From Announcer to Lawyer: Mona Yamamoto Passes Bar Exam, Inspired by Chino Kikuma
Now a mother of three, she achieved her dream after five years of intense study!
When she failed for the second time last year, she said, “I was so crushed I couldn’t recover.”
“When I saw my number on the online pass list, I felt not so much joy as relief. It’s been five years since I started studying for the exam it’s been so long.”
Smiling as she holds a bouquet from a FRIDAY reporter is freelance announcer and TV personality Mona Yamamoto (49).
Yamamoto announced on her SNS on November 13 that she had passed the bar exam, writing, “My new challenge in my 40s has come to fruition. I’ve finally reached the next starting line.”
A few days later, FRIDAY conducted a direct interview in Tokyo, where she, who married a private individual in August 2010 and is now a mother of three, shared the unknown struggles she faced while conquering this difficult exam.
――Congratulations on passing the exam.
“Thank you very much.”
――What initially motivated you to aim for the bar exam?
“After giving birth to my third child (June 2019), I started thinking about the future once childcare settled down. I wanted to study and challenge myself at something. The idea of the legal world came to mind. I graduated from the Faculty of Law at Gakushuin University, so I had always been interested in law.”
――Did you immediately start preparing for the bar exam?
“No, not right away. I hesitated for a while, unsure of what to do. What encouraged me was Chino Kikuma, a former Fuji TV announcer turned lawyer. Kikuma-san and I were both instructors at the same wine school. When I expressed my worries about the bar exam, she encouraged me, saying, ‘You can start with just one book, so you can begin anytime.’That really eased my mind. I immediately ordered a legal introduction book online and began studying.”
――In April 2022, you also entered Waseda University Law School.
“At first, I was self-studying, but I thought studying with classmates at law school would push me further. But at that time, due to COVID-19, most classes were online. It was very lonely.”
――Were all the classes online?
“No. From around 2023, there were more in-person classes, but balancing housework and childcare was tough. Sometimes I set my alarm for 4 a.m. to study early in the morning, then took my youngest to kindergarten before going to university. I attended classes until evening, and on late days, I bought food for my family at a bento shop favored by Waseda students. Once home, I put the kids to bed and studied until around 2 a.m., sometimes falling asleep while reading.”
――Did you pass the bar exam on your first try?
“No, it was my third attempt. When I failed for the second time last year, I was so crushed I couldn’t recover I thought, ‘I’ve worked so hard, so why didn’t it work? Does effort not pay off?’”
――After going through so much, passing must feel especially rewarding.
“My husband and I both feel truly relieved. My efforts had placed extra burdens on my family. This proves that effort pays off even in your 40s. I’ve reached the starting line. I want to use the knowledge and experience I’ve gained to become a lawyer who helps those in need.”
After five years of intense study, Yamamoto fulfilled her dream. A mother of three now steps confidently into the world of law she had long aspired to.
From the December 12, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”