On January 23, 2025, the Japanese entertainment industry made headlines with several significant announcements and events involving prominent figures and companies.
NHK’s official X account showcased two of its announcers, 鈴木奈穂子 (42) and 吉田真人 (41), from the morning show あさイチ (Aasa Ichi), characterized as the “氷上の2人” (The Two on Ice). This description came as 吉田アナ introduced the attractions of Aichi Prefecture, especially its vibrant figure skating culture, alongside comedian 川村エミコ (45). This segment featured live footage from the skating rink to engage viewers with the area’s sporting highlight.
鈴木, who hails from Kanagawa, has had an extensive career at NHK since her entrance in 2004, working across multiple locations before becoming one of the key faces on morning and evening news broadcasts. After taking maternity leave for the birth of her first child, she returned to lead the あさイチ program starting spring 2021.
Meanwhile, renowned talent 中居正広 (52) made waves by announcing his retirement from the entertainment business on the 23rd through his fan club’s paid site, declaring plans to dissolve his company, (株) のんびりなかい, once all outstanding matters are addressed. Following this announcement, the company’s official account was deleted, leading followers to encounter the message, “このアカウントは存在しません” (This account does not exist), highlighting the abrupt end of his public presence.
Another exciting initiative emerged as ワタナベエンターテインメント announced their partnership with comedians to host the competition titled ワタナベおもしろShort No．1決定戦 (Watanabe’s Funniest Short Video Competition) on the same day. The grand prize of 1 million yen will draw attention from the comedic community, with the finals airing live on their official YouTube channel on February 16, 2025. This contest aims to discover and showcase the best comedic talents among young performers.
The competition will begin with contestants posting their first videos themed “A Message to the Youth” to bat for the favor of judges, including esteemed Rakugo performer 立川志らく (61) and comedian 堀内健 (55) from the popular group ネプチューン, enriching the panel with their humor insights. Notably, the audience will see who emerges from the selected ten finalists announced on January 27th, with the stakes high for this newly tapped talent.
Lastly, ふかわりょう, reflecting on the fond nostalgia of his early career, shared anecdotes with fellow entertainers about the struggles they faced trying to interact with women during their youth. During the special year-end radio program ロケットマンショー年末SPECIAL, he humorously recounted moments with バカリズム (Hidetoshi Masuno), exploring the insecurities of their younger days and poking fun at their attempts at flirting.
“結局表参道を批判し始めるんだよ（笑）” (We ended up criticizing Omotesando, after all, huh? [laugh]) said ふかわ as he entertained his listeners with vivid details of both failure at socializing and amusing self-justifications they crafted for not approaching women.
Collectively, these announcements underline dynamic transformations within the Japanese entertainment industry, signifying both endings and exciting new beginnings. Whether it’s through urgent retirements or innovative competitions, the industry remains vibrant and ever-evolving, reflecting the manifold roles it plays within society.