Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda, “I am the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of a Condominium”

A certain pride that had been lying dormant inside me: ……

This spring, I became a board member of my condominium. I am the vice-chairman of the board, which is the next highest position after the board chairman. This is my eighth year living in the condominium, and this is the second time I have served as a board member because the number of units in the condominium is relatively small. The last time I served as vice-chairman of the board, it was honestly less burdensome and I felt that I was able to be of help, so I took the initiative to become vice-chairman this time as well.

When you become a board member, you are required to attend a board meeting once every few months. The board members are usually men, as it is a rule that the owner of each unit serves as a member of the board, and since he or she is the head of the family, he or she is usually out of the office on weekdays. Therefore, board meetings are held on Saturdays and Sundays.

On the other hand, what about my family? My husband is, of course, the nominee. However, throughout the year, he is almost always out of the house on weekends for filming. Since the production routine has been established over a long period of time, if I were to say, “Please change the schedule because we have a meeting of the board of directors of the condominium! If we asked them to do so, it would cause trouble for the location crew.

What then?　That’s where I come in. However, there are many times when I have to work on Saturdays and Sundays. So, I told the manager in advance that I would be off work completely on the days when the board meeting was scheduled.

However, what came up here was a certain pride that had been lying dormant inside me. I had been elected student body president in both junior high and high school, and I had done a great job of it. I have the pride of standing above the incomparable number of people living in this condominium, and have managed to organize them.

I A: (Am I going to be on the board of directors for the next year in my husband’s name as his deputy?)　Me B: (No – that would be a quintessential treasure!) And the pride meeting in my mind came to one conclusion.

I B: (No – that’s just a waste of treasure!) The pride meeting in my heart came to a conclusion. I offered. And with the permission of all the other board members, I have been appointed as the vice chairman of the board as “I″.

By the way, there are some residents who think that my husband is the vice-chairman of the board and tell him their opinions when they see him in the apartment, but they should not do so because it is meaningless.

The board meeting takes about an hour and a half, which is a bit long. But it is very interesting. If you are not a member of the board, you can learn about all the things that are going on in the condominium that you would not hear about if you were not a member of the board.

Not only did they talk about how much it would cost to repair the equipment in the common areas that had gone wrong, but they also asked questions such as, “Isn’t it time to remove the disinfectant at the entrance to the COVID-19 crisis? ″, ″How about shifting the position of the houseplants a little? ″, etc.

I learned that there are people who care about small details that I did not care about, as if it were their own house.

Raising awareness of the home in which you and others live.

At first I did not understand these opinions. (Don’t you think it doesn’t matter either way?) (Don’t you think it’s fine either way?) or (Why are we even discussing these opinions?). I was even a bit lazy. However, I am the former student body president and current vice-chancellor. I have a responsibility to respond sincerely to even the most detailed opinions. So I seriously considered why there are residents who have such opinions.

To begin with, the purchase price of a condominium includes not only the materials and construction costs of the room you live in, but also the construction costs of the common areas and the equipment placed there. This means that they are joint purchases for us residents. It is natural to have various opinions about the state of the common areas, and I, who just walk through them every day without thinking about it, am less conscious of it than you!　I began to think that I was the one who was less conscious of the situation.

After that, I began to take a closer look at the sofas and light stands in the common areas every day. （Are they clean?) (Is it dirty?　(Has someone scratched it?), etc. I try to notice even the slightest change, such as “Is it dirty?

A few weeks ago, however, an invisible enemy suddenly appeared in front of me. I began to see violations of manners at the garbage dump. In our condominium, we have a rule that cardboard boxes must be folded flat and PET bottles must have their labels removed before disposing of them in the common garbage disposal area. For years, all residents have followed these rules. Someone has appeared who does not follow both of these rules at all.

I have tried putting up warning signs, but there has been no improvement. It is time for me, now, to show my strength. I will stand firm against them, putting my pride as vice-chairman on the line.

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 appears regularly as the main MC of the daytime TV program “Poka Poka” (Fuji Television Network).

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

From “FRIDAY” August 8 and 15, 2025 issue