“Never Heard of It”—Former Fuji Announcers Rejecting and Facing Outsider Struggles.
I don’t even want to have my past involvement in group dates (or mixers) brought up again
During the boom of female announcers, not only at Fuji TV but also at other stations, female announcers participating in “gokon” (group dates) were frequently spotted and reported by weekly magazines.
“From the 1990s to the 2000s, sports figures like pro baseball players and J-League soccer players, as well as businessmen known as the ‘Hills tribe,’ were seen having flashy lifestyles, and female announcers were often spotted with them. It was a time when female announcers tended to choose sports players or businessmen as marriage partners. Many female announcers actively participated in ‘gokon’ with baseball players or in parties held at Roppongi Hills for the ‘Hills tribe,’ and it seemed that senior announcers often invited junior announcers. There were also frequent business-related meetings with sponsors, and some announcers participated actively in these to get closer to important people,” said a former Fuji TV insider.
However, Announcer Nakamura had been dating her husband, Owarai duo “Sammaa~zu” member Ikki Otake, since her second year at the company, and Andou, in fact, was not a Fuji employee at all. “So, it’s no surprise they weren’t actively called to such meetings,” the insider continued.
The announcers who participated in these ‘gokon’ or ‘Hills tribe’ parties did so willingly, and it wasn’t about tribute payments or business entertainment, meaning there was no issue. However, these women are now apprehensive about having these past activities brought back up.
“In the current scandal, Fuji TV’s Announcer Kyoko Sasaki (52) has reportedly fallen ill, and her role as the host for a new program slated for April has been canceled. To avoid suffering the same fate, other female announcers who used to socialize have decided to stay silent. They’re probably just trying to stay out of the spotlight and wait for the storm to pass,” added the insider.
