Mitsuho Fukudome Boat Racing Enthusiast Sets Her Goal for the Year

The skilled producer, Nobuyuki Sakuma, was impressed by the Oogiri talent

“I realized that the betting amount for boat races increased by one digit, and I felt that it was selling well.”

 

Fukudome Mitsuho (21), who was a member of AKB48 until July 2022 for about three years, gained significant attention in March 2024 when she appeared on Nobuyuki Sakuma’s YouTube channel “Sakuma Nobuyuki’s NOBROCK TV.”

When Sakuma jokingly asked her to suggest a title like “Drain All the Water from the Pond,” she quickly responded with “Try Cleaning Grandpa’s Belly Button,” which garnered big laughs. Sakuma, impressed by her wit, praised her on his show “All Night Nippon,” calling her a remarkable talent. This led to an increase in her appearances on variety shows like “Odoru! Sanma Goten‼” (Nippon TV), where she rose to fame as “Reiwa’s Oogiri Queen.”

However, when the topic of her Oogiri (Japanese wordplay) talent came up, her usual cheerful smile faded, and she began speaking in a quiet voice.

“Honestly, Oogiri is tough. I still don’t think my answers are funny, so I don’t understand why everyone lifts me up like that (laughs). Every time I do it, the bar gets higher, and the pressure is insane.

Actually, after this interview, I have a ‘NOBROCK’ recording, and I have to do this crazy project where I improvise fake gossip about people whose names were mentioned. Sakuma-san made me famous, so I have to give back. If other shows are at 100%, ‘NOBROCK’ needs to be at 150%, and I’m starting to feel like I’m losing my mind.”

She modestly downplays it, but she continues to leave her mark on various popular variety shows.

“On ‘Odoru! Sanma Goten‼,’ when senior Yuki Kashiwagi (33) tried to talk about songs of the Reiwa era, I made a comment like ‘Maybe we have a generational gap’ or ‘Are you one of the young people?’ in a YouTube-like tone, and people on the internet criticized me, calling me ‘Who is this ugly girl?’ and ‘How rude’ (laughs). After that, I’ve become more mindful of my words and actions to avoid upsetting people who are watching.”

When Fukudome was feeling down, her great benefactor was there to help.

“On ‘NOBROCK,’ when I got into trouble, Sakuma-san used it as material, and he also gave me advice like, ‘You can make fun of others, but make sure to end it with self-deprecating humor.’ I’m really grateful for everything he says.”