Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda: “The Reality of Routines”

Gifts Related to “Beauty”

For several years now, I’ve been seeing and hearing the word “routine” on TV and in magazines. A routine refers to a set of steps or a daily regimen. In particular, the morning and evening routines of actresses and models have drawn a lot of attention from women eager to learn the secrets of “beauty.”

I’ve always been the type who finds efficiency in following a predetermined sequence of steps. For example, I’ve set aside exactly two hours for getting ready each morning, from the moment I wake up until I head out to work. Every action—from the moment my alarm goes off to putting on my shoes at the front door—follows a fixed order and time allocation, and it’s exactly the same every single morning.To keep that routine from getting thrown off, I’ve been making the same breakfast menu for nearly seven years. This might be due to the influence of having spent my life so far in highly structured environments—such as attending junior high and high schools with strict rules, and working at NHK, where there are many detailed restrictions.

However, when it comes to “beauty,” not only is it expensive, but results vary so widely from person to person that it’s too uncertain—so I’ve lived my life not only without a routine but without even the slightest interest in the subject.

Yet here I am, suddenly finding myself caught up in a beauty routine this year. What’s more, it’s leaving me sleep-deprived and worn out, both physically and mentally.

It all started on my birthday last year. A stylist who’s always taken good care of me gave me a “Pelvic Stretch Air Belt” as a present. It’s a thick fabric belt that you wrap tightly around your pelvic area; when you turn it on, it inflates with air. The pressure is supposed to correct pelvic misalignment, improve posture, and lead to a better figure.

I’ve received “beauty”-related gifts before—hand creams, makeup, skincare products, and facial devices, among others.Since I’m not very handy and often don’t know how to use them, I tended to just put them away. But with this belt, all I have to do is wrap it around myself, lie down, and turn it on. Since I can read scripts or do research while it’s on, I started using it around September of last year—about four months after receiving it—as part of my work routine.

The sensation of it tightening felt like a massage and was very pleasant. I found myself thinking, “I want to do this again!” and started using it twice every night. Then, at the end of last year—three months later—I felt like the waist of the clothes I’d been wearing had become looser, so I stepped on the scale and found I’d lost 3 kg.

I’d heard that “improving your posture helps you lose weight,” but was that really true!? However, those three months were also a time when I was deeply troubled by relationship issues, so I wondered, “Isn’t that the reason!?” and felt confused. Whatever the reason, the fact remained that I’d returned to the weight I had in my mid-20s. I resolved, “I’m definitely going to maintain this!”

I saw results, but…

Since I wasn’t sure exactly why I’d lost weight, I decided not only to keep using the pelvic belt but also to start doing stretches at home. I kept it up without fail, even when I stayed at hotels in other regions or overseas for work, or when I had drinking parties.

A month later, perhaps thanks to my efforts, I’d managed to maintain my weight, and I felt like my upper arms had gotten a bit slimmer. Someone even asked me, “At your age, your shoulder blades are so clearly defined—are you doing something special?” I was moved, thinking, “So even I can achieve ‘beauty’ if I put in the effort!”My interest in beauty and my natural drive for efficiency began to work in tandem, and a routine gradually took shape.

And now, my pre-bedtime “beauty” routine consists of 11 steps.It starts with stretching, followed by applying moisturizer while my skin is still damp right after getting out of the shower. After drying off, I apply another moisturizer and a skin-brightening cream; for my face, I apply toner followed by a face mask. At the same time, I wear my pelvic support belt twice. After the mask, I apply moisturizer and eye cream, and take my supplements.

It’s exhausting. It takes a full two hours to finish everything. On days when I come home tired from work, I actually fall asleep while wearing the face mask and pelvic belt. I wake up in a panic just as the mask has dried out completely, which isn’t good for my skin and leaves me sleep-deprived.

I wonder which step I should cut out. Every single one of these is something that’s better to do than not, so I don’t have the courage to stop. But if I keep this up, it’ll eventually start interfering with my daily life. The routine I created to achieve results efficiently has now become a huge burden, and it’s really weighing on me.

Aika Kanda / Born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture.After graduating from the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, 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 primarily in variety shows and currently appears regularly as the main MC on the daytime series “Pokapoka” (Fuji TV network).

★Her first book , *Where Does the ‘Royal Road’ Lead? * , a compilation of this series , is now on sale to great acclaim!

From the July 31, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*