Free Announcer Aika Kanda, “The Olympics Gave Me Time with Mistill

We are in the midst of the Olympics!　Since the timing is once every four years, I would like to share with you my Olympic-related memories.’ It was December 30, 2008, the winter of the year the Beijing Olympics were held.

I was the host of the red radio program for the Kohaku Uta Gassen, and while attending a general rehearsal at the NHK Hall, I was busy preparing my commentary for the live broadcast that was to take place the following day. The focus that year was on Mr. Children, a first-time entrant, who sang NHK’s theme song for the Beijing Olympics, “GIFT.

There are many devoted fans of the band, and although I have not publicly stated this because I feel it would be unacceptable at my level, I have actually been a fan of Mr. Children since junior high school. On the entry sheet for the announcer exam, the question “What is your favorite song? I always entered their song “Endless Journey” in the “What is your favorite song? The reason was that “the lyrics give me a lot of courage. Then try singing it?” and I honestly sang the song and failed all the interviews, but even so, the song has given me courage throughout the rest of my life. Yes, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Mystir.

It is a miracle that I am in charge of the radio play-by-play for the first appearance of Mistyll in Kohaku! I wanted to do everything I could to capture their appearance and soak their singing voice into my ears. But Mistill will be performing from a different studio. If I had to continue watching the rehearsal in the hall for the show, I would not be able to see Kazutoshi Sakurai for even a second. Moreover, the details of the rehearsal were known only to a small group of people in the Kohaku Executive Committee so that information about what kind of performance Mistill would perform for the first time would not leak out until the actual performance.

（I looked around and saw a desk nearby.) I looked around and saw a document for the central staff on a nearby desk. I opened my eyes and looked at …… (there it was!). There it was! (There it was!!!) To my surprise, there were the rehearsal times for Mistill.

（I had to go!) ). I told the senior announcer that I had to use the restroom, so please go back to the announcer’s office first, and I left the place, stepping on the ground step by step so as not to let my high-spiritedness be known.

The hallway leading to the studio was, as expected, marked with a sign that said, “No one but authorized personnel are allowed in the hallway ahead. I knew that. (I am a radio presenter and a legitimate member of the public.) I told myself that I was justified in entering the studio, so I put on my normal face and pushed my way through the hallway. And then I arrived at the studio. By this time, I had come to the point where I thought to myself, “If I get fired for this, it doesn’t matter, because if Mr. Sakurai hadn’t given me the courage in the first place, I wouldn’t be in NHK! ). The reality that I was so close to meeting Mr. Sakurai was robbing me of my sanity.

The man of my dreams is 20 meters away: ……

As soon as I walked in, a few techs looked at me with a “hmm?” but I returned with a smile and a “Thanks for your hard work,” and we were clear. Next, a director I knew came up to me and said, “You’re rehearsing! I said, “Oh Kanda! Oh yeah, making radio comments, right? You can see it from over there.

I replied coolly, “Yes, sir,” while in my mind I thought to myself, “Yes!　I got permission!) I exclaimed. All was now clear. I went to the place where they told me to go. And finally, …… was there. He was standing on a white platform about 20 meters away from me. I couldn’t tell if he was backlit by the strong lighting from behind or if his aura was too bright to be backlit. But the line of his pitch-black shoulders was definitely Kazutoshi Sakurai. Rehearsal began. What did I look like? Was I breathing properly? It felt like twice as long as it actually was, but I had no memory of it. Between the shifting lights, I could see his face clearly, and tears welled up in my eyes. （I was glad to be alive. I was glad that I had worked so hard. I am grateful to my parents and to NHK (……). I felt a deep sense of gratitude in many directions, and I felt like my life had been closed out.

Thanks to this event, I now know that the Olympic Games can move us in places and forms we never imagined, not only through the competitions, but even after they are over. I want to enjoy the Paris Olympics as well, although there will be days when I have a hard time sleeping. And when my dream of becoming a news anchor comes true, I want to convey the excitement in my own words.

His first book, “Where is the Royal Road? is now on sale!

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 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 August 16, 2024 issue of FRIDAY