【Experience 4 Humor 5 Connections 5 Adaptability 5 Idol Factor 2 Although he wasn’t selected as the general host for this year’s Red and White Song Festival, his show “Monday Late Night” (Nippon TV) is now in its 13th year. Programs hosted by Murakami tend to have a long lifespan. Comedians vs. Star En (STAREN) Already starting in October, the variety show “This World is 1Daful” (Fuji TV) has appointed Snow Man’s Shota Watanabe (31) as its MC. “In casting meetings, the names of older comedians, like Chidori and Kamaitachi in their 40s, are the only ones that come up for MC roles (laughs). In comedy, the hierarchy based on seniority is strict, and it’s difficult to cast fresh young talent as the leader of a show. On the other hand, STAREN has a culture where it’s normal for younger talents to surpass their seniors and be given major roles, making it easier to cast younger hosts. When you cast STAREN MCs, you can avoid the trashy trend of talking about past scandals or exposing stories about fellow co-stars. Plus, actors of both genders are more willing to appear on these shows, making it easier to cast high-profile guests. A good example of this is timelesz’s Fuma Kikuchi (29) and Shisonnu’s Shinobu Hasegawa (46) as MCs of Is There Something Interesting (Fuji TV), which successfully featured unusually high-profile guests like Kasumi Arimura (31), Suzu Hirose (26), and Masami Nagasawa (37)” (Key station employee).   East’s Sakurai Style The “Sakurai Style” is one of the methods for Kanto-based “Star Entertainment” talents to succeed as MCs, following the example of Arashi’s Sho Sakurai (42). “The leading figure of ‘Sakurai Style’ is Hey! Say! JUMP’s Satoshi Inoo (34). Initially, NEWS’s Keiichiro Koyama (40) and KAT-TUN’s Yuichi Nakamaru (41) were expected to follow Sakurai’s footsteps, but both were hindered by scandals. To fill the gap, Inoo, who holds a master’s degree in architecture from Meiji University, was chosen. He was appointed as the first male MC on Merengue no Kimochi (NTV), where he served for five years until the program’s end. Now, there are plans within NTV to cast him as a regular on either NEWS EVERY. or ZIP!, and he recently revealed his graduate degree on the show ANOTHER SKY” (same source). “Sakurai Style” requires at least a university degree, and skills for sports reporting during events like the Olympics or World Cup, and the ability to handle political issues, raising the bar considerably. “Others following ‘Sakurai Style’ include Snow Man’s Ryohei Abe (30), who has a master’s in science from Sophia University, and WEST’s Junta Nakama (37), a graduate of Kansai Gakuin University. Nakama, with his strong background in comedy and information shows in Kansai, is skilled in handling situations calmly without hesitation. Abe’s qualifications and statements are impeccable, but he’s not very outspoken within the group, and still needs more live broadcast experience. Currently, both have a stronger presence in variety shows rather than in reporting, focusing mostly on quiz programs. As Sakurai is hosting NEWS ZERO (NTV), it’s difficult to assign him to other news programs, so it’s hoped they will develop quickly” (same source). Kei Inoo (34) [Hey! Say! JUMP]