Sakuma Nobuyuki Recalls NHK Job Interview Spoiler During 1998 Nagano Olympics

Former TV Tokyo producer Sakuma Nobuyuki shared a humorous but lingering grievance on his late-night radio show "Sakuma Nobuyuki's All Night Nippon 0" on Nippon Broadcasting on June 17, 2026. During the broadcast, Sakuma recounted an incident from his job hunting days when his NHK employment interview exam coincided with the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.

Sakuma explained that he was in the middle of his job search when the Nagano Olympics took place. During an NHK written examination, he missed the live broadcast of the ski jumping team competition in which Japan's representative earned gold. Harada Masahiko was the anchor, calling out teammate Funaki Kazuyoshi's name in an iconic moment of the competition. Sakuma had intentionally avoided spoilers by not watching the event in real time.

However, the NHK examiner unknowingly ruined the surprise by announcing to the candidates: "Everyone, please relax. Japan has won the gold medal." Sakuma expressed his mock outrage, saying he still cannot forgive the examiner for the spoiler. He joked that the examiner had watched the event with excitement right up until the last moment before sharing the result, while he and other candidates were sitting for their exam.

Sakuma humorously lamented that he never did get to experience the iconic moment when Funaki's name was called out in the commentary. Adding to his grievance, he revealed that he ultimately failed the NHK employment examination. The anecdote drew laughter from listeners as Sakuma reflected on this decades-old memory that apparently still resonates with him today.