Takahiro Nishioka’s Journey from Fuji TV Announcer to Real Estate Investor as a Self-Proclaimed Tower Condo Otaku

Ace who chose a new path

Rising over the bayside area stood a massive Y-shaped tower condominium. With the bizarre structure behind him, the man began speaking enthusiastically.

“This is called a ‘Tri-Star type,’ and it’s quite rare. This shape increases the number of corner units, so from a buyer’s perspective it’s like, ‘Yes!’ It’s a hybrid of vibration control and base isolation, so you could call it the strongest earthquake-resistant tower condo in Tokyo!”

Offering explanations like a real estate consultant was former Fuji Television announcer Takahiro Nishioka (49), who retired this March. He had been an ace among male announcers, covering major events such as the World Cup and the Olympics and serving as a caster on Mezamashi 8. Why did he abandon a stable job and choose a new path just before turning 50? We take a closer look at his unconventional career and the true face of this tower-condo otaku.

“When I was a third-year high school student, I watched the ‘Tragedy of Doha’ on TV. The moment Japan lost to Iraq and their World Cup dream was crushed, I felt ‘frustration’ over something other than myself for the first time in my life. But I didn’t have athletic talent, so I couldn’t get revenge by becoming a soccer player… Then it occurred to me that I could support them by becoming a sports play-by-play announcer.”

With that desire in his heart, he went on from Saga-Nishi High School to graduate from Keio University and joined Fuji Television in 1998. However, a harsh reality awaited him.

“A senior colleague told me, ‘You’re not suited for sports commentary.’ I didn’t have a powerful voice, nor exceptional descriptive ability. If you compare it to pro baseball, I wasn’t a 160-km/h flamethrower pitcher—I was more of an off-speed pitcher. So I struggled desperately, thinking I had to find another way.”

What Nishioka discovered as his own strength was commentary that shows what can’t be seen.

“If you just talk about what’s on the screen, anyone can do that with training. The real skill lies in how much you can convey the ‘invisible intentions’ behind it.”

That skill was honed through F1 broadcasts. Cars race around the circuit at blistering speed, and the footage comes without explanations.

“You can’t just stop at ‘The car in eighth place is on screen.’ The instant an eighth-place car appears, in a tenth of a second you read the intent—‘They’re probably filming it because the gap has closed’—and then you spin a story: ‘We’re seeing a fierce battle for position in this race!’ You have to keep talking while constantly thinking about the meaning and presenting it to the viewers.”

By 2014, he was simultaneously handling World Cup commentary and serving as MC for Sporuto!, reaching the peak of his career as an announcer. It was a career anyone would envy, yet Nishioka was troubled.

“I should have been doing the work I wanted, but somehow I felt unfulfilled. When you interview athletes every day, they all say, ‘Standing still is regression.’ That’s when I realized I was maintaining the status quo—in other words, regressing.”

And this March, he left Fuji Television after 27 years and embarked on a new start.

49-Year-Old Rookie Real Estate Investor

Nishioka is currently active as a freelance announcer while also holding the title of real estate investor. To date, he has purchased six condominiums, five of which are tower condos. The very first property he bought was a condominium in Shinagawa priced at 48 million yen, which he purchased at the age of 25.

“My colleagues from the same intake at the company started buying condos one after another, and I sort of went along with the flow and did the same. About seven years later, they all started selling, and when I asked why, they told me, ‘If you sell now, you’ll make a profit.’ So I went along with the flow again and sold mine too (laughs). I made a profit of about 5 million yen at the time.”

He currently owns two tower condos, including his residence. The total amount he has spent on purchases so far easily exceeds 600 million yen.

“Even now, when people write that I’m a real estate investor, it feels really strange. I’m simply a tower-condo otaku, that’s all (laughs). I enjoy looking at all kinds of condos and imagining what kind of life I’d have if I lived there.”

For Nishioka, tower condos are less an investment vehicle and more a pure hobby—much like plastic models are for a boy.

“It’s just like a kid who wants to buy every model kit he wants. The only difference is that these model kits are incredibly expensive and not easy to buy. So I live in one and enjoy it, then sell it and buy the next one I want—that’s how it feels.”

His otaku tendencies run deep. When Tokyo was chosen in 2013 to host the 2020 Olympics, he rushed to a model room without telling his wife and bought a unit for 63 million yen on his own. “My wife was really exasperated with me.” he admits with deep regret. He even decided to replace a hundred-million-yen condo he had sworn would be his final home after just one year. “Maybe I’ll take a look at a property in Hiroshima today,” he says, spending his days browsing properties all over Japan online and indulging in fantasies—truly a genuine otaku.

“My top priority is simply being able to buy. People say they want a corner unit or a great view, but for me, just having the comfortable space of a tower condo is enough to live what I consider a happy life. Buying a tower condo is the same as buying a city.”

The 49-year-old rookie is forging his second career by wearing two hats: freelance announcer and real estate investor.

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