Monta Mino (みの もんた, Mino Monta), born Norio Minorikawa (御法川 法男, Minorikawa Norio, born 22 August 1944), is a Japanese television presenter. Mino is recognized by the Guinness World Records as being the TV host with the most hours of live TV appearances in a week (22 hours, 15 seconds), as of April 2008. This breaks his earlier 2006 record of 21 hours, 42 minutes.[1][2]

Monta Mino
みの もんた
Born
Norio Minorikawa

(1944-08-22) 22 August 1944 (age 80)
NationalityJapanese
Alma materRikkyo University
OccupationTV presenter
Years active1967 - Present
Spouse
Yasuko Minorikawa
(m. 1970; died 2012)
Children3

Career

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Mino is from Setagaya in Tokyo. He graduated from Rikkyo High School and Rikkyo University.[3] After a short stint in the conservative newspaper Sankei Shimbun, he was transferred to sister company Nippon Cultural Broadcasting in 1967, where he worked as a radio announcer reading the news, covering baseball games, and hosting the late-night program Sei! Young. The name Mino Monta originated in the opening to another NCB program he hosted, "All Japan Pop 20". He left NCB in 1979 to work at his father's company in Aichi Prefecture, but continued to read the news as a contractor for Aichi Broadcasting.

He presents the morning news show Mino Monta no Asa Zuba! (みのもんたの朝ズバッ!), Quiz $ Millionaire (the Japanese version of the British quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?), and the Sunday evening Amazing Animals (どうぶつ奇想天外, Dōbutsukisōtengai), among other programmes. Mino also hosted the long-running afternoon television programme Omoikkiri TV (おもいっきりテレビ) in which he dispensed lifestyle and health advice; it was discontinued in 2007.

He claims he only needs four hours of sleep every night in spite of hosting eleven TV programmes, including news shows, talk shows, wildlife shows and quiz shows, and appearing on television every day of the week except Sunday.[4][5]

Family

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Mino's wife, Yasuko Minorikawa (御法川 靖子, Minorikawa Yasuko) died on 22 May 2012 of cancer, aged 65.[6] They had been married since November 1970.[3]

Controversies

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In September 2013, Mino took a break from television news duties following the arrest on 13 September of his 31-year-old son, Yuto Minorikawa (御法川 雄斗), who was charged with stealing a man's bag on the street in Tokyo.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ "guinnessworldrecords, Mino's record on Guinness". Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  2. ^ "FOXNews.com - Japanese TV Host Is World's Busiest - Celebrity Gossip Entertainment News Arts And Entertainment". Fox News. Archived from the original on 30 November 2006. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
  3. ^ a b みのもんた悲痛、妻の御法川靖子さんが死去 [Wife Yasuko Minorikawa dies - Monta Mino heartbroken]. MSN Sankei News (in Japanese). Japan: The Sankei Shimbun & Sankei Digital. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  4. ^ Afp.google.com, Guinness: Japanese TV host is world's busiest Archived 9 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ mainichi.jp/national TV mogul Mino smashes world record for 'most live hours in a week'[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ 御法川靖子さんが死去 みのもんた氏の妻 [Monta Mino's wife Yasuko Minorikawa dies]. 47 News (in Japanese). Japan: Press Net Japan Co., Ltd. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
  7. ^ "TV talent Monta Mino's son admits bag theft charge". Japan. Kyodo News. 2 October 2013. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  8. ^ みのさん、報道番組自粛へ 次男逮捕「父として責任」 [Mino to impose voluntary TV news programme ban following arrest of son, quoting "Responsibility as father"]. Asahi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 13 September 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
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