Mariko Oi
Reporter/Presenter, BBC News
Mariko Oi has been a reporter/presenter for the BBC since 2006. In October 2021, she has been appointed the Asia Business Correspondent for 6 months.
Mariko has covered major breaking news such as Japan earthquake in 2011, US debt crisis in 2013, migrant crisis in 2015, President Obama's visit to Hiroshima in 2016, the inter-Korean summit, the Trump-Kim Singapore summit and Palu tsunami in 2018, Christchurch mosque shooting, Japanese Emperor’s abdication and enthronement, the Trump-Kim DMZ summit, Hong Kong pro-democracy protests, the Rugby World Cup in 2019, the coronavirus outbreak in 2020 and Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Using her Japanese language skills and local knowledge, Mariko reports often from Japan. In October 2015, she was one of the main presenters for the channel’s special series on Japan, focusing on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Womenomics policies in Working Lives and hosting a debate programme Talking Business. In March 2015, she also presented a special series on the country’s economy Jump Starting Japan.
Mariko is also known for her investigative documentaries on Japan’s history education and she presented Missing Histories: China and Japan for the BBC’s Freedom season in 2014. Other topics of her documentaries include Japan’s judicial system and adult adoption of husbands in Japanese families.
In 2013 and 2016, Mariko spent total of 6 months in New York as a business correspondent where she reported from the New York Stock Exchange. She also spent 6 months in London in 2014, presenting news bulletins and reporting on major stories for BBC World News.
Mariko was nominated for the Nikken Woman of the Year award in 2009.
Before joining BBC World News, Mariko gained her finance knowledge at Bloomberg Television where she was a Tokyo-based producer for 2 years.
As an intern or student, Mariko also worked for Reuters Television, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, SBS, Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network, Wowow Television (Japanese satellite broadcaster), Channel 31 (Australian community channel) and SYN FM radio.
