“He’s Head Over Heels…” The “Charm” of Announcer Kana Sato (aka “Sakana-chan”), Who Married Popular Comedian Ikeda of “Rainbow”

A date where they just lie down together

Naoto Ikeda (32) of the comedy duo “Rainbow” announced his marriage on August 7. His bride is Kana Sato (29), a former news anchor who left Yomiuri TV at the end of July.

According to Ikeda’s revelation on his YouTube channel, they met after he was introduced to Sato by Akane Chief, a senior comedian from the Osaka comedy duo “Pochi.” With Sato turning 30 this year, the couple decided to get married.

“Dates where we’d just spread out a picnic blanket in the park and lie there together,”

he gushed to his comedy partner, Jumbo.

Sato also announced her marriage on her own Instagram and YouTube channels.

“Sato is from Ichikawa City, Chiba Prefecture. After graduating from Keio University’s Faculty of Law, she joined Yomiuri TV in 2019. Although she was a rookie, she served as the MC for ‘Asa-sei Wide Su·matan!’ (Yomiuri TV).She’s a rare talent who, despite being skilled at dancing and having passed the AKB48 audition, turned it down to become an announcer. She once gained attention for a segment where she delivered the weather forecast while dancing. Beloved by viewers under the nickname ‘Sakana-chan,’ she was one of the most popular female announcers in the Kansai region,” said a sports newspaper reporter based in Osaka.

It was a marriage between two “popular figures”—a comedian and an announcer. However, it seems Sato was open with those around her about her relationship with Ikeda.

Openly Admitted to Dating Ikeda

“Ms. Sato is the type who’ll talk about anything openly with people she’s close to. She’d openly mentioned that she was dating Mr. Ikeda even at drinking parties with colleagues, so I think quite a few people at the station were aware of it.Ms. Sato will become a freelancer starting in August and move her base from Osaka to Tokyo, but since Mr. Ikeda is a ‘super-popular’ comedian, I think she’ll be able to broaden her career opportunities as the ‘wife of a comedian,’” said a Yomiuri TV source familiar with Ms. Sato.

That said, both of them are extremely busy. It seems there were quite a few twists and turns leading up to their marriage.

“At one point, Ms. Sato even confided to those around her that she ‘wanted to break up.’Mr. Ikeda is, after all, a notorious playboy in the industry. However, since he was head over heels for Ms. Sato, he would frequently come to Osaka to see her even when they were having problems, and they managed to weather those storms. The cancellation of *Su·Matan!*, the show she hosted, at the end of September 2025 may have also been a major turning point.

Amid all that, Mr. Ikeda proposed to her, and she likely made up her mind then. Although Ms. Sato initially said she had no intention of moving to Tokyo, it seems she decided to resign from her job and relocate following the marriage,” said another Yomiuri TV source.

Announcer Sato has openly spoken about her many hobbies, including saunas, camping, marathons, and travel. Having once aspired to be an idol, she has now found a partner who is a popular comedian—it will be interesting to see what kind of career she builds for herself in the entertainment industry.