Takahiro Nishioka, Fuji TV Announcer to Real Estate Investor: “I’m Just a ‘Tawaman Otaku’!

Ace who chose a new path

A huge Y-shaped tower condominium soars above the bay area. With the oddly shaped building in the background, the man spoke enthusiastically.

This one is called the ‘Tri-Star’ type, and it’s quite rare,” he said. This shape allows for more corner rooms, so as a buyer, I thought, ‘Here it comes! ‘ and it’s like ……. It is a hybrid of seismic control and seismic isolation, and can be called the strongest earthquake-proof townhouse in Tokyo!

The man who continues to comment as if he were a real estate consultant is Takahiro Nishioka, 49, a former Fuji TV announcer who retired in March of this year, and has been an ace among male announcers, providing live coverage of major events such as the World Cup and Olympics, and anchoring “Mezamashi 8. What was the reason he chose a new career path before he turned 50, leaving behind a stable job? We caught up with him to find out more about his unique career and his true face as a “tawaman otaku” (a person who enjoys living in a townhouse).

When I was a senior in high school, I watched the “Doha Tragedy” on TV and for the first time in my life, I felt frustration for someone other than myself when the Japanese national team lost to Iraq and my dream of participating in the World Cup was crushed. However, I have no talent for sports, so I cannot take revenge by becoming a soccer player. …… Then, I came up with the idea of becoming a sports play-by-play announcer and helping out.”

With this thought in mind, he graduated from Saga Nishi High School and then Keio University before joining Fuji Television Network in 1998. However, a harsh reality awaited him.

One of my seniors told me, ‘You are not suited for sports broadcasting. I didn’t have a powerful voice, nor was I good at description. If I were to compare myself to a professional baseball pitcher, I would say that I am not a 160 km/h fastball pitcher, but a breaking ball pitcher. So I struggled desperately to find another way to pitch.

Nishioka then discovered his own strength: “Showing the invisible.

Anyone can just talk about what is on the screen if they are trained to do so. The real test of skill is how much you can convey the ‘unseen intent’ behind it.

It was during F1 broadcasts that he honed his skills. A car running a lap at breakneck speed. There was no explanation for the images shown on the screen.

The moment the 8th place car is shown on the screen, the camera reads the intention of the driver, saying, “This is a fierce battle for position in this race! He spins a tale. I always have to think about the meaning as I speak and present it to the viewers.

In 2002, he was both a live commentator for the World Cup and an MC for “Suport! In 2002, she was at the peak of her career as an announcer, simultaneously serving as a play-by-play announcer for the World Cup and as an MC for “Suport! A career that would have been the envy of anyone, but Nishioka was troubled.

I thought I was doing the job I wanted, but there was a part of me that wasn’t satisfied. When I interview athletes every day, they all say, ‘Maintaining the status quo is degenerating. I realized then that I was maintaining the status quo, in other words, I was degenerating.

In March of this year, he left Fuji Television Network, where he had worked for 27 years, to make a new start.

49-Year-Old Rookie Real Estate Investor

Nishioka is currently a freelance announcer and also holds the title of real estate investor. He has purchased six condominiums so far, five of which are townhouses. His first purchase was a 48 million yen condominium in Shinagawa when he was 25 years old.

About seven years later, they started selling one after another, and when I asked them about it, they said, ‘You’ll get a good deal if you sell now,’ so I sold it like I was being swept along (laughs). (Laughs.) I made a profit of about 5 million yen at that time.

He currently owns two townhouses, including a residence. The total purchase price so far exceeds 600 million yen.

I still feel very uncomfortable when people call me a real estate investor. I am simply a “tawaman otaku” (laughs). I enjoy looking at various apartments and imagining what my life would be like if I lived here.

For Nishioka, a townhouse is more of a pure hobby than an investment. For Nishioka, a townhouse is not so much an investment as a pure hobby, much like a plastic model for a young boy.

It’s like a child who wants to buy all the plastic models he wants. But the plastic models are very expensive, and it’s not easy to buy them. So, after living in the house and enjoying it, I sell it and buy the next one I want.

When it was decided in 2001 that Tokyo would host the 2008 Olympics, he ran to a model room without his wife’s knowledge and bought the house for 63 million yen. His wife was very disappointed. ……,” he said. After only one year, he decided to buy a new house, which he had vowed would be his “final home. He is a true “otaku” who spends his days looking at properties all over Japan on the Internet and indulging his fantasies, saying, “I think I’ll look at a property in Hiroshima today.

My first priority is to be able to afford it. Everyone says, ‘I want a corner room’ or ‘I like the view,’ but for me, just having the comfort of a townhouse is enough to live my ideal, happy life. Buying a townhouse is like buying a town.

The 49-year-old newcomer has been working as a “freelance announcer” and a “real estate investor” in his second career.

From the November 28 and December 5, 2025 issue of FRIDAY