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“Seize every opportunity!” – acclaimed announcer Terumi Yoshida
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“Seize every opportunity!” – acclaimed announcer Terumi Yoshida

Mon, May 18, 2015
“Seize every opportunity!” – acclaimed announcer Terumi Yoshida
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Message for the next century

Respect individuality and contribute to society

吉田照美さん1Terumi Yoshida is an announcer who has contributed tremendously to the development and prosperity of the broadcasting world with his unique and eccentric radio programs. Looking back at his time as a Waseda student, we asked Yoshida what his future expectations are for the university.

I learned the importance of not allowing other’s opinions compromise my own

―Can you please share a memorable experience at Waseda?

I learned the importance of having my own opinion and had many opportunities to interact with unique and animated students and faculty at Waseda. The student protest movement was active at that time and it was not uncommon for more extreme students to interfere with classes. One memory I have is of French language professor Ishii dealing with protesters equipped with helmets, masks, and large poles barging into class. “Nonsense! You are the only ones who think that way. Everyone else wants to have class,” the cool and collected Ishii said to the protesters. Dispirited, the protesters had no choice but to withdraw from the classroom. Seeing Professor Ishii’s firm stance towards the protesters made me realize the importance of not allowing other’s opinions compromise my own.

Setting a goal and overcoming failure

―What led you to want to become an announcer?

It started with me joining the announcers circle at Waseda University. However, I first joined hoping to overcome my fears of communicating with strangers and did not intend on becoming an announcer.

After joining, I realized that I must exert myself in order to overcome my problems.

When I look back at my life, I see a pattern of running into an obstacle, overcoming said obstacle through trial-and-error, and then running into another obstacle. My realization in the announcers circle played a big role in enabling me to strive forward and face these obstacles head on.

The first time I experienced failure was at my first summer lodging. After a manuscript reading was a three minute free talk session followed by an announcer contest with first and second year students. During the free talk session I became speechless among my classmates. Feeling humiliated, I consulted my senior at school who had been recruited by Nippon Broadcasting System. I was introduced to a vocational school for announcers and was determined to attend. The feeling of shame and humiliation I experienced at the summer lodging stayed with me, but the lessons I learned helped me overcome my fears of communicating with others.

A turning point for me becoming an announcer happened when I heard my classmate who graduated from the circle during my second year on a radio program. At that time my abilities were lacking and I would record myself and be shocked by how gloomy my voice was when played back. Feeling I must do something, I started imitating professional announcers from various broadcast programs such as Ikkei Kojima. As my speaking style became brighter, so did my personality. Changes occurred in my daily conversations, and my overall communication ability improved.

A daily process of trial-and-error

―Is there an experience you had at Waseda that has helped you as an announcer?

Trial-and-error is very important in the workplace.

Shortly after I finally began working at Nippon Cultural Broadcasting as an announcer,  I started to feel that time was passing me by.  I had not yet established a role for myself and did not know that I eventually wanted to host my own late night program. Things started to look up near the end of my first year. I was entrusted with conducting locker room interviews with sumo wrestlers before their matches. However, with my sub-par social skills, I was unable to interview the sumo wrestlers between their early morning practice and matches. I couldn’t leave without any material so I snuck up behind other reporters conducting interviews and arranged the material into my own  style.

I established my presence at the station when I was a reporter for the weekday evening live broadcast program, “Yuwake Topikka.” I tested out many unconventional bits for the program such as suddenly pulling out miso soup on the train and talking to other passengers. Gaining popularity, I was eventually selected to be a personality for late-night broadcasting program, “Sei! Yang.” Thinking that “no one is listening to this anyway so I might as well do what I like,” I started to take my bits even further. For example, on the day examination results were presented to Tokyo University students, I dressed up as a student and started celebrating. We became a big topic of discussion when we were picked up by news programs and depicted as real students who had passed the exam. Our number of listeners gradually increased and our program became a new model for late night programs. We achieved results beyond our expectations. This broadcast program and the ability to challenge myself for the past 41 years are thanks to my experiences at Waseda. Going forward I want to continue pushing myself to become the best announcer I can be.

Although you are rough around the edges, seize every opportunity!

―What are your hopes for Waseda?

I consider myself rough around the edges and it is this quality that makes me a Waseda graduate. Compared to my student days, today’s society is rigid and formal, and there is a sense that students are not saying what they want to. However, nothing new can come from uniformity and society will eventually dull out. I would like Waseda to continue supporting an environment for a diverse, varied student body and hope students will engage in eccentric activities and discover who they want to become.

Terumi Yoshida

Born in 1951 in Tokyo, Yoshida began working at Nippon Cultural Broadcasting after graduating from Waseda University’s School of Political Science and Economics in 1974. Yoshida has garnered much popularity as a personality in late-night radio programs such as “Sei! Yang,” and “Yoshida Terumi no Teru-teru Waido.” Yoshida left Nippon Cultural Broadcasting in March of 1985 and works as a freelance announcer, often appearing on television.


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