Tribute to Tomoaki Ogura a Life of Music and Unfiltered MCing

On December 9, freelance announcer Tomoaki Ogura passed away at the age of 77. He had publicly announced in 2016 that he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and underwent a full removal of the bladder in 2018. Despite fighting cancer that spread to his lungs and kidneys, he continued to work.

According to “Mezamashi Media,” he was told on December 4 that no further treatment options were available. He was hospitalized on December 6 but returned to his home on December 6, where he spent his final days under the care of his wife.

Ogura joined Tokyo 12 Channel (now TV Tokyo) in 1970. In 1976, when Kyozen Ohashi started “Ohashi Kyozen no Nichiyo Keiba Nippon” (Nippon Broadcasting), he scouted Ogura. This led Ogura to switch to becoming a freelance announcer and joining Ohashi’s agency.

In October 1984, Ogura started narrating “Sekai Marugoto HOW Match” (TBS), where his distinctive high-pitched voice and radio host skills were highly praised. Around 1989, he began being hired as a host for various wide shows. From April 1999, Ogura hosted “Joho Presenter Tokudane!” (Fuji TV) until March 2021, working for 22 years. (Television magazine writer)

Despite repeated hospitalizations, Ogura continued to appear on television. On November 23, he made his final appearance on the talk show “Ogura Base” (Fuji TV), where he spoke with guests Hiro from EXILE (55) and actress Wakana Matsumoto (40), showing his usual energetic self. This was to be his last television appearance.

“There is (abduction/forcible taking), right?”

For over 50 years, Ogura appeared continuously on television and radio, but what he truly loved was music. He was such a fanatic that he owned 40,000 CDs and DVDs, and his regular spot was the jazz club “Blue Note Tokyo” in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. “FRIDAY” had spotted Ogura at the club on several occasions. In August 2014, he visited with a young woman to enjoy Koji Tamaki’s (66) live performance. Afterwards, they moved to Roppongi, where he met with TV station staff for a meeting.

“Privately, he was a true gentleman. He was also good at boasting about how he ‘was always popular with girls’ and was always fun to be around,” said a Fuji TV information program staff member.

On February 22, 2024, Ogura appeared live on “Goji ni Muchuu!” (TOKYO MX) for the first time in two and a half years. When asked about the theme “Have you ever dated someone who was popular?” he responded:

“I’ve never dated someone who wasn’t popular. Of course, it’s great to date a girl who’s extremely popular.”

He added:

“Getting to make her yours, that’s the best, right? (Even if the person has a boyfriend, abduction is) something that happens, right? I don’t care.”

His bold remarks filled the studio with laughter.

“On TV, his bold attitude and outspoken comments were his trademarks. He never held back on any topic, and sometimes his comments sparked controversy. In March 2018, on “Tokudane!” he said:

‘I know this will cause a backlash, and sometimes I intentionally stir things up, but there are also times when I think, why is this a problem? But good or bad, as long as it sparks conversation, that’s a good thing.’

Even if criticized, he had the pride of a MC who would rather be controversial than be forgotten. A host like him will never appear again,” said the information program staff member.

It’s hard to accept that we won’t hear those bold comments again. May he rest in peace.