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NTV settles with college girl; offers her announcer position

47 Comments

Nippon Television has made a court-mediated settlement with a 22-year-old college graduate after it rescinded a job offer it made to her because she had worked for a short time at a Ginza nightclub.

The network has also made available for her the job of announcer that she had previously been offered, media reported Friday.

After Rina Sasazaki, 22, received an acceptance letter and offer from NTV to become an announcer for the company beginning in 2015, the network later revoked their decision on the grounds that she had worked as a nightclub hostess which they felt made her unfit for the position.

Sasazaki, who will graduate from Yokohama's Toyo Eiwa University, filed suit with the Tokyo District Court, requesting that the NTV reverse its decision so she can start work as an announcer in April, TBS reported.

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47 Comments
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@DaDude: You know if I was a college student and had the chance to make good money by just talking to older women, pouring them drinks and acting like I m interested in their stories, I would definitely take the job.

The job is announcer, not discussion moderator. Announcer is to announce. Moderators are more experienced in media. Announcers are beginners job. Like jobs for people who just finished college.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

shes not a bad looker www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5gRtcmmqeo

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@DaDude: How did they know about it?

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When enployers decided to give an employment contract to outsmart competing companies, they rush to sign contracts. Then their or their contracted personal background snoop people dig around what were background of potential employees Koushin sho) A long time ago, 2 personality witnesses were only needed but different now. Mimoto Hoshinin. Now professional spies are used to dig applicants' background.

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I would rather have a former bar worker read me the news than some of these freaks we now see daily on our TV screens here in Japan.

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You know if I was a college student and had the chance to make good money by just talking to older women, pouring them drinks and acting like I m interested in their stories, I would definitely take the job.

I definitely wouldn't admit it though to the future employer of my dream job.

How did they know about it?

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@toshiko

Japaneseword for Girl is Joshi

Really? Don't want to argue with a native Japanese speaker, but I don't think, for example ”女子サッカー選手” would be translated as "girl footballer".

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Readers, please stop obsessing on this point. The expressions "college girl" or "college boy" are correct usage. No native English speaker would ever say "college woman" or "college man." That ends discussion on this point.

Japaneseword for Girl is Joshi and grown up female is Josei. I don;t know how it was writtten but //////////////probably Joshi is trans lated as girl as in Joshi Daigaku for women;s college, Univ. For boy, danshi and male same, Boy for make students? Girl sound complementary for ladies who make up and hide their ages.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Gotta love the ambition of this young lady: From university (or college) to TV announcer. Love that she set the bar so high...

Your post reads as if it is sarcasm, yet in Japan the bar is pretty high to become an announcer, so it's not clear on what exactly your are being sarcastic about.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Gotta love the ambition of this young lady: From university (or college) to TV announcer. Love that she set the bar so high...

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's easy enough to determine whether the use of "girl" is acceptable. Simple substitute boy:

"NTV settles with college boy; offers him announcer position"

It's clearly demeaning, isn't it?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

why would she still wants to work for NTV after all these issues?

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At NTV, when an anouncer preside discussion, she/he does not have to side on one direction, Not llike NHK Presidint announcers can let comment contributers from both side freely discuss. ON ANY TOPICS. Many people prefer NYV; unbiased freedom.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

why would she still wants to work for NTV after all these issues?

For the principle of the entire thing so that when the next "girl" or woman decides to apply and has a nightclub work history she won't be discriminated against.

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Good for her - not many people of her age, in any jurisdiction, would have the wherewithal to take on a large corporation.

She's not a girl. She's a grown woman.

"Girl" and "woman" may have legal definitions, but culturally we accept the terms far beyond the arbitrary ages that the legal system has introduced. It may seem a bit patronizing for a 22 year-old, but it acknowledges the fact that an undergraduate college student is not a real grown up - they are usually fully dependent upon their parents and in the strange but enjoyable phase of kidulthood. Also, terms such as "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" are quite acceptable for people of all ages, and only really begin to sound absurd once people reach their 50s.

Having said that, she has clearly displayed the maturity and strength of an adult and fought back against the old fashioned patriarchy of Japan, probably against the advice of many around her. Well done - an example to Japan's youth.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

...and NOW they will be looking to FIRE her for not SITTING UP STRAIGHT enough in her chair while doing the news.

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Truth is, NTV will benefit from this anyway from all the hype caused by the media they'd probably see a hike in viewership. Later, she will end up interviewing some new hot baseball player, and she'd be married off by 2018 when she's 25. Typical Japanese news announcer job.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The concern for the network is if she becomes famous the story will become a scandal in the tabloids. I think this was the best play for all parties concerned. Since the story has already run it's course it inoculates the employee and employer from future bad publicity.

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Good for her. I would like to get the follow up stories on this eventually, though, instead of just going on to the next trendy headline. I wish her the best.

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Video of her here:

http://topics-on-japan.blogspot.com/2014/11/who-is-rina-sasazaki.html?m=1

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it rescinded a job offer it made to her

This kind of jobs, usually offers are not verbal. Written contract and job follows. It is not like a job for cleaning man or a receptionist. She was not looking tor money, She just wanted the announcer job. NTV is lucky,

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It's hard to imagine if she'll bel treated well given the lawsuit. Unless the people involved are forgiving, she'll have a glass ceiling.

What did she sue for? What law was violated?

girl/boy Girl/ gal/ guy woman/man

girl is used as the equivalent of guy imo.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

She qualified as announcer and NTV changed not to employ. So she got her wish job by sueing. It is not an office job. She will be one of media star now. She was just working part time in Ginza same as many college students who work to finance their school costs. Many bartenders, too. Good new decision by NTV. This decision will increase NTV viewers rate. Announcer is star job in media. Ir is not an office job.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

After they caved she should have told them to take that job and shove it. Then get work where she is really wanted

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Kudos to NTV. Just google imaged her... I think it's her :)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

From The Tokyo Reporter:

"Earlier this year, Rina Sasazaki, a 22-year-old senior at Toyo Eiwa University, admitted that she had worked part-time as a bar hostess in Tokyo’s Ginza entertainment area. Her history, the network subsequently determined, reflected a lack of “integrity,” which is necessary for the position, and her unofficial offer was terminated.

“If Ginza is a place for people lacking ‘integrity’ I would like to ask NTV executives why they come to such a place to drink,” says Yoshimi Ito, the mama-san of Club Yoshimi."

Exactly, exactly!

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Demand compensation accordingly, return to full time higher education overseas and establish a career. Don't accept Nippon Television crash and burn settlement, remember the Idiom once bitten twice shy. You had the strength to rendition the advice and guidance of legal counsel see it through.

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Respect to this strong young woman for fighting this awful discrimination. The elderly men who rejected her are most likely regulars of these types of establishments. Hypocritical - and absolutely sexist.

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Good for her. I'm happy she could come out on top of this dispute.

Job offers are binding, and having worked as a hostess should have no bearing on her ability to work as an announcer.

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Yeah!!!!

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agree, don't think she will have much of a career path or be popular round the office......

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

What or where she has worked in is irrelevant, so long as it does not bring the company into disrepute, but that should have been picked up on her CV or questions at the interview.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

jcapan, Nippon Television is a private company, not NHK.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

but college woman isn't the more common collocation.

And neither is college man.

Unfortunately, there is more than one way to skin a cat. This young lady might have a job at the moment, but being "all pushy" and going to court is not going to make her any friends up on mahogany row. She'll either be given the much sought after 3:30 am weather girl spot, or perhaps a prime gig with an NTV affiliate.

As compared to the no job she had before this court ruling, either of those is a step up.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Unfortunately, there is more than one way to skin a cat. This young lady might have a job at the moment, but being "all pushy" and going to court is not going to make her any friends up on mahogany row. She'll either be given the much sought after 3:30 am weather girl spot, or perhaps a prime gig with an NTV affiliate. For example, being the ground announcer for the Giants farm league team. I could be wrong, but I based on past history....

3 ( +4 / -1 )

why would she still wants to work for NTV after all these issues? just rip them financially (like what Ginza hostesses do) and move to a different network... She is young and cute so she will 100% definitely get a new job! this is Japan so she's lucky...

3 ( +5 / -2 )

but college woman isn't the more common collocation.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Ginza Hostess power!!!!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

No pics JT? :(

she is beautiful looking girl (!)

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Split hairs much?

A young man in an equivalent situation would never be referred to as a 'boy'.

Was my point. In case you didn't get it.

13 ( +17 / -4 )

Bet the atmosphere at the office on her first day will be a bit chilly. and she won't be power harassed by any of her bosses.....

11 ( +11 / -0 )

@theeastisred

"She's not a girl. She's a grown woman. If she had been a 'girl' she would presumably not have been able to work in the nightclub, and nor would she be in a position to take up full-time employment with a TV studio or anywhere else"

Split hairs much?

-14 ( +9 / -23 )

college girl

She's not a girl. She's a grown woman. If she had been a 'girl' she would presumably not have been able to work in the nightclub, and nor would she be in a position to take up full-time employment with a TV studio or anywhere else.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

Tip of the iceberg for Japan

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Sorry, NTV!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What else are j-girl announcers if not glorified hostesses?

11 ( +14 / -3 )

No pics JT? :(

8 ( +10 / -2 )

Awesome to hear she fought this and won.

"the network later revoked their decision on the grounds that she had worked as a nightclub hostess which they felt made her unfit for the position"

And surely none of the fine old gits running NHK has ever stepped foot in a nightclub and they're still (by some) fit.

12 ( +15 / -3 )

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