Mariko Oi was born on 14 December 1981 in the Setagaya ward of Tokyo, Japan. Her father works in transport. She grew up in Japan before moving abroad for her education and eventually building a career in international broadcasting.

Oi attended the Sacred Heart School in Tokyo before studying abroad at Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Melbourne, where she lived with a host family and learned English. She went on to pursue higher education in Australia, ultimately establishing herself as a journalist in Asia.

Since joining the BBC as a reporter in 2006, she has covered major breaking news including the Japan earthquake in 2011, the US debt crisis in 2013, the migrant crisis in 2015, and President Obama’s visit to Hiroshima in 2016. She has also presented the BBC’s special series on Japan for over a decade, including programmes such as One Square Mile Nagasaki (2012), Talking Business (2015, 2021), Jump Starting Japan (2015, 2016, 2017), and New Tech Economy Japan (2022). EveripediaRiva Media

She currently presents the BBC World Service’s visualised podcast Asia Specific, available on Wednesdays and Saturdays on YouTube, BBC Sounds, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Oi is married to Skye Neal, who works at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore as a golf coach, and they have three children.