Television announcer Yutaka Hasegawa also praised Yagi’s professionalism.

Yagi is different from other young female announcers who often take a break when they enter a commercial break. Yagi is different. Even when the cameras are not rolling, she gives a 100-point performance. She always carries the weight of a professional.

Hasegawa’s evaluation of Satoshi Kondo, 55, as “the top announcer in Fuji Television’s history,” is apt.

In addition to her stable reading of scripts, she has an overwhelmingly glamorous atmosphere. Her hair is now silver, and I feel that it is the work of Kondo’s dignity that has made silver hair a trend. Her voice is not unpleasant to listen to for long periods of time, and she has a great sense of style in the way she chooses her words.

Two Idol Announcers

While great predecessors have supported the foundation of Fuji, there were also those who gained idol-like popularity due to their glamour. The two most prominent examples are Kyoko Uchida (47) and Nakano.

Their generation was the one that was particularly notable for its reports of infatuation. Nakano was photographed with Hideaki Ito (48) in “FRIDAY,” and there were rumors that she was also involved with Masahiro Nakai (51). The fact that she had a love affair with such a big name shows how popular Nakano Anna was. Considering the small romantic partners of today’s female announcers, it shows how attractive the idol announcers of the time were,” said entertainment reporter Takayuki Joshita.

It can be said that it was the generation of these two announcers that paved the way for announcers to become active as TV personalities, but this was also due to their appeal that transcended the boundaries of being announcers.

When she was the MC for a special program for a commercial contest called “Fuji Sankei Group Advertising Grand Prix,” there was a scene where she was asked a question by Mr. Sanma and she silently continued to flip through the materials. At the time, I remember seeing her like that and thinking, “She has a lot of guts. I remember watching her on “Dancing! Sanma Goten! (Nippon Television Network Corporation), in which Anna Nakano also appeared, and she was able to take a jab at Mr. Sanma. Nakano has that kind of interesting quality.

Uchida, too, has gained recognition from within the station for her charm that is not found in the more conventional announcers.

When she first joined the station, she was in the shadow of Maki Ohashi (47), but she got her big break with “Suport! She got her big break when she was a rookie. When she was a rookie, she showed her silly character in a quiz show, which was popular among the TV audience. This charm, which is not present in the type of announcer like Takashima who can handle a recording perfectly, is one of the reasons for Uchida’s popularity.

The era in which idol TV announcers dominated the TV industry had come to an end, and the “Pan” series of female TV announcers after Takashima led Fuji Television from the late 2000s to the early ’10s.

Ayako Kato (38), a.k.a. “Katopan,” has a level of glamour comparable to that of Uchida and Nakano, but she also has the flexibility to handle both hard and soft programs. Once, when it was Kato’s turn to show the contents of a celebrity’s purse on a program, she had a receipt for cheap underwear in her purse. Since the project was not a fake, Kato Anna, who was a regular participant, must have known that the time would come when she would have to show her own wallet. So she left in a receipt like that one. It probably wasn’t something he really bought, but he has a service mentality to liven up the show, and I think it’s amazing that he was able to do it with such a cool face.

What about the other “pan-announcers”? An alumnus of Fuji Television confides, “Yoko Ikuno (39), a 39-year old Japanese TV announcer, is a very good actress.

Yoko Ikuno, 39, has a wonderful sense of stability, handling variety and everything else without a hitch. She is currently the main anchor for the evening news, and her skills in news programs are outstanding among this generation. Yurika Mita (36) is the main anchor of “Good Day! and her level of commentary has improved dramatically. Unlike other announcers, she has the advantage of being able to express her own opinions clearly. Also, Yumi Nagashima, 32, has excellent narration skills and can respond flexibly. Her on-the-spot skills are outstanding even among the mid-career generation.

While mature female announcers in their 30s and 40s are winning accolades, those in their 50s are still struggling.

Kikue Nishiyama, 54, combines outstanding announcing skills with a receptive personality. In terms of skill level, she is as good as Takashima, Yagi, and the other announcers. Also, unlike them, Nishiyama still continues to carry the Fuji Television billboard. She is well-liked by her juniors and has become a role model for female announcers at the station.

Ayako Kisa, 52, whose husband is former professional baseball player Kazuhisa Ishii, 50, emerged as a sports caster.

When she first joined Fuji, she worked on several variety shows, but her abilities on “Professional Baseball News” were highly regarded, and she grew to become the main anchor for “Mezamashi TV. She has handled all of Fuji’s signature programs in the morning, afternoon, and evening, and her strength lies in her all-around ability to be accepted in any time slot.

Announced the strongest female announcer of all time!

After FRIDAY interviewed more than 30 people in the TV industry and intellectuals, Takashima Anna came in first place with overwhelming support. She received high marks in all areas, including her looks, talk skills, and announcing techniques. Following Takashima was Kondo, and Yagi came in second and third.

Popular announcers have been born one after another from the Showa to the Heisei era. Among them, Fuji Television’s female announcers shined the brightest.

From the April 26, 2024 issue of FRIDAY