Freelance Announcer Aika Kanda: “A 4-Day, 1-Night Weekend Blitz Trip to New York—In Search of an Unreleased Nutritional Supplement”

I went ahead with a 4-day, 1-night trip to New York over the weekend.On the evening I arrived, I could see from my hotel a homeless person wearing a tank top that read “I♡NY” having a drinking party with friends. New York is a city loved by people from all walks of life. It made me want one of those same tank tops. I had 15 hours left in my stay. What kind of trip would this turn out to be…!?

Savoring New York

7:00 a.m. the next morning. I used the hotel’s waffle maker to bake waffles, piled them high with as much whipped cream and chocolate sauce as I wanted, and devoured them.I headed straight to the supermarket across the street. Although the person wasn’t there, the homeless man’s mattress had been neatly made. Next to it were three high chairs that hadn’t been there the night before. He must have brought them from somewhere in the middle of the night. I felt a thrill at the boundless possibilities of New York.

I found a set of five pairs of pink chopsticks inside the store and bought them, then headed to Madison Square Garden a few blocks away. This is where Taylor Swift herself got married this past July. I felt her presence nearby and, though belatedly, sent her my congratulations: “Congratulations on your wedding!”

The narrow patch of sky visible between the buildings was blue, and the air was crisp. It felt wonderful. At the same time, trash was spilling out of the trash cans placed on every block and scattered all over the ground. The smell of what I assumed was marijuana wafted through the air, and the sirens of a police car racing somewhere echoed off the buildings.I was happy that these various realities made me feel like I was truly in New York, and I almost started to cry.

At the store I’d been looking for, I bought a pink T-shirt that said “NEW YORK” and a pink sweatshirt featuring a sketch of the New York cityscape. I also bought an original T-shirt and socks at the popular sandwich shop, “Katz’s Delicatessen.”

I headed to Little Island, a tourist spot that opened a few years ago. I bought some lemonade and sat down on a bench, where I noticed a couple arguing on the bench next to me. They looked like tourists from Southeast Asia. I didn’t understand what they were saying, but the father yelled something at his son and stormed off with him.The mother fell silent for a few seconds, then quietly wiped away her tears with her hand. (I guess this is a universal “travel experience” after all.) When I was a kid, my parents used to argue a lot while traveling, too.

But what happened next was typical New York. The father and son had walked so far away that they were no longer in sight. (Aren’t people supposed to stay just within sight in situations like this!?) I was taken aback by New York, which always seems to defy my expectations.

As evening fell, we returned to the hotel. We packed our purchases into our suitcases and got ready to head home. Looking out the window at that homeless man, I saw him—even though it was nighttime—wearing a stylish hat, sitting in a high chair, and chatting and laughing with his friends.

Excitement That Won’t Fade

In the end, I couldn’t find the “I ♡ NY” tank top he was wearing, but I wonder what kind of furniture he’ll have collected and what his home will look like the next time I visit. I was happy to have one more thing to look forward to in New York.

At 10:00 p.m., I checked out and headed back to Penn Station, where I’d arrived 24 hours earlier. My suitcase felt incredibly heavy. I’d worried that a single night might be too short and that I might not want to leave, but even on the way to the airport, the excitement of “I’m still in New York!” was so strong that I didn’t feel sad at all.I checked in at the JAL counter. Fortunately, just like on the way there, I was able to upgrade to first class using my miles. There’s nothing more comfortable than this. I slept soundly, and before I knew it, we landed at Haneda. It was just past 4:00 a.m. on Monday morning.

11:47 a.m.As if nothing had happened, I appeared live on “Pokapoka” just as usual. It felt almost unreal. Just a moment ago, I had been in New York. As proof, I was so full of energy and motivation that I felt like a completely different person from the one standing here three days earlier on Friday. The show’s set looked even more vivid and vibrant than usual.

My stay lasted just 24 hours. Yet to see such a transformation in such a short time—New York really is a remarkable place. There are many risks involved—financially, physically, and professionally—so I can’t do this very often. But my heart has definitely been infused with a kind of “nutritional supplement” that you can’t buy anywhere. To stay true to myself, I’m already thinking about planning another whirlwind weekend trip to New York.

Aika Kanda / Born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture.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. 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 September 25, 2026, issue of *FRIDAY*