Suzuki Nahoko’s Innocent Remark on Ogata Ken’s Son Ahead of First Red and White Hosting
How could an NHK announcer not know this fact?
The natural behavior of NHK announcer Naho Suzuki, who will be hosting the “75th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen” for the first time on December 31, has become a hot topic.
This incident occurred on the December 5 broadcast of Asaichi, where she co-hosted with Hakata Hanamaru and Daikichi. At the start of the show, while commenting on the preceding NHK morning drama Omusubi, Suzuki mentioned that she didn’t know that Naoto Ogata (57), who appeared in the drama, was the son of the renowned actor Ken Ogata. Daikichi Hakata (53) responded with:
“Heh, so you just found out today that Naoto Ogata, who played the role of Nabesan, is Ken Ogata’s son?”
Suzuki then replied,
“Sorry, I just heard it now. I see, I do feel like they look alike.”
She hastily explained, “Sorry, I just heard it now. I see, I do feel like they look alike.” This sparked a flurry of surprised comments on social media, such as, “I can’t believe an NHK announcer didn’t know this fact,” and “I knew Suzuki Announcer was natural, but not to this extent…”
“Suzuki Announcer, 42, is from Kanagawa Prefecture. She joined NHK in 2004, and after working at the Takamatsu and Matsuyama stations, she moved to the Tokyo Announcer’s Office. She has served as a host on programs like ‘NHK News Ohayou Nippon,’ ‘News Watch 9,’ and ‘NHK News 7,’ building a career on the elite track of the news department. Her personality is very serious, diligent, well-liked by the staff, and popular within the company. After taking maternity and child care leave following the birth of her first child, she began hosting ‘Asaichi’ in spring 2021” (NHK program production insider).
“Since the morning drama time slot changed to 8:00 AM in 2010, ‘Asaichi’ has started at 8:15 after the drama ends. At the time, Yoshiniko Inohara (48) and Yumiko Arido (55) were the hosts, and regular commentator Hideo Yanagisawa (71) helped turn the program into a popular hit. Suzuki Announcer joined ‘Asaichi’ following the retirement of second-generation host Yurie Omi (36).”
What is Announcer Suzuki’s strength?
“I’ve heard that at first, she struggled with finding her position and how to express her character among many variety show veterans who are used to being guests. However, thanks to the leadership of Hanada-san, she has recently started to speak openly about her own worries, such as her solo performances at the beginning and her concerns related to the theme, earning viewers’ empathy. While Udo-san had the strength of being a single career woman, Suzuki is more down-to-earth, in a sense.
On the December 9th broadcast, the theme was ‘Talking about the reality of aging in your 40s.’ Suzuki asked, ‘I’ve started to feel an overwhelming anxiety because I can’t do things like I used to, and I’m wondering what to do, but will there be a time when it gets easier?’ She was comforted by the guests. I think it’s this unpretentious side of her that resonates with the viewers” (information program staff).
On the other hand, it is precisely because of her natural and down-to-earth personality that there are some voices within the network expressing concern about her first time hosting the Kohaku.
“Actually, on the Friday broadcasts, there is a segment called ‘Premium Talk’ where they invite big-name guests, but she hasn’t quite gotten used to handling it. In other words, the more famous the guest, the more nervous she gets. In the past, when major actresses like Masami Nagasawa and Ryoko Yonekura have been guests, she has often stumbled over her words or struggled to find the next thing to say, likely due to the nervousness.” (Staff member previously mentioned)
There are concerns both inside and outside the network about whether the nervous nature of someone like her will cause her to get flustered during the star-studded Kohaku event.
Morning drama and heartwarming.
On November 15, during her appearance on “Asaichi” (NHK), when Daikichi Hakata, her co-host, congratulated her on hosting the “Kohaku Uta Gassen,” Suzuki Anna replied:
“I still don’t feel it yet. When I try to think about ‘Kohaku’ or face it, I get really nervous, so I’ll gradually work on the preparations while letting the feeling come along. I think that’s how it will go.”
In a video posted the same day on the official NHK Kohaku Twitter account, she commented:
“Above all, I’ll be hosting with the protagonists from the morning dramas of both the first and second halves. It’s so heartwarming. I watch the morning drama every day without fail. I get to do the morning drama reaction on Asaichi. It’s just I’m really looking forward to hosting with the protagonists of such morning dramas.”
This led to a wry smile from a national newspaper reporter:
“Suzuki Anna kept saying morning drama, but when we write articles, we have to use the formal title ‘NHK morning drama’ or else NHK’s PR will caution us (laughs). Also, I don’t think NHK announcers usually use words like heartwarming, but it really showed her natural side. She will likely do thorough research on the artists performing in ‘Kohaku,’ but ‘Kohaku’ is a live broadcast with tight timing. I’m worried she might get flustered.”
The serious and hardworking Suzuki Anna will have to apply all her experiences from “Asaichi” to “Kohaku.” Given the high viewership ratings the event receives every year, we hope she can manage the pressure and get through it in a calm yet appropriately tense state.
