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

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”