Mariko Oi

Mariko Oi
大井真理子
Born (1981-12-14) 14 December 1981 (age 42)
Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Alma materRMIT University
Years active2005–present
EmployerBBC World News
SpouseSkye Neal
Children3

Mariko Oi (大井 真理子, Ōi Mariko, born 14 December 1981) is a Japanese bilingual journalist based in Singapore, who has worked for the BBC since 2006, when she became the network's first Japanese reporter.[1][2]

She regularly presents Newsday and Business Today (formerly Asia Business Report) on BBC News Channel, which is broadcast to more than 400 million households worldwide, business segments on BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service. As of 2021, she is the Asia Business correspondent.[3][4][5]

Early life and education

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Oi is from the Setagaya ward of Tokyo. Her father works in transport.[6][7]

She attended the Sacred Heart School in Tokyo and then studied abroad at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne where she lived with a host family and learned English.[8][9][10] Interested in history, she wrote an article in 2013 criticising the Japanese education system for sanitising its imperial history.[11] She began her studies at Keio University before transferring to RMIT University in Australia, graduating with a Bachelor of Communications in Journalism in 2004.[6] She participated in RMITV and interned with the ABC during university.[12]

Career

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Oi began her career with brief stints as an intern at Reuters in New York and an Asia Pacific producer for Bloomberg Television stationed from Tokyo. She moved to Singapore in 2006 when she joined the BBC.[13]

Oi has covered major breaking news in Asia-Pacific region, such as Akihabara massacre in June 2008, Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, then-American President Barack Obama's visit to Hiroshima in August 2016, North Korea-United States Summit in Singapore in June 2018, Japanese imperial transition in 2019, 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, postponed-2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in July 2022, Japanese slush fund scandal in 2023 and 2024, and among other events including British Post Office scandal.

In 2013 and 2016, Oi spent six months in New York City as a business correspondent where she reported from New York Stock Exchange. She also spent six months in London in 2014, presenting news bulletins and reporting on major stories for BBC News Channel and BBC World News. Oi has hosted the documentary Missing Histories: China and Japan for the BBC's Freedom Season. While in Japan in 2015, she appeared on Working Lives to discuss Shinzo Abe's policies, the debate programme Talking Business, and the economics series Jump Starting Japan.[14]

Accolades

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Oi was nominated for the Nikkei Woman of the Year award in 2009. She was recognised by Newsweek Japan as one of the most respected Japanese nationals in 2023.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Oi, Mariko (5 August 2019). "Diary of a working mum news presenter". Nikkei (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  2. ^ Ragavan, Surekha (4 August 2021). "Tokyo Olympics coverages shines a light on politics, mental health". PR Week. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Mariko Oi". MuckRack. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  4. ^ Oi, Mariko (November 2021). "Event Speakers". Milken Institute.
  5. ^ Oi, Mariko (February 2023). "Riva Media".
  6. ^ a b Sasaki, Toshinao (16 October 2013). "BBCの記者・大井真理子さんは、なぜ南京大虐殺や従軍慰安婦の問題に立ち向かうのか". HuffPost Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  7. ^ No Youth No Japan (6 March 2021). "BBCレポーター大井さんに聞きたい！キャリアと子育てのこと | #U30と考える". Forbes.
  8. ^ Ryall, Julian (October 2015). "Deep-set attitude hampers Womenomics". BBCJ. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  9. ^ Kato, Azusa (20 July 2023). "幼少期を日本で過ごした私が、BBC初の日本人キャスターになるまで". 朝日新聞.
  10. ^ Tsubakihara, Keiko (10 March 2024). "「産休・育休に申し訳なさを感じる必要はない」BBC初の日本人キャスターが見つけた自分らしい働き方". FNNプライムオンライン.
  11. ^ Oi, Mariko (14 March 2013). "What History Textbooks Leave Out". BBC News. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. ^ "インタビュー：大井真理子さん「経済がわかると絶対に強い」". Livedoor News (in Japanese). 17 February 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  13. ^ Nishikawa, Ayana (18 January 2017). "世界で輝く女性が指南！30代でしておいてよかったこと". Cosmopolitan Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 11 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Mariko Oi". Pacific Asia Travel Association. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  15. ^ "特集：世界が尊敬する日本人100". Newsweek日本版 (in Japanese). 8 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
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