Muto Tomu (Tomu)

Here, let me click on the link to the tweet, then the link to the campaign, and then the link to the videos for you (there are five).

"AKB48's sisters, Tomu Muto and Orin, have been studying at KUMON since childhood. They talked about what made them happy about KUMON and how they are doing idol activities.

Tomu : I started KUMON when I was 5 or 6 years old, and Orin was even earlier, didn't he?

Orin : I think I started KUMON when I was a couple of years old.

Tomu : When you were a child, we went to the classroom together.

Korin : I went, I went!

Tomu : I've been an idol for the ninth year, and it's almost ten years.
If you think so, after all, the more you do, the more you gain power, as there is the word "continuation is power".

Orin : And you've also qualified as a weather forecaster (not just an idol activity).

Tomu : KUMON will teach you how to study. I'll do it steadily and move on steadily. When studying to get a qualification as a weather forecaster, if you follow the basics, you have learned that you have continued studying at KUMON, so you are definitely a challenge, so why do you have a challenge now and there is now? "











https://library.kumon.ne.jp/kumon/detail/97
https://www.youtube.com/user/kumonch/videos

 

She is now going to be a regular on Friday mornings.

"AKB48's Tomu Muto (25) will be the weather caster on AbemaTV's morning news program, "Abema Morning" (Monday to Friday 7:00). In charge of every Friday from April 3rd. "I will do my best to become the center of the weather caster world."

"I think it's a very rare active weather idol and a weather forecaster, so I'd like to aim for a hybrid presence that is as bright and cheerful as AKB48, but where the weather forecaster should be conveyed properly." "I would be more nervous if I hadn't had an AKB stand on stage or had any experience speaking in front of the camera," she says.

And from Pop'nRoll

"――Who is your target weather caster?
Muto: AKB48 has a great weather caster, Yuki Kashiwagi, so I want to be a weather caster that is loved by many people like Yuki Rin. I want to do my best to have everyone say Muto Tomu!

-Please tell us if you have a goal as a weather caster.
Mutoh: In the AKB48 selection general election, the highest ranking is 7th, so I would like to do my best to become God 7 in the favorite weather caster ranking!"



https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2020/03/12/kiji/20200312s00041000123000c.html
https://popnroll.tv/articles/7175

 

Two stories in the Abema Times:

"Reports that she has completed Seijo University Graduate School of Economics."
not the degree, but the school.
https://times.abema.tv/posts/7047245

An interview:

――It was just a year ago that the results were announced. Is there a moment when you realize you've earned a weather forecaster qualification?

　After all, the first time I write the weather forecast manuscript by myself. You can read manuscripts without a qualification, but you can only write manuscripts if you are a weather forecaster. When I wrote it and read it myself, I realized "Oh, it's a weather forecaster."

――I think you have been very busy with AKB48 activities, such as studying at universities / graduate schools and qualifications, for the past 5 years.

　Tests are held twice a year (August and January), but in January there is an annual AKB48 group event called "Request Hour". From the flow of the song program over the year-end and New Year holidays, there is a request hour, and it seems that there will be an exam within a week after that (laughs). That time was hard.

――AKB48 Entered “God 7” in the 53rd single world selection general election in June 2018 and then passed the exam in January 2019. I guess it was angry days.

　I had to wait for some jobs, so I was studying at those times. (AKB48) Because of the large number of people, there are times when lessons → 2 hours free → lessons. The subject test is 60 minutes, so if you have 2 hours, you can do one past question and roll it up including commentary, or calculate yourself and say, "Do this today, do that." Also, after the theater performance, I went to the cafe where I was working until late at night to study.

――The weather forecaster is a difficult qualifier with an average pass rate of 5.5%. Did you have any advice from people around you?

　With so many AKB48 members, I didn't come out when I wondered what my strength was. When I wanted a weapon that only I could find, the weather forecaster wondered. It's difficult and it will be hard, but I hope there is something that can be seen by doing it. I started thinking that way, but I continued to drop seven times, and there were quite a few times saying, "Isn't it better to stop doing it now?" "Is it still working?" . Nevertheless, the staff, teachers, members, and fans said, "I'll do my best," and there were people who supported me, so I thought I'd do my best, and there was no choice but to come here.

　Everyone around me says "I should take it", but nobody said "I should definitely do it" because it is difficult. There were particularly few guarantees that could be taken, so many people said they didn't.

[more about writing as opposed to reading a forecast]

――I was trained under the weather forecaster Takashi Iinuma (* weather instructor who has been teaching for 5 years to pass), but I feel the difficulty of writing my own manuscript ?

　Abemoni's (weather) manuscript is said to be around 2 minutes, but at first it was often not clear what to say until it reached that 2 minutes. At that time, I told my teacher, "Why should I say something like this?", And I was able to increase my word repertoire and wording. It's little by little, and there are still a lot to be done, but I'm glad I've been able to write more and more.

　I often see the weather forecast during a typhoon, but until now, I usually watched it somehow, so I didn't care so much about "what kind of language do you use?" ? For example, when saying, "It will rain nationwide," I think it is difficult to express in detail, "If there is a place that does not fall, it is not nationwide, there is likely to fall." When the low pressure is not in the Kyushu region, the Chugoku region, or the Shikoku region, it is said that "Western Japan should be called!" What. Even though I knew it in my head, I thought it was difficult to put it into words.

[there is more about her interactions with other members during her studies]





https://times.abema.tv/posts/7047327

 

Thesis not necessary.

"The Graduate School of Economics offers M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Economics and Business Administration. Our programs provide rigorous training in the research process as well as close supervision by the relevant staff. Our purpose is to equip students with analytical skills and deep insights built on a base of advanced knowledge in Economics and Business Administration.

Our M.A. program offers two options: thesis and non-thesis courses. The thesis course is intended for students who plan to pursue a Ph.D. or to work as a researcher in the private, public, or non-profit sectors. Students are required to write a Master's thesis on an individually designed research subject. Meanwhile, the non-thesis course enables students to master advanced professional skills in the fields of Economics and Business Administration. Students are required to write a free-format research paper instead of a thesis."

https://www.seijo.ac.jp/en/academics/graduate/index.html

official Japanese site, which lists many different majors:
https://www.seijo.ac.jp/education/faeco-grad-school/

Here is what the American Meteorological Society says about professional training (obviously doesn't apply to Japan, but the Japanese exam might serve a similar function).

"There are cases where an individual has not obtained a degree in meteorology or atmospheric science but has gained sufficient knowledge through coursework and/or professional experience to successfully fill professional positions, such as military weather forecasters or positions typically held by degreed meteorologists. These individuals can also be referred to as meteorologists. This includes individuals who have obtained and maintain either the AMS Radio or Television Seal of Approval or the AMS Certified Broadcast Meteorologist designation. Individuals who have little formal education in the atmospheric sciences, and who disseminate weather information and forecasts prepared by others, are properly designated weathercasters."

https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/a...l-guideline-on-use-of-the-term-meteorologist/

 

But you still have time for S48! Too bad you don't get paid for it.