"Sports Nippon," affectionately called Sponichi in the Mainichi group, marks its 65th anniversary on Feb 1. To celebrate, a "Gratitude Gathering" was held the night of Jan 16 at Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Minato, Tokyo.
Sponichi's Jan 17 morning edition spread the news across pages 18–19＝photo upper＝ and page 20 (back page). ~1,000 celebrities attended; NHK morning drama "Amachan" heroine Rena Nonen made a surprise appearance with "Jejeje!"—the hall erupted, we're told.
First, the kagami-biraki lineup in a wide photo across the spread is impressive. From right: golfers Aiko Takasu and Yuta Ikeda, a gap, Isao Aoki and PGA president Isao Matsui, a gap, ▽ former PM Yoshirō Mori, TBS chairman Hiroshi Inoue, Sponichi president Yukio Morito, Rakuten manager Senichi Hoshino, Mainichi president Yutaka Asahina, actress Shiori Kutsuna ▽ swimmer Ayano Terakawa (London bronze), baseball analyst Koji Yamamoto, sumo director Kōnosuke Kitanofuji, baseball analyst Isao Harimoto
and analysts Kōichi Tabuchi and Yoshitsugu Shibata (Sponichi managing director). Kutsuna serves as 65th-anniversary image character.
Mori, newly named Tokyo Olympics organizing committee chief, sent cheers to "aim for the 100th anniversary." Saori Yuki—born three months before Sponichi's launch—sang three hits including her 1969 debut "Yoake no Scat" and fired up the hall.
At 8:10 p.m., peak festivity, Amachan (Nonen) took the stage. The hall surged; veteran pols and business leaders smiled like watching grandchildren. A "surprise," though rumors she'd come had quietly circulated so no one left early. She gave flowers to Rakuten's Hoshino and Tohoku Fukushi Univ. (Sendai) alum Ikeda as "recovery-support comrades," sharing location-shoot memories in Iwate＝photo upper left. Then Kitajima Saburō, who "graduated" from Kohaku last year, performed his Kohaku-closing "Matsuri," changing the final line to "♪This is the Sponichi matsuri~"—mood peaked and the gathering raced to its finale.
Forgive me as a Mainichi insider, but what a venerable sports paper—admiring its wide sports and entertainment network. "A rare party where almost nobody left midway," one guest said.