FRIDAY Report by Anna Nakagawa Learning from Admired Senior Manaka Kanda Both from NHK

Freelance announcer Anna Nakagawa (32) is launching a new irregular column in which she seeks guidance from prominent figures in various fields. The first guest is Aika Kanda, whose own FRIDAY column has just entered its fourth year. Nakagawa learns from a senior with much in common—both having come from NHK.

“I didn’t even tell my parents”

Nakagawa: When I joined NHK in 2016, Kanda-san was already working freelance. Yet I often heard from senior colleagues at the station, “Kanda-san was amazing.” I had admired her bright personality and strong presence ever since I was a newcomer.

Kanda: I guess that makes me a bit of a maverick at the station. Unlike you, Anna-chan, I never had the chance to work on a big stage like being an on-site Olympic reporter. I wanted to do news, but I was mostly assigned variety shows. I only started my own column with FRIDAY ten years after going freelance. You’ve only been at it for a year! What’s the difference here? (laughs)

Nakagawa: Maintaining a weekly column for three years straight is really remarkable!

Kanda: When I first appeared on Odoru! Sanma Goten!! (NTV), that was something too. I was there with the show, and about five high-ranking staff from my agency came to the studio. It was like, “The Black Ship has arrived!”

Nakagawa: I’ve been incredibly fortunate with the people and environment around me. Kanda-san and I both left NHK at the age of 31.

Kanda: So that means you were there for nine full years?

Nakagawa: Yes. For me, a major turning point was graduating from Sunday Sports just before my 10th year at NHK. Kanda-san, when did you decide to go freelance?

Kanda: It was after experiencing the Great East Japan Earthquake at the Shibuya broadcast station. At the news center, I saw footage that was too intense to air. Even if you live a normal, serious life, your life can be cut short in an instant by a sudden natural disaster. I realized strongly that your tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

Nakagawa: That was in 2011 15 years ago.

Kanda: I had always wanted to be a news anchor, but my assignments were mostly variety shows. Looking at the careers of senior colleagues, even if I were involved in news, it would probably be around age 40. When I realized it would be ten more years before that was possible, I thought: “What if a disaster comes tomorrow and changes everything?” That’s when I decided I needed to be in an environment where I could even have a chance to work in news. I spent nearly a year thinking it over by myself. I made the decision alone. I didn’t even tell my parents.

“I wanted to become NHK’s president”

Nakagawa: Even though it’s written in your column that you wanted to become NHK’s president, it must have been a huge decision to leave.

Kanda: I really had strong loyalty to the company. During my first four years in Fukuoka, I didn’t watch any commercial TV at all. At that time, I didn’t even know many entertainers who weren’t on NHK. I just thought I had to immerse myself in the company and follow my seniors. How about you, Anna, when you were a rookie?

Nakagawa: I immediately stopped wearing nail polish and perfume.

Kanda: So you followed the guidance of your seniors.

Nakagawa: Yes. But deep down, I didn’t completely feel it made sense. At the time, our generation at NHK had a policy like announcers should also value individuality. So it wasn’t exactly contradictory, but I felt a bit of tension.

Kanda: That kind of era existed?

Nakagawa: It did! Also, I had lived abroad, so I had a mindset of express yourself

Kanda: What’s that?

Nakagawa: Like, value your own self-expression!

Kanda: Suddenly you become so fluent. It’s like watching Genta Matsuda from Travis Japan.

Nakagawa: Sorry (laughs). Growing up in that kind of environment, it felt strange to receive such detailed guidance on everything from hairstyle to clothing. So I felt like I had to push the limits for myself.

Kanda: That might have been a good thing. If I had met you at NHK, I would have scolded you: “Individuality isn’t about nail polish or looks—it comes through your presence in your work.”

Nakagawa: Ehh! (laughs) But you’re probably right—I may have misunderstood.

Anna Nakagawa’s FRIDAY Report, Part 1 – Latter Half: Discussing the Future of Announcers with Admired Senior Aika Kanda

Aika Kanda – From Kanagawa Prefecture. Graduated from Gakushuin University, Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics, and joined NHK as an announcer in 2003. Worked at the Fukuoka Broadcasting Station, then from 2007 at the Tokyo Announcement Room. Left NHK in 2012 and joined the talent agency St. Force. Currently a main MC on the daytime program Pokapoka (Fuji TV).

Anna Nakagawa – From Tokyo. Spent childhood years in Finland and Puerto Rico. Joined NHK as an announcer in 2016, working on Sunday Sports and as an on-site reporter for the Paris Olympics. After leaving NHK in spring 2025, she joined the talent agency Horipro and is now active as a freelance announcer and talent.

From the March 27/April 3, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”