[Photos] TV Asahi’s Tsumugi Mitani and Her Half-Live-In Boyfriend Enjoy a Happy Long Date

Enjoying a late-night Izakaya date

The North and Central American World Cup came to a close with Spain claiming the title. As the high-level battles between soccer superstars heated up Japan, TV Asahi announcer Tsumugi Mitani (32), known as one of the biggest soccer fans among female TV announcers, was also enjoying some hot days of her own.

One night in mid-June, Mitani was spotted outside an izakaya in Tokyo renowned for its excellent Japanese sake. Standing beside her was a tall, handsome man who resembled actor Shota Sometani.

“He is a man known as A, and he is Mitani’s boyfriend. The two have been dating for an impressive five and a half years. Mitani’s beloved teacup poodle has also become very attached to him, and apparently A sometimes takes the dog for walks when her recording sessions run late into the night. He has already been introduced to her parents, and the two seem to be living together part-time.

I hear Mitani discovered Japanese sake after turning 30 and became quite hooked on it. A apparently enjoys drinking as well, and the two seem to enjoy visiting different izakayas together,” said a TV Asahi employee.

In fact, A is a company employee around the same age as Mitani who was previously photographed by FRIDAY in its June 25, 2021 issue during a hand-holding and car-kissing date.

They presumably enjoyed their sake to their hearts’ content that evening. Their drinking session kicked off at 7 p.m., but the final whistle did not sound until after 11 p.m. Since their date came after Japan’s opening group-stage match, in which the national team took points from the Netherlands, there was surely plenty of World Cup talk.

After a long date lasting more than four hours, including stoppage time, the two left the venue—not the pitch—and headed home. On the way, A firmly held Mitani’s hand. Even after all these years together, he never forgets the gentlemanly duty of escorting her. Perhaps this dedication to doing the little things right is the secret to their happy relationship.

Gushing about her relationship between recordings

On another day, the two were spotted visiting an Italian restaurant in Tokyo. They arrived shortly after 7 p.m., but remarkably, did not leave until after 3 a.m. Although the restaurant’s official hours ended at midnight, it seems an overtime session began with the manager and other staff joining them, perhaps because the restaurant is one of Mitani’s regular spots.

Her relationship with A appears to be going perfectly. Could the two be headed straight for the altar? When FRIDAY contacted TV Asahi’s public relations department, it responded:

“We have traditionally declined to comment on the private lives of our employees.”

Mitani has been enjoying long dates on consecutive days. At work, however, she is reportedly approaching a major crossroads. A TV Asahi employee mentioned earlier explains:

“When she joined the company, she wanted to work in news, but after taking on gravure projects and appearing in the network’s YouTube diet program, she developed more of a ‘talent’ image, and she still hasn’t been allowed to read the news. This is her 10th year with the company, so if she remains committed to working in news, becoming a freelance announcer could be one option.

Between recordings, she often talks about her relationship, saying things like, ‘I recently went to this yakitori restaurant.’ They’ve been together for a long time, so once she decides on her next career move, their relationship may also take the next step.”

A piece of good news that might make us exclaim, “Mamma mia!” may not be far off after all—or so it seems.

From the August 7 & 14, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”