Can These New Heroines Save TV? Rising Female Announcers Earning Industry Buzz
The TV industry's new heroines are the ones who will save TV stations from the upheaval!
Asami Miura (38) of Nippon TV, Ayaka Hironaka (34) of TV Asahi, and Ai Eto (39) of TBS—these names have remained the flagship female announcers of Japan’s key networks for nearly a decade. In the female announcer world, where a shortage of promising young talent is increasingly being voiced, nurturing the next generation has become an urgent issue. Is there a new-generation heroine capable of overcoming this industry-wide struggle? In response to this question, FRIDAY conducted an emergency round of interviews with TV station staff, female announcer watchers, and media experts. As a result, we’ve identified a group of standout newcomers who have been with their networks for three years or less.
A promising talent seen as the successor to Mako Tamura
Among the key stations, TBS is currently seen as the most successful in developing young announcers. Female announcer critic Daijiro Maruyama explains the key to their success:
“The reason young talents in their 20s, such as Mako Tamura (29), who joined in 2018, have flourished is because TBS provides platforms like Love It! and their official YouTube channel GameGame. where young announcers can shine. For example, Kyoko Nango (24), who joined in 2023, made a splash when she appeared on Love It! last year. She sat in an electric shock chair alongside Tamura, and her exaggerated reaction—arching her body like a shrimp—had the studio in stitches.
This performance was well received within the station. So when Tamura took a summer break, Nango filled in as MC for a week. During that time, she once again tackled the electric shock segment, sang live during the opening talk, and left a strong impression. She has just the right balance: approachable enough for comedians to tease, but also game enough to go along with punishment segments despite initial reluctance. It’s no exaggeration to call her the most promising young variety announcer right now.”
The one most fiercely competing with Nango—who’s seen as the front-runner for the next Mako Tamura—is her fellow 2023 entrant, Nana Mitarai (24).
“Mitarai has earned praise for her vivid and engaging sports commentary. She’s been trusted with coverage of events like the New Year Ekiden and the All-Japan High School Women’s Soccer Championship. There’s also talk of her being involved in the World Athletics Championships this summer. While Nango fits more into variety-oriented programs like Love It!, Mitarai is the type who thrives in serious news and sports reporting. She reportedly sees Nango as a serious rival and has told close friends, ‘I absolutely don’t want to lose to her.’ Within the station, the general consensus is that Nango currently has the edge, but people are excited to see how this rivalry unfolds.” (TV production staff)
From the 2025 intake, although she has yet to make her debut broadcast, one announcer is already attracting industry attention: Fuji TV’s Ema Yoshioka (22).
“She played hardball tennis for 18 years since childhood and also holds qualifications as a curator and disaster prevention specialist. What really stands out, though, is that she won the Miss Nippon Grand Prix. At 173 cm tall, she has a commanding presence far beyond that of other newcomers. She’s definitely one to watch.” (Maruyama)
The members of the Best Eleven
Based on criteria such as ability, future potential, and current popularity, this magazine has selected the “Best Eleven Up-and-Coming Female Announcers” through extensive interviews with TV professionals and experts. A producer from a key network’s news program, mentioned earlier, offers the following summary.
“The recent controversy involving Fuji TV and former entertainer Masahiro Nakai (52) is going to significantly impact how female announcers are promoted from now on. The old strategy of making someone a breakout star by having them appear in racy variety shows—like Ayako Kato (40) or Minami Tanaka (38), who didn’t shy away from risqué topics—just won’t work anymore. Moving forward, private network announcers will increasingly resemble NHK announcers: those with polished announcing skills, refined presence, and strong program-handling ability will be the ones who are valued.
TBS’s momentum in developing announcers through news and information programs reflects this shift in the times. The announcers featured in this issue will be expected to promote themselves in ways that align with this new era.”
Among the 11 individuals named this time, it’s likely that one or more next-generation star announcers—capable of revitalizing a rapidly changing TV industry—will emerge.
(From “FRIDAY” June 27 – July 4, 2025, double issue)
