TBS Announcer Ami Yoshihara Confronts Shinjiro Koizumi Amid Intense Heat and Faces Teasing from Hikari Ota

Around noon on September 6, over 5,000 spectators had gathered at the Ginza 4-chome intersection. As security personnel lined up and barriers were set up, the crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of Shinjiro Koizumi, the former Minister of the Environment, who had declared his candidacy for the Liberal Democratic Party presidency.

 

Sweaty on-site coverage

The scene was already dizzyingly hot due to the people’s enthusiasm and temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Among the crowd, there was one woman dressed in a long-sleeved black suit: TBS announcer Ami Yoshihara, 28.

“Yoshihara was wearing a cap with the New York Yankees logo and holding a black parasol while waiting. She was also holding a microphone with the logo of ‘Sunday Japon’ (TBS network), checking her position and the camera movements. She was rehearsing meticulously. Her face was drenched in sweat due to the extreme heat,” said one spectator who was present.

At 1 PM, a white minivan appeared and stopped right in front of Yoshihara. When two security personnel opened the rear door, Koizumi jumped out. After greeting him with “Thank you for your time,” Yoshihara directed her microphone at him.

“Recently, during your visit to the baseball team, you mentioned your motto. Could you please share it again?”

“In doubt, go for a full swing,” replied Koizumi, to which Yoshihara asked again,

“I thought that sometimes a bunt might be necessary.”

With that question, Koizumi looked puzzled for a moment, but then replied,

“There are teammates who have connected and helped create this day. They are telling me to go for a full swing.”

With that fine play of a response, he headed toward the podium.

This scene was aired on the program, and the host Hikari Ota (59), who was watching in the studio, asked Yoshihara, “What do you mean by sometimes a bunt?”

“I’m just trying to leave some kind of mark.”

She replied with a wry smile.