Maho Kuwako

Maho Kuwako
桑子 真帆
Born (1987-05-30) 30 May 1987
EducationTokyo University of Foreign Studies
Occupations
  • news anchor
  • television presenter
  • journalist
Years active2010–present
EmployerNHK
TelevisionClose-up Gendai (NHK General TV) anchor (2022-present)
NHK News Ohayō Nippon anchor (2020-2022)
News Watch 9 anchor (2017–2020)
News Check 11 anchor (2016–2017)
Bura Tamori host (2015–2016)
NHK News 7 newscaster (2015–2016)
Shutoken News 845 Newscaster (2015–2016)
Waratchao! (NHK BS Premium) navigator (2013–2015)
TitleNHK Announcer
Term2010–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2017; div. 2018)​
​
(m. 2021)​

Maho Kuwako (桑子 真帆, Kuwako Maho; born May 30, 1987) is an announcer and news anchor at NHK, Japan's public broadcaster. She currently anchors NHK's Close-up Gendai current affairs program. Kuwako was born, raised, and educated in Kawasaki, Japan, and graduated from the School of Language and Culture Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS), where she majored in the Czech language.

Career

Hired by NHK following her 2010 graduation from TUFS, Kuwako began her career at NHK Nagano, where she served three years as a temporary correspondent and a host for local programs. She then served in a similar capacity at NHK Hiroshima; Waratchao!, a program for preschoolers, was the first program to feature her regularly. In 2015 Kuwako was assigned to Tokyo and appointed to serve as the host's "assistant" (sidekick) on NHK's much-watched Bura Tamori travelogue, a move that boosted her profile nationally. She also appeared as a presenter on news shows like NHK News 7 and Shutoken News 845. Later Kuwako anchored News Check 11 with Yoshio Arima from April 2016 to March 2017, and from April she and Arima began anchoring News Watch 9. She stepped down from News Watch 9 in April 2020 and, trading places with Mayuko Wakuda, began anchoring NHK News Ohayō Nippon, an early-morning news program.[1][2] In 2020, Kuwako narrated the closing travelogue segment of the year's Taiga Drama, Kirin ga Kuru (English title: Awaiting Kirin), and starting hosting with Takeshi Kitano the infotainment show Takeshi no Sonotoki Camera wa Mawatte Ita (Takeshi Presents: Camera Was Rolling At That Time). NHK announced on February 9, 2022, that Kuwako would leave NHK News Ohayō Nippon in April and begin hosting a revived version of Close-up Gendai,[3] an in-depth current affairs program.

Personal life

Kuwako married Shinichi Tanioka, a Fuji Television announcer, on her 30th birthday, May 30, 2017,[4] but Sankei Sports, a tabloid, reported that the couple had divorced just a year later.[5] Kuwako married actor Yukiyoshi Ozawa on September 1, 2021.[6]

During interview with Sankei Sports on June 5, 2026, Kuwako announced her pregnancy of her first child.[7]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Notes Ref.
2012You-Doki Network[8][9]
2012Greater Tokyo Area SpecialModerator[9]
2013Ohayō Hiroshima[10][9]
2013Waratchao!Program's first "navigator". Also appeared in pilot version, which was broadcast twice in March 2013.[9]
2014NHK News Ohayō NipponSubstitute anchor[9]
2015NHK News 7Substitute weekday anchor[9][11]
2015Bura Tamori"Assistant"[9][11]
2016News Check 11Anchor[9]
2017News Watch 9Anchor[11]
2020NHK News Ohayō NipponWeekday anchor[11]
2020Takeshi no Sonotoki Camera wa Mawatte ItaHost[12]
202273rd NHK Kōhaku Uta GassenHost[13]
2022Close-up GendaiHost[11]
2025Everyone's Best Kouhaku 100th Anniversary of Broadcasting SpecialHost[14]

Radio

Year Title Notes Ref.
2012Koko wa furusato Tabisuru Radio[15][16][17][18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "NHK、朝の和久田アナと夜の桑子アナを入れ替えへ". Asahi Shimbun. February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  2. ↑ "2020年度「主な番組キャスター」一覧" (PDF). Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  3. ↑ "2022年度番組主な新キャスター" (PDF). Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  4. ↑ "NHK桑子アナがバースデー入籍 フジ谷岡アナと30日に". デイリースポーツ online. 株式会社デイリースポーツ. May 30, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  5. ↑ "NHK桑子アナ、フジ谷岡アナと離婚!バースデー婚からわずか1年". Sanspo.com. Sankei Digital Inc. May 31, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  6. ↑ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2021-09-01). "小澤征悦&桑子真帆アナ結婚 父・小澤征爾の誕生日の1日にゴールイン". サンスポ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2021-09-01.
  7. ↑ INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2026-06-06). "桑子真帆アナ、第1子妊娠 夫・小澤征悦52歳でパパに 39歳NHKエースアナ結婚5年目で待望のおめでた". サンスポ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  8. ↑ 行ってみたい!「ラストラン 長野電鉄屋代線」(長野県) | You-Doki | NHK(Internet Archive)
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "桑子真帆". Model Press (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 15 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "広島のみなさん、ありがとうございました!". NHK (in Japanese). 16 February 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "「桑子真帆」アナが「クロ現」MCを交代、"休業"へ 「異例人事」の意味とは". Daily Shincho (in Japanese). 6 June 2026. Archived from the original on 16 August 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "NHK「たけしのその時カメラは回っていた」司会・ゲスト&ナレーション出演者情報". どうでも E–Site (in Japanese). 5 August 2019. Archived from the original on 16 August 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "『第73回NHK紅白歌合戦』司会に大泉洋&橋本環奈&櫻井翔&桑子真帆アナ 今年のテーマも発表【司会コメントあり】". oricon. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  14. ↑ "みんなのベスト紅白 みなさんの心に残る"ベスト紅白"ソングをキャンペーンと連動してお届け!". NHK official site (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 March 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  15. ↑ NHKラジオ第1 「ここはふるさと旅するラジオ」 Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine - July 2, 2012
  16. ↑ NHKラジオ第1 「ここはふるさと旅するラジオ」 Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine - July 3, 2012
  17. ↑ NHKラジオ第1 「ここはふるさと旅するラジオ」 Archived 2014-07-15 at the Wayback Machine - July 4, 2012
  18. ↑ NHKラジオ第1 「ここはふるさと旅するラジオ」 Archived 2014-12-14 at the Wayback Machine - July 5, 2012