Celebrity File Japan by Lint


英文		重要語句
■ The man who changed TV news in Japan has finally called it quits. After a false alarm three years ago when he almost quit TV Asahi's flagship news program, News Station, this time popular newscaster Hiroshi Kume has definitely decided to go. TV Asahi has already found a replacement, but how can he match up? Kume’s tradition of sharp witticisms mixed with news commentary will be hard to replace.		the news　ニュース番組 false alarm　誤報；人騒がせ flagship　最重要な；目玉の replacement　後任 match up　匹敵する witticism　機知に富んだ言葉
■■ The 59-year-old anchorperson from Urawa, Saitama Prefecture, joined News Station in October 1985 and, almost from the start, revolutionized the staid world of Japanese TV news journalism. Unlike the stiff, boring, suit-and-tie elderly gentlemen who read the news on TV up to that time, Kume was a breath of fresh air.		anchorperson　ニュースキャスター revolutionize　…に大変革を起こす staid　型にはまった stiff　堅苦しい up to that time　それまで breath of fresh air　新風を吹き込む人
■■■ He got his start in TV at TBS as an announcer in 1967 after graduating from Waseda University. The personable young man was good enough to host some of that station's most popular TV programs such as Ryori Tengoku (Cooking Heaven) and music program The Best Ten. In 1979 he abruptly quit to go freelance to branch out and hone his craft by appearing on various other kinds of TV programs. Then in 1985 along came TV Asahi. The network was floundering and ranked fourth among the five major commercial networks in operating revenue. It was time for TV Asahi to do something bold.		personable　感じの良い abruptly　急に branch out　新しい分野に乗り出す hone　…〈技能〉を磨く craft　仕事；技術 flounder　じたばたする commercial network　民間放送局 operating revenue　営業収入 bold　大胆な
■■■■ The bold move they made was to hire someone with virtually no journalistic background at all and it actually paid off! Kume's rapid-fire, almost DJ-like, delivery combined with his youthful hip clothing touched a chord with Japanese tired of the old, mundane way of delivering the news on TV. Kume also became known for his pointed opinions on the news and newsmakers. This was news presented with an edge and it seemed to be something Japanese viewers craved as News Station consistently draws a 20-percent share in its nightly time slot of 9:54 p.m. to just after 11:00 p.m.		pay off　期待どおりの成果を上げる rapid-fire　矢継ぎ早の delivery　話し方 touch a chord　共感を得る mundane　ありきたりの pointed　辛らつな newsmaker　ニュースで取り上げられる人 edge　鋭さ；痛烈さ crave　…を切望する
■■■■■ He also has a quick wit and a love of not just the news. Sports are one of his passions and they also get a lot of coverage on News Station. One of his most famous sports-related stories was making an on-air bet that if his favorite baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp, did not beat the Yomiuri Giants, he would shave his head. The Carp lost and Kume showed up the next day, with his head shorn.		quick wit　回転の速い頭 coverage　放送時間 shorn　刈り込んだ
■■■■■■ The beloved newscaster also showed a passion for interviewing people one-on-one be they politicians, celebs, athletes or whomever. He also has an ombudsman's approach to many political and social issues by often offering quite sarcastic opinions on the news figures of the day.		one-on-one　一対一で ombudsman　オンブズマン：行政機関に対する住民の苦情を聴取し、当局に必要な勧告をする人 sarcastic　皮肉な
■■■■■■■ Another unique feature of News Station is the incorporation of women as co-anchors or reporters not just as window dressing on the show. The females who work on-air with Kume are just as valuable to the news team as the men, which, for Japanese television news, was a positive and important change.		co-anchor　共同司会者 window dressing　体裁を繕うこと
■■■■■■■■ As Kume rides into the sunset, don't expect him to go quietly. He is sure to turn up on some news programs in the future. His legacy of making News Station THE news to watch on Japanese TV will probably live on for generations to come.		ride into the sunset　終わりに向かって進む legacy　遺産 live on　生き続ける

－written by Brian Maitland

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