On March 17, 2025, former Nippon TV freelance announcer Shizuka Kuno, age 35, celebrated the arrival of her first child, sharing this significant milestone on social media.
Kuno took to Instagram and X, posting accompanied images of her child's tiny feet. On her YouTube channel, she openly discussed her new challenges as she transitions to motherhood, highlighting both her physical recovery and emotional reflections about childbirth.
Describing her current state of being, Kuno wrote on Instagram, "I am enjoying trial and error every day now. Thank you for the warm messages I received during pregnancy! I look forward to working with you." With her debut as a new mom, Kuno expressed eagerness for advice, stating on X, "First time parenting is full of things I don't know... Senior moms and dads, please teach me various things."
On YouTube, Kuno recounted the experience of giving birth, which was both exhilarating and exhausting. "The other day, I was able to safely give birth to my child. Well~, what is safe...? Well, it was safe, but childbirth was really exhausting and hard, but I thought, 'The birth of life is really amazing.'" She reminisced about the first moments after her child was born, laughing as she recounted, "When my child was born and made a cry of 'Ogyaa,' tears naturally started flowing and didn't stop, like, huh? The tears won't stop, no matter how much I try to stop them, they just won't stop, it was a mysterious situation."
Post-delivery, Kuno returned home to care for her child without any help from her parent's house. Nevertheless, she is experiencing various physical problems, one being kyphosis, which she explained has worsened due to the demands of diaper changing. "My kyphosis is getting worse and worse with diaper changes, it was already bad, but now my shoulders, neck, and back... hurt," she admitted.
Alongside these challenges, Kuno faces the struggle of managing her weight after gaining 14 to 15 kilograms during her pregnancy. She stated, "I lost several kilograms after giving birth, but for some reason, it's going up again. Basically, my baby sleeps a lot, so I eat a lot, and the number of meals increases." From her experiences, she expressed her aspirations: "I will return to my original weight before returning to work."
Kuno, who is known as a passionate motorcycle enthusiast, is eager to return to her biking routine as well. Speaking of her condition post-birth, she expressed, "The pain in my body is almost gone, and I'm starting to be able to move little by little, so I want to ride my bike little by little."
Reflecting on the logistics of her passion, she thoughtfully noted, "When will it be? First of all, I haven't ridden it for a long time, so I need to get it inspected. I'm thinking about if the bike is okay after the inspection, and the baby can be watched for a few hours, I want to ride it even if it's just nearby."
Kuno's professional background is noteworthy as she joined Nippon TV back in April 2012. During her tenure, she was noticed for her contributions to shows such as ZIP!, The! World's Astonishing News, and news zero. After marrying and retiring from the company by the end of June 2022, she transitioned her career to Shochiku Entertainment starting from July 1, 2022. Currently, due to her husband's job, she has relocated her base to the Kansai area.
With her blend of vulnerability and hope, Shizuka Kuno takes on her role as both mother and professional with determination, showing her followers and fans the beauty and challenges inherent to new motherhood.
