Free Announcer Aika Kanda, Why a 43-Year-Old Woman Got a Haircut

In mid-March, I had my hair cut. The length of the hair was cut from the tip of the hair to the jawline, where the neck is exposed. The hair on her collar was only 2 cm long.

For a long time, women who cut their hair and changed their image drastically have been asked, “Did you lose your heart? I was worried this time, too (in my case, I was divorced). This time, too, someone was concerned (in my case, divorce), but divorce was not the reason.

So why did I cut it? Because I was fed up with the time it took to think of a hairstyle that would go with the outfit.

I have known my stylist since I was at NHK. He understands my taste in clothes, and he styles my outfits with an international flair in terms of color and design. I have asked him to do my wardrobe for all of my jobs for nearly 15 years.

When the Fuji Television program “Poka Poka” started, I naturally asked him to do the job. Poka Poka” airs five days a week, and I have to wear 20 outfits a month. Including other programs, we would have to prepare about 35 outfits in a month at most.

The stylist told us, “Because of the large number of pieces, it is impossible to prepare all of them with Aika’s favorites. We will have to make some compromises, but are you okay with that? I can’t think of anyone else. I can’t think of anyone else. I trust her. So my answer was, “That’s fine! I was fine with that.

However, when the “Poka Poka” started, she started to be dressed in “normal clothes”. I understand that it can’t be helped. However, they were dressed in ordinary A-line skirts and ordinary wool sweaters, or in lazy one-piece dresses made of natural materials, as if they were going to the local supermarket. When she appeared on TV dressed like a 43-year-old old lady, she seemed to look older, perhaps because the performers around her have more “flair” ……. My mother texted me, “What happened to your outfit?” and my best friend texted me, “Did you change your stylist?” I started to feel less and less confident. I gradually lost confidence, and when I smiled in front of the camera, I wondered if I would be told, “You’re trying too hard, old lady! I began to think that if I smiled in front of the camera, she would say, “You’re too much of an old lady!) ).

I had to do something. I asked the hair and make-up artist for help, and he said, “If your costume looks like normal clothes, try to cover it up with a good haircut! And so it was. After that, we had a hair meeting every morning and somehow managed to create an appearance that matched the vivacious atmosphere of “Poka Poka”.

One morning, however, he ran out of patience. （It is wrong to put on an outfit while thinking, “If I just do my hair, this outfit will look cute, too!　Isn’t it the stylist’s job to prepare clothes that make you look better than your potential?) ). So, I decided to cut it off (If I shorten my hair so much that I can’t arrange it, the costume side will have no choice but to change!) ), I made up my mind to cut it off.

I feel sorry for the stylist!

I was also curious about the stylist situation of other talents. I asked one of the people I worked with about it, and he gave me some eye-opening information.

She said that she has built relationships with several stylists who specialize in different genres, and changes them depending on the program. For programs that are watched by housewives, he chooses a stylist who specializes in clean styling. For late-night programs with a strong variety element, he uses a stylist who specializes in eccentric styling. Furthermore, they all said, “I feel sorry for the stylists that we have to ask one person to do dozens of outfits every month! I said.

I deeply regretted this. I had assumed that asking more than one stylist would hurt the pride of the stylist. He had accepted my unreasonable request out of longtime goodwill and worked hard on his own. I finally realized this.

My stylist has been helping me to enhance my image through my wardrobe for many years. I hope she will continue to help me in the future. In order to do so, I have come to the conclusion that I must create a better working environment for her.

Since this April, I have been working with another stylist whom I newly met to support me. I feel a sense of calmness in her voice, as if I am at ease. I feel relieved.

But just in case. I cut my hair off so that I would never again be provided with an outfit that I can manage to wear by matching my hair style. That’s the haircut I have now. Thank you, stylist, for your continued support.

Aika Kanda was born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Gakushuin University with a degree in mathematics, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003, and left NHK in 2012 to become a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows, and currently makes regular appearances as the main MC of the daytime TV program “Poka Poka” (Fuji Television Network).

From the April 19, 2024 issue of FRIDAY