Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda “The Earliest Halloween Party in Japan: Part 1

Daiso is a 100 yen store. My family has a wide range of kitchen utensils and cleaning tools. We trust that Daiso is safe!　I have faith that Daiso can be trusted. This trust extends to their sense of the seasons. and when I see cool goods on the shelves, I think, “Summer is just around the corner. It is no exaggeration to say that Daiso is in charge of the daily lives of the Nimura family.

The event of the season is Halloween. According to the calendar, it is October 31, but it does not matter because Daiso decides all seasons. The day the Halloween goods are lined up at Daiso is the day the ban is lifted. And every year at that time, the Nimura family starts working toward the “earliest Halloween party in Japan.

This year, the ban came into effect in mid-August. The date of the Halloween party was set for the first half of September at a certain location. The date was set for a certain day in the first half of September. The members are decided every year.

Teruyuki Tsuchida and Kayoko Okubo of Oasis, two of the oldest members since the first meeting. Mr. Tsuchida is the godfather of “Japan’s earliest Halloween party. Mr. Okubo is the one I just can’t wait to chat with. Then there are my neighbors, Ryuichi Kosugi of Black Mayonnaise, Jun Idoda of Speedwagon, my husband’s junior, and Eiji Kotoge of Baikingu, my husband’s traveling companion. And this year, Yuuki Iwai of Haraiichi joined us. Everyone is busy, and even if they can only show up for 30 minutes, they are always willing to participate.

If that is the case, I want to make sure they are satisfied with the event and go to bed thinking, “That was fun! I want them to go to bed thinking, “That was fun! How can we satisfy these amazing people with “fun”? My husband and I began to think, “The earliest Halloween party in Japan” will determine the reputation of the Himura family for that year!　I began to challenge myself with this thought.

Preparations to be as enthusiastic as the devil

First, four days before the event, we went to a balloon store. We purchased a large number of giant balloons in the shape of a two-meter-tall gaijin, pumpkins, poison bottles, etc. We had these delivered the night before the event. These were delivered the night before the event.

The day before and two days before, he takes a day off from work. In the morning of the day before, I made two round trips to the supermarket, and in the afternoon, I went to Daiso. I bought food, Halloween paper plates, disposable chopsticks, paper cups, paper napkins, orange tablecloths, construction paper, and pumpkin ornaments for decoration. The drawing paper was used as a luncheon mat. When we have guests over at our house, we make sure that everything can be thrown away after use so that we don’t have to worry about cleanup …… and can’t concentrate on the conversation or what’s going on in front of us.

It is also important to have costume items for everyone to wear. These make all the difference in the excitement at the start of the event. Every year, everyone seems to get into the spirit of the event, even if they are saying, “Oh my God, what is this? This year, we bought various shapes of catsuits, including pumpkins, bats, and cobwebs.

The afternoon and evening were spent cleaning up. The floor was cleaned, of course, but also the air conditioner and even the ventilation fan screens. The reason for this was to eliminate any elements that might bother the guests in places unrelated to the meeting.

Finally, the day before the event. On the day before the event, I spent the whole morning cooking. After careful discussions with my husband, we decided to make everything on this year’s menu by hand. The first dish I served was my specialty, a large amount of raw vegetable salad. Next, a large amount of bacon rolls, which are always a big hit. Next was “Koukun,” a sausage that I eat every morning. And for the main course, my husband’s favorite, an extra-large hand-kneaded hamburger steak. Amazing. It was perfect.

First, I started by making bacon rolls. In addition to the standard asparagus, yams, maitake mushrooms, lettuce, and Camembert cheese were wrapped in bacon, making a total of 100 pieces.

For the hand-kneaded hamburger steak, chopped onions were sauteed until candy-colored, then added to 1 kg of minced meat. 16 chunks were made.

Then came the salad. I tore up three bunches of sunny lettuce and made a total of four salads with different ingredients and set them on a platter.

The next thing I knew, it was already nighttime. The balloon I had asked for had arrived. I adjusted and arranged them to make the room look bigger. Hooked the catsuits to each chair. ). (Okay, it’s done!) We asked the guests to sit in the seat with the catsuit of their choice, and that was it.

Finally, the day of the event. I was in a nervous state even during the live broadcast of “Poka Poka”. As I dashed home, I was extremely nervous. (In what order should I serve the salad?) (Will I be able to cook the hamburgers properly?) (What order to serve the salad?), (Will I cook the hamburger properly?). I asked my husband for help, and we agreed that the order and timing of the dishes would be done according to his instructions. And then, “Ping-pong! The first guest arrived. The first guest arrived. (Next issue)

Aika Kanda was born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Gakushuin University with a degree in mathematics, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003, and left NHK in 2012 to become a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows, and currently makes regular appearances as the main MC of the daytime TV program “Poka Poka” (Fuji Television Network).

From the November 3, 2023 issue of FRIDAY