Freelance TV Host Aika Kanda Is Starting a Podcast—And Funding It Herself

Zero appearance fee, zero strings attached!

Wanting to try something new, I decided to launch my own podcast starting Saturday, May 23. The program is called Aika and Hitomi. Since it’s a conversation show featuring me and my friend, cellist Hitomi Niikura, we incorporated both of our names into the title.

I’m paying for the entire production myself. The outfits used for the thumbnail photoshoot, the studio rental, the photographer, the recording staff—everything comes out of my own pocket. Naturally, my appearance fee is zero.

When you watch television, celebrities seem to be having fun playing games, visiting tourist attractions, and eating delicious food. At least once, everyone has probably thought, “Celebrities are lucky—they get paid to have fun.”

Things that normally require long lines or places that are usually off-limits become easily accessible under the guise of work. For me as well, these are one-of-a-kind experiences that become treasured memories.

But the truth is that those carefree, enjoyable moments you see on screen are actually performed while navigating countless restrictions.

We film only in locations where permission has been granted, avoid mentioning competing businesses or products, and fulfill requests such as, “Please be sure to say this comment.” At the same time, we have to make sure the guest enjoys themselves—holding back when necessary, raising our voices to keep the energy up, supporting the conversation, and even when we know what’s coming next, staying silent and patiently waiting.

In reality, there isn’t a single thing we do that’s truly free. Our job as entertainers is to make something filled with limitations and direction appear as though it’s completely natural and spontaneous.

Only after accomplishing that can I begin creating the mindset that allows me to genuinely enjoy myself for even one extra second. Whether I succeed or fail at that determines whether I go home thinking, “That was a really fun day’s work.”

It’s not as though I simply do whatever I want.

Even so, there are plenty of viewers who watch my programs and think things like, “I don’t like how freely she speaks,” or “She’s so oblivious to the atmosphere that it’s uncomfortable to watch.” Whenever I search my own name online, I inevitably come across comments like these.

In a way, that’s proof that I’ve successfully created the illusion of being completely free, which means I’ve done my job well.

But after hearing those kinds of remarks for well over a decade, I gradually began wondering:

“What would happen if I actually worked in a place where I was truly free?”

That curiosity evolved into another thought:

“Maybe I’d discover a side of myself I still don’t know.”

And that’s what led me to conclude:

“All right! If I want to work in an environment with zero strings attached, then I’ll produce my own show at my own expense!”

A partner who brings out the real Aika

I met my co-host, Hitomi Niikura, through work, and we’ve been friends for about ten years. She spent half of her life living overseas. We share an international outlook and, in a way, both come from somewhat privileged backgrounds. Our values and sense of money are similar, so our conversations never get derailed by having to stop and ask, “Wait, what did you mean by that?”

We also respect each other’s way of life and careers, and we have very similar views on married life and the role of women in society.

Most importantly, when we once went to an Okinawan restaurant together, I said, “I love mozuku seaweed so much that if we split one serving little by little, it won’t be enough. Let’s each order our own plate!”

She immediately replied, “That’s a great idea!”

That was the moment I realized, “I can truly be myself around her.” It was also the deciding factor that made me want to host a program together.

We’ve already finished recording through Episode 3 and are simply waiting for the first episode to be released. Since people are used to seeing both of us smiling in glamorous outfits, we wanted the podcast thumbnail to completely overturn that image. We wore masculine-looking outfits with bow ties and posed with sharp, serious expressions.

I still catch myself speaking as though there’s some invisible direction or production guiding me, but I’m genuinely enjoying it from the bottom of my heart.

Incidentally, the title of Episode 1 is:

“Sean K, How Have You Been?”

I have a feeling that if we keep going like this, after just a few more episodes I’ll get used to this newfound freedom and be able to speak honestly about what I truly think and feel.

People already assume I’m a free spirit.

So what happens when someone who’s thought to be free actually becomes genuinely free?

I hope you’ll listen and find out for yourself.

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

Her first book compiling this column, “Where Does the Royal Road Actually Lead?,” is now on sale and has been well received.

From the combined June 5–12, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY.”