Freelance announcer Aika Kanda: “The goal my husband and I set for this year.”

“What kind of year is this going to be for both of you?”

Have you all started working toward achieving the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year? For me, I’ve always disliked how I make resolutions but end up doing nothing each year. This time, though, I’m determined to make it happen.

I have two goals for this year. The first is to become fluent in English! In mid-January, I enrolled in an English conversation class. I’ve already attended eight sessions and have established a regular pace. I’ll update you if there’s any progress.

The second goal, which I set with my husband, is to go out for dinner once a month at a restaurant we each want to try. Before we got married, almost all our dates included eating out. But after getting married, to save money and address my husband’s weight concerns, we drastically reduced the frequency of dining out. During the pandemic, it became almost non-existent, and that routine has continued until now.

However, my husband’s daily walking routine isn’t just for health but also for discovering appealing restaurants. It’s no fun finding great spots if you never go. Also, I sometimes want a break from thinking about dinner, and, above all, I want us to be a couple who still goes on dinner dates no matter how old we get. So, when we talked about what kind of year we wanted to make, we set this goal.

We’ve decided to alternate months for choosing the restaurant. The rule is to pick a place where you either want to treat your partner to a meal or simply want to go together, and we’ll take turns each month.

January was my husband’s turn. He picked a yakitori restaurant in Ebisu, a place he used to frequent before we got married. I wondered, “Why didn’t you ever take me there on our dates?” but I buried the thought to avoid any arguments on our first outing of the year.

The food was delicious. My husband seemed a little worried and kept asking, “Hey Aika, honestly, really, how is it? Is it good?” When I said, “It’s great!” his face lit up with a big smile, and seeing him like that made me eat even more.

Satisfied both physically and emotionally, we got on the train home and arrived at our local station. As we walked toward home, my husband suddenly stopped and said, “Oh, wait a second.” He placed one hand against a nearby wall, straightened his back, and crossed his legs. Seeing that, I blurted out, “Ah! The standing cross!”

The standing cross is my husband’s go-to posture for preventing bowel leakage. By crossing his legs while standing, his anus is firmly compressed between his buttocks, effectively sealing it. Holding this posture for several seconds can suppress mild bowel urges.

I had completely forgotten, but my husband always gets an upset stomach after dining out. I felt a wave of nostalgia and warmth seeing him unchanged.

But the fact that the standing cross appeared meant we were in serious trouble. We made slow progress, stopping every 20 meters or so for him to perform the standing cross. That night, things escalated to the point where he had to resort to the “heel stop” as well.

Happiness that I suddenly feel during my husband’s pinch

The “heel stop” is another posture my husband came up with. He squats down on the road, wedging his heel into the crack of his buttocks. By placing his full body weight onto that heel and applying strong pressure, he can block his anus. This move is only used when the “standing cross” can no longer hold up. Watching my husband endure, drenched in cold sweat, all I could do was pray silently, “Please, help my husband!”

Somehow, we made it home, and he dashed straight to the toilet. Seeing his rounded back as he ran, I felt overwhelming happiness at how we were still the same as when we were just dating.

This month, it was my turn to choose the restaurant. I took him to the Tokyo branch of an oyster bar from New York, one of my favorite spots. The decor and recipes matched the New York original, and we were able to enjoy a taste of NYC in a casual setting. My husband also loves New York, so I’d always wanted to bring him here. As soon as we stepped inside, we were both thrilled. We even deliberately ordered in broken English to add to the travel-like experience, despite the fact that the foreign staff spoke fluent Japanese.

And then, on the way home, just a few hundred meters from our house, my husband started doing the standing cross again. After the third time, I found myself with nothing else to do, so I gazed up at the night sky. The nearly full moon and a few stars were twinkling brightly, and their sparkling seemed to reflect my own excitement and joy in that moment.

This kind of time together as a couple was something we didn’t have last year. I wonder what restaurant he’ll take me to next month? And which place will I choose for the month after? To an outsider, it might just look like an ordinary couple going out for dinner. But for me, it’s something I find endlessly fun. No matter how busy we get, I want to keep this goal going for the entire year.

Aika Kanda / Born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from the Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics at Gakushuin University, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003. She left NHK in 2012 to become a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows and is currently a regular main MC on the daytime show “Poka Poka” (Fuji TV).

Her first book, “Where are you going on the road called Royal Road?” is now on sale by popular demand!

From the March 7, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”