Born as the second son of the illustrious Ishihara family, Yoshizumi Ishihara is active in many fields, including as an actor, weather forecaster, and TV personality. Despite his family background, he is loved for his down-to-earth personality, and the Garmin GPS-equipped running watch he wears on his wrist supports his serious marathon lifestyle. We explore the appeal of Yoshizumi Ishihara, who continues to challenge himself at the age of 63, and his favorite sports watch.
Text by Yukaco Numamoto
Edited by Takashi Tsuchida
Edited by Takashi Tsuchida
[Article published on January 28, 2025]
As the second son of the illustrious Ishihara family, he is active in a wide range of fields.
Yoshizumi Ishihara is an actor, weather forecaster, and TV personality who enjoys immense popularity in the television world, appearing on variety shows such as "Zawatsuku! Friday" and "Do You Know How Much It Is?" as well as news programs as a commentator. His father was the late Shintaro Ishihara, a politician who served as Governor of Tokyo, Director-General of the Environment Agency, and Minister of Transport, and an Akutagawa Prize-winning author. His uncle was Yujiro Ishihara.
The reason for his popularity can be attributed to his straightforward and unpretentious personality, despite being born into a wealthy family. He is said to have a short temper, but he himself has said, "I'm not angry, I just get louder when I assert myself," and he has a natural charm.
His hobbies are also quite diverse. Ever since he was impressed by the Kurobe Dam when he was in elementary school, he has been interested in the scale of dams and human technological capabilities such as flood control and power generation. He also likes maps, castles and digging holes. Ishihara Yoshizumi says that digging holes is about 'feeling', and it seems he likes to face things wholeheartedly. He also maintains an unpretentious attitude towards marathons, saying, "Never make the mistake of trying to look cool and increase your pace. No one is paying as much attention as you think, and you shouldn't expect praise."
The hospitalization of his uncle, Yujiro Ishihara, changed his destiny to become a banker
The story of how Yoshizumi Ishihara made his debut in the entertainment industry is quite impressive. While he was a student at Keio University, he visited Yujiro Ishihara, who was hospitalized with an aortic aneurysm, and received an invitation from someone in the film industry to appear in a film.
He majored in finance at the Faculty of Economics in university and could have continued on that path to become a banker, but joined Ishihara Productions that same year. He made his debut as a newcomer in the film "Kyodan" as the lead actor, and won the Japan Academy Award for Best New Actor. He has since appeared in historical dramas such as "Taiheiki," "Hana Moyu," and "Tenchijin," playing a variety of roles as an actor.
Furthermore, after leaving Ishihara Productions, he took the weather forecaster exam at the urging of Masamitsu Morita, and passed on his second attempt in 1998. He has blossomed into a multifaceted talent, gaining popularity as a weathercaster on Fuji TV's "Super News." One of Yoshizumi Ishihara's charms is his ability to readily accept recommendations from others and put in the hard work.
The person who taught him the joy of marathon running was none other than Ryutaro Ueoka!
Yoshizumi Ishihara's encounter with marathon running is also interesting. When he served as a torchbearer at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, he was taught the joy of marathon running by fellow participant Ryutaro Ueoka. Following Ueoka's advice, he began training by running 50km every week, and for his first marathon, he competed in the Kona Marathon on the Big Island of Hawaii, finishing in 4 hours and 48 minutes. Incidentally, his personal best time is 3 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds, which he achieved at the 2016 Kagoshima Marathon.
Since the 2010-2011 season, he has participated in two full marathons a year, but is currently on a break due to a leg muscle injury. However, his passion for marathons remains strong, saying, "I want to take part in that 42.195km race, which is both fun and difficult." He also actively enjoys sports, such as sailing, which he inherited from his father, Shintaro Ishihara, and skiing, which he enjoys as it allows him to experience a different world.
The watch that Yoshizumi Ishihara uses is the Garmin ForeAthlete, which is effective in measuring sports times.
Garmin watches are a favorite among marathon enthusiasts
Garmin is an American brand founded in 1989. Starting with the release of cutting-edge GPS navigation products for the aviation industry, the company is now known as a manufacturer of measuring instruments with a wide range of products. Guided by its vision of "changing the world by popularizing GPS," the company has implemented a business philosophy of "tackling the hardest tasks first," which is reflected in its current wearable products.
After releasing the world's first wrist-based GPS training device, the Forerunner 201, in 2003, Garmin has consistently released innovative products, such as the Forerunner 225, Garmin's first running watch with a wrist-based heart rate monitor, in 2015.
The model worn by Yoshizumi Ishihara is no longer on sale, but a successor to the Forerunner series has been released.As a GPS running watch that can be used for everything from everyday exercise to serious training, it supports a wide range of people, from professional athletes to people who enjoy sports casually.
Display diameter 31.1mm. Water resistant to 50m. Discontinued.
This season's new program, "Japan Exploration Academic Variety: Tuesday's Yoshizumi Kotaro" (TV Asahi), began airing on September 16th. Additionally, a series of essays written by the four Ishihara brothers, "The Ishihara Brothers," is scheduled to be published by Shinchosha on October 16th, 2025. The book is fascinating as it depicts the daily lives of the four brothers from their respective perspectives, covering everything from childhood memories to thoughts on marriage, work, and child-rearing, as well as the reality of caring for and caring for their parents and the reality of inheritance.
Yoshizumi Ishihara has taken on new challenges at every stage of his life, abandoning the expected path of becoming a banker to become an actor and even working as a weather forecaster. His passion for marathons has never waned. The Garmin running watch on his wrist accurately measures his running at all times and supports his determination to achieve his goal of running 200km per month. His Garmin is no longer just a watch; it is an item that embodies his lifestyle, as he continues to take on new challenges even at the age of 63.
Ishihara Yoshizumi is interested in a wide range of things and enjoys being himself. We look forward to seeing him take on new challenges in the future.
