<figure id="attachment_443768" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1738px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443768"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="dbee42b8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/10/394124223c8e7b651e98fcd342c46c3e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443768" class="wp-caption-text">Saitō Yō (Television Tokyo). Graduate of Keio University. She studied abroad in Oregon, USA, during high school. At the same time, she was active in track and field and cross-country—an announcer who excels both academically and athletically.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Next-generation aces with high expectations</h2>
Six months have passed since the new female announcers joined various TV networks. This year, TBS made the unusual decision not to hire any newcomers, but as TV insiders unanimously say it’s a bumper year, the new talents are already making their presence felt. Will a new star emerge to follow in the footsteps of NTV’s Asami Miura (38) or former Fuji TV’s Aya Takashima (46)?
Among the six golden eggs, the one drawing the most attention is TV Tokyo’s announcer Saitō Yō (23). TV columnist Tamami Hiyama analyzes:
“She is a much-hyped rookie who served as a student caster on BS Fuji’s information program Weekly Prime Online S. In July, she became the 5th assistant on Moya Moya Summers 2. It’s considered a gateway-to-success program that has produced TV Tokyo’s top announcers like Mariko Oe (47) and Hitomi Tanaka (29). Being chosen in her first year is a major sign of期待. Recently on Moya-sama, she attempted beach flags, showing full-speed sprinting, and when substituting for Asuka Saitō on Bakarhythm’s One-Cut Journey 2, she matched Bakarhythm’s low-key tone and carried the show calmly without mistakes. Her ability to switch gears freely is far beyond that of a typical rookie.”
Another announcer who built experience as a student caster like Saitō is NTV’s Igarashi Iika (22).
“She appears on the late-night American football program Audrey’s NFL Club, which produced Erina Iwata (30). On the show, when Audrey teased her behavior during her first pitch challenge for a baseball game, she snapped back, ‘Don’t laugh at someone who’s being serious.’ It left a strong impression. She’s fearless, so she’ll likely be placed next to veteran comedians or MCs before long.”
<figure id="attachment_443771" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1729px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443771"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="141b840e"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/10/ee5b773bfa35f593834c475c366cd5dd.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443771" class="wp-caption-text">Igarashi Niika (Nippon TV). A Waseda University graduate. She was a member of the softball club in junior high school. At the Giants–Hiroshima game’s ceremonial first pitch this September, she delivered an impressive no-bounce throw.</figcaption></figure>
Compared with announcers Saitō and Igarashi, their TV exposure may be lower, but the new announcers at TV Asahi also have high expectations.
“Miyamoto Yura (Ifura) Announcer (22) is a semi-pro, having worked as a student newscaster with Cent. Force Sprout. She has built solid experience, including serving as a reporter for Mezamashi TV during her student days. Urarin Rin Announcer (23) is highly proficient in languages. On the program Yoko Oshita Wide! Scramble, she conducted an English interview with Hollywood star Ana de Armas (37) and handled it excellently,” said a key station programming staff member.
<a href="#" data-ident_hash="7a7b71eb"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/10/998f607098ee39943f7f71afc4ef7184.jpg" alt=""></a>
<figure id="attachment_443773" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1612px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443773"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443773" class="wp-caption-text">Miyamoto Yura (Ifura) (TV Asahi). A graduate of Keio University. She was part of Cent. Force Sprout and worked as a student announcer. As TV Asahi has few idol-type announcers, she is considered an immediate-impact candidate.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_443774" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1620px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443774"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="14093549"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/10/d47860095f2607d1397ae776541f7034.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443774" class="wp-caption-text">Urarabayashi Rin (TV Asahi). A graduate of Waseda University. Known for her outdoorsy personality, she belonged to the university’s Wander Vogel Club and was passionate about mountain climbing and ski mountaineering.</figcaption></figure>
“Yoshioka Ema (23) won the Grand Prix at the Miss Nippon Contest 2023. Standing 173 cm tall, she has a figure that holds its own even next to models and actresses. She is currently a caster on Sport!. In recent years, Fuji has produced ace announcers from sports programs—such as Minami Sakuma (27)—so Yoshioka may follow that same path. The other, Asakura Mion (22), was the runner-up at Miss World Japan 2023. She is bright and lively, making her a perfect fit for morning information programs. She has already been appointed as a field reporter for Mezamashi TV. It will be fascinating to see how these two double Miss talents grow,” said Maruyama.
We look forward to seeing how these next-generation aces flourish.
<figure id="attachment_443775" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1710px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443775"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c9ec6650"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/10/994902d9c99474ab5eb3dcc747b0cb0f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443775" class="wp-caption-text">Yoshioka Ema (Fuji TV). A graduate of Kwansei Gakuin University. She has played competitive tennis for 18 years since childhood and has an athletic background. At Fuji, she is expected to shine as a sports caster.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_443776" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1714px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-443776"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="1da2caca"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2025/10/da909054c5d87a0a3b8ae76699a8475a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-443776" class="wp-caption-text">Asakura Mion (Fuji TV). A graduate of Waseda University. During her student years, she juggled five part-time jobs, including working as a beer vendor at Jingu Stadium. Her motto is spirit and guts, making her a passionate, high-energy type.</figcaption></figure>
From the November 7, 2025 issue of &#8220;FRIDAY&#8221;

 As TV industry insiders have been saying, "It's a bumper crop year," new talent is quickly making their mark. We look forward to the success of the next generation of aces. Will there be a star to follow in the footsteps of NTV's Mami Mizuto and former Fuji Television's Aya Takashima?

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