Hiro Morita

Hiroshi Morita (森田 博士, Morita Hiroshi, born 7 August 1967), known professionally as Hiro Morita, is a Japanese English-language announcer for NHK and a presenter on Japan Sumo Association's English-language YouTube channel, Sumo Prime Time.

Hiroshi Morita
森田 博士
Born (1967-08-07) 7 August 1967
Tokyo
Japan Japan
NationalityJapanese
Other namesHiro Morita
EducationOhio State University
Occupations
  • news anchor
  • television presenter
  • journalist
  • youtuber
Years active1994–present
Employer(s)NHK
Japan Sumo Association
TelevisionNHK Newsline
GRAND SUMO
DOSUKOI Sumo Salon
Sumo Prime Time

Born in Tokyo, Morita moved to Columbus, Ohio when he was a teenager due to his father's job transfer.[1] He graduated Ohio State University and was later hired by NHK as a producer, but later became an English-language announcer.[2] His beginnings in the broadcast industry was unusual as he directly asked NHK producer Shigeno Tateno to give him a chance with no previous experience.[2]

NHK newsline

Morita joined NHK in 1994 and was for a time an announcer on NHK World-Japan's international news program NHK Newsline.[3][4]

Sumo

Sumo commentary and highlights

Morita is also known for hosting programs related to professional sumo on NHK World-Japan. He has been a play-by-play announcer since 1999, and since 2016 he has covered sumo tournament news, previews and highlights as host of the program GRAND SUMO.[1][3][5] Since 2022 he has hosted DOSUKOI Sumo Salon, a program that presents parts of sumo history and statistics related to the sport.[6]

Sumo Prime Time

In August 2022, the Japan Sumo Association launched an English-language YouTube channel called Sumo Prime Time in hopes of drawing a larger international audience to sumo.[3][7] Launched at the initiative of Morita, the channel provides basic sumo explanations such as rikishi routine or training and kimarite moves. It also provides exclusive interviews of elders and rikishi, generally the winner of the previous tournament and popular figures of the sport.[8]

References
  1. "Hiro Morita profile". NHK. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  2. Gunning, John (22 August 2018). "English sumo broadcasts bring together diverse cast". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  3. "Sumo: JSA targets overseas audience with English YouTube channel". Kyodo News. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  4. "Sumo, the Longest-Running Japanese Sport, Returns to LA in the 18th Annual US Sumo Open" (Press release). Los Angeles, CA: NHK. Globe Newswire. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  5. "GRAND SUMO Highlights". NHK. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  6. "DOSUKOI Sumo Salon". NHK. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  7. "【大相撲】若隆景が海外ファンへ向けてすり足をレクチャー 昼寝の重要性も解説" [(Grand Sumo Tournament) Wakatakakage gives a lecture on sliding feet for overseas fans and explains the importance of taking a nap]. tokyo-sports.co.jp. Tokyo Sports. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  8. Gunning, John (10 August 2022). "JSA taps veteran presenter for new English-language YouTube channel". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.