A graduate of
Williams College and the
Boston University College of Communication, Funayama got her start at
Adelphia Cable 10 in
Frederick, Maryland. In August 2004, she joined
WMUR-TV as a sports reporter, producer and anchor. Funayama joined NESN as a freelance
Boston Red Sox reporter in April 2007. In her first year with NESN, she covered Red Sox pitchers
Daisuke Matsuzaka and
Hideki Okajima. Funayama captured the attention of NESN after she helped Matsuzaka's struggling translator during Matsuzaka's introductory press conference. Funayama joined NESN full-time in September 2008 as the Bruins in-game reporter and host of
The Buzz, a Bruins countdown show formerly hosted by
Hazel Mae. In June 2013, NESN announced that they would not renew Funayama's contract. She was replaced by
Jamie Erdahl. Funayama worked as a reporter for
NBC Sports at the
2020 Summer Olympics then again for the
2026 Winter Olympics. Funayama can currently be seen on
NBC Sports Boston (formerly Comcast Sportsnet New England) and freelancing at
WMUR-TV. ==References==