Kazuo Tokumitsu Reflects on 63 Year Career as Announcer Words of Great Stars That Have Always Stayed in His Heart

“Suu… suu…”

A few minutes after placing a pillow with practiced ease between his head and the sunlit window of the local bus, Kazuo Tokumitsu (84), known for dozing off, woke up drowsily.

“Sorry about that, and thank you for waiting. For some reason, I always get sleepy in this seat.”

Tokumitsu said this with a slightly awkward smile. He joined Nippon TV in 1963 and served as the first main host of “Zoom In!! Morning!” for nine years. Even after becoming a freelance announcer in 1989, he has hosted numerous flagship programs on TV and radio, holding the microphone on the front lines for over 60 years.

This day was a shoot for “Roji Bus de Yorimichi no Tabi” (TV Asahi), a program he has hosted for nearly 15 years, where he, along with talent Ritsuko Tanaka (54) and a different guest each episode, visits famous spots by bus while enjoying local delicacies. Before filming, Tokumitsu sat in his favorite seat—the farthest left at the back—and spoke with reflective words.

“I’m surprised it’s been 15 years. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (92) even said to me, ‘The only ones who earn a living while napping are pandas and you.’ I sometimes wonder myself if it’s really okay like this (laughs).”

On the show, Tokumitsu’s naps have become a staple, though one might wonder if the dozing is staged.

“I’m really asleep. I’m an announcer; I can’t act. The secret is the back seat and the bus’s motion. When I normally take the bus home from the nearest station, sitting in the front, I never get sleepy. But one day, the only available seat was at the back. I sat down and somehow fell asleep, missing my stop. It really makes me sleepy. Not just on the show, but whenever I sit in the back, I doze off—I realized, ‘Oh, it’s true.’”

When asked how often he falls asleep during filming, he tilted his head, thinking.

“I don’t know, maybe in 60% of the recordings (laughs). Sometimes I fall asleep the moment I get on the bus. No matter how interesting the guest is, I just ‘swoosh’—and I can’t explain it. I just notice I’m asleep. When I wake up, Ritchan tells me, ‘You slept for five minutes.’ It feels like quite a long nap. I even sometimes dream.”

The program’s popularity comes from Tokumitsu’s unpretentious personality and the warm, friendly atmosphere, attracting viewers across generations. Yet last year, he faced a major challenge.

“There was a time when my back pain made getting on and off the bus difficult, and I thought maybe it was over. I couldn’t continue the show. But in August last year, I had a fairly major back surgery. The doctor was amazing, and now I can walk briskly again (laughs). My life has been full of such luck—meeting great doctors, successful surgeries, and all these fortunate events.”

After graduating from Rikkyo University’s Faculty of Sociology, Tokumitsu joined Nippon TV at age 22, quickly building a reputation as a nationally beloved announcer with his friendly smile and lively talk. This March, he will turn 85, yet he continues to expand his activities from hosting to variety shows and even a YouTube channel.

“My life, I think, has been a life guided by Mr. Nagashima. He was the greatest person,”

Tokumitsu began speaking about his career as an announcer. He was referring to Shigeo Nagashima, the lifelong honorary manager of the Yomiuri Giants, affectionately known as “Mr. Pro Baseball,” who passed away last June at age 89.

“I’ve always gone on saying, ‘Mr. Nagashima, Mr. Nagashima.’ When he passed away and I reflected on my life, I couldn’t help but feel that, in a way, I was guided by my admiration for him.”

As he spoke of his feelings for Mr. Nagashima, a faint tear appeared in his eyes.

“In the fall of my second year of high school, I saw him hit a new home run record in university baseball. I was so impressed that I thought, ‘I want to become his junior.’ I think that was really the starting point of this guidance in my life.

In 1980, when he resigned as manager of the Giants, I said on my program ‘Zoom In!! Morning!’ that ‘This isn’t a resignation, it’s a dismissal. From now on, I won’t read the Yomiuri Shimbun or subscribe to the Hochi Shimbun!’ Then Mr. Nagashima, having seen that, contacted me saying, ‘Let’s meet once.’ It was my first chance to talk with him in private, right in front of him, and I was completely thrilled.

He even said, ‘If you ever have to leave Nippon TV, I will take care of you.’ I still remember his figure that day, glowing as if in a halo.”

Even afterward, though in a different field, Tokumitsu devoted himself to his work, taking Mr. Nagashima’s presence as a source of strength. Then, one day, he received the sudden news of his passing.

“On the morning of the day he passed, I was completely shocked and stunned. I was asked to appear on a memorial program, but at first, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

But at home, watching various VTRs of Mr. Nagashima, he was always smiling. I realized I had to convey this to as many people as possible. So I called the program staff again and appeared that same night. Mr. Nagashima communicated the excitement of baseball, and I must continue to share that as someone who conveys it to others.”

Tokumitsu’s devotion to Shigeo Nagashima was unwavering—but along the way, he also encountered other life-changing figures.

As a rookie, instead of covering baseball broadcasts as he had hoped, he was assigned to professional wrestling, where he met Giant Baba (age at passing 61), the ace of All Japan Pro Wrestling. Tokumitsu recalls learning his moral compass as an announcer from him.

“At that time, many pro wrestlers, after their matches, would go out into the streets under the red lights, drink, eat raw liver, and think, ‘Alright, I can have another bloody match tomorrow!’ They were passionate people. But Mr. Baba, being so large and prominent, couldn’t go out much, so he often stayed in his hotel room during tours, and we played mahjong and talked about many things.”

During these moments together, one particular lesson stayed with him.

“Mr. Baba often told me, ‘Even among close friends, respect is important—I believe this is very important. Tok-san, in your work, you’ll be talking to many people and drawing things out of them. Maintaining the attitude of “even among close friends, respect is important” is essential.’

I knew the proverb, of course, but reflecting on it, it means you first observe and consider the other person, and don’t barge in carelessly. When I conduct interviews, I look for something to genuinely like about even first-time acquaintances, and I’ve found it truly encourages them to open up. That became my guiding principle, and I have lived my life by it. It’s a phrase I learned from Mr. Baba and have engraved in my heart as a personal motto.”

Tokumitsu was also influenced by Hibari Misora (age at passing 52), a superstar of Showa-era Japanese music. He remembers her smile as a mother, which left a lasting impression.

“Ms. Hibari had adopted children, and she looked genuinely happy to be a mother. I remember meeting her at a certain site, and she said, ‘I participated in the parent observation day as a mom,’ looking so joyful. That was the first time I saw her that happy. One of the greatest joys of this job is glimpsing the true selves of Showa-era superstars.”

Another pivotal encounter was with Hiroshi Kume (age at passing 81), a pioneering announcer at TBS. His presence influenced Tokumitsu’s decision to leave Nippon TV at age 48.

“Mr. Kume went freelance in 1979, and the following year he was selected as the fourth host of ‘Oshare’ (Nippon TV). For some reason, he invited me, a network announcer, as a guest, and said, ‘It’s never easy going freelance, but I want to try doing a news program myself.’ That left a strong impression on me.”

About ten years later, Tokumitsu reached his own turning point.

“At that time, ‘Zoom In’ was entering its tenth year, and I was reassigned to the evening news program ‘News Plus 1’ by work orders. But to be honest, I had never wanted to handle a news program.

About a year into the program, in 1989, Mr. Kume, active on ‘News Station,’ declared, ‘If the Hiroshima Carp don’t win this year, I’ll shave my head! If the Giants become champions, I’ll appear on Tokumitsu-san’s news program.’ And when the Giants actually won, Mr. Kume appeared on my show with a shaved head (laughs).

Thanks to that, our ratings improved, and I couldn’t quit the news program. As someone who wanted to do music shows, I thought, this is troublesome. Doing news meant being in the newsroom all day, unable to do anything else. So I went freelance. Mr. Kume went freelance to do news; I went freelance to leave news. In a way, it was his influence that triggered my freelance career (laughs).”

Looking back, Tokumitsu humorously reflected, “It means I’ve been talking continuously throughout my life.”

“I’ve lived a life on the fly, and I think I’ve been incredibly fortunate. Now, with my 85th birthday approaching, I want to continue working until my great-grandchild, born two years ago, can understand that ‘Great Grandpa’ did this kind of work. That may seem small, but it’s a very big hope for me.”

He proudly carries every moment of his announcer career in his heart.