I realize that I’ve set myself up for a bit of an extended Valentine’s celebration…
(thanks to SilverKanon who provided scans!)

We did do Christmas in February though, so I guess that’s just the way things are sometimes 😀 Anyways, this is the first half of the interview portion for Aida Rikako’s 30-page feature in the February 2018 issue of VOICE Channel. The spread also includes a Q&A section and a special “A to Z” word association article (which I already translated here — check it out it you haven’t yet~).

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Some notes before we start:
– （笑）, generally used to indicate laughter in transcribed Japanese interviews were transliterated into (xD) for this TL, ’cause lol why not (“lol” could work too I guess …)
– words found in parentheses are either words that I put in to clarify certain things, or words that I add to make up for nuances and inferences in the language.

A i d a
Aida Rikako

Spend a wonderful Western-style & Japanese-style Valentine’s Day with Rikyako~

Aida Rikako, aka Rikyako, appears once more in [VOICE Channel]. We received a massive reception from the interview she did in VOL.1, so for VOL.2 we’ve now had her adorn both our front cover and our opening feature. Dressed in traditional clothing quite fitting for both the New Year and for an advanced-Valentine’s !

Enjoy a Valentine’s Date with Rikyako !!

Lately, little by little, I’ve come to like chocolate

I want to surprise people with an unorthodox Valentine’s

ー How did your photo shoot in a kimono go?
It was really fun. (This issue) goes on sale in January so that was part of the consideration, but I actually did think that having it (New Year’s) as a theme for Valentine’s was refreshing. I want to shock the people who view kimonos as (just) an image for the New Year.

ー Do you wear kimonos in your private time?
I’ve worn them for work but, but if it’s in my private time, I’d have to go as far back as my Coming-of-Age ceremony*. During my Coming-of-Age I remember wearing one twice; once for pictures taken before the ceremony and once more for the real thing. Other than that, it’s been mostly just yukatas*. But, I really love seeing people wearing kimonos. If you go to, like, Asakusa and Kamakura, the people just walking around wearing (kimonos) are very open to having photos taken of them, and you just can’t help yourself. Today I was on the other side of the camera, but I’m still happy that I got to wear a kimono.

*Note: Coming of Age Day in Japan
tl;dr: A day of observance to commemorate, and subsequently welcome into society, citizens of Japan who’ve reached the age of 20 over the past year (within a certain window)

*Note: Difference between a kimono and a yukata
tl;dr: a kimono is a fuller, more traditional ensemble of clothing;
whereas a yukata would be the casual equivalent of that

ー What are your thoughts on wearing a kimono now after such a long time?
I don’t really remember how it went during my Coming-of-Age ceremony but, having worn one again, I can now say that it feels like it’d be impossible for me to wear one for a long stretch of time. I couldn’t set my feet apart so walking was impossible, and no matter what kind of movement I made I felt restricted, so I was having a bit of a hard time. But, no matter how much I moved it still looked pretty, and it got me curious, so I want to know more about ’em (kimonos).

ー There was also a photo shoot of you in loungewear, but it appears that the red one-piece (that you wore) was in fact your own
I’d heard that the theme for the photo shoot was going to be Valentine’s and I thought this red one-piece would be fitting for that so I brought it with me of my own accord. It’s a “Vivienne Westwood”-brand one piece that I bought from a shop without much thought. But, the photo shoot started to take shape, and for the remaining time leading up to it I just thought “I want to wear (this one-piece) for that” — so I put it down, and have not worn it once until now. I’m glad I was able to wear it for this occasion.

ー How was your photo shoot with the present boxes?
They took photos me holding two kinds of boxes — a heart-shaped one and one with colorful ribbons on it — but, I was curious about what was inside ‘em (xD) I don’t think that there’s a person who wouldn’t be happy to receive a present. So whether the size of the box is big or small, you feel excited. For me personally, I really love giving presents. When I pick out a present, they’d be things that I’d be happy to receive too but, I usually choose things that I won’t buy for myself. For a fellow girl it’s mostly stuff I don’t normally buy like slightly expensive shampoo or cosmetics.

ー You don’t dwell much on picking out presents?
To tell you the truth, when talking about presents, I actually have a bit of trauma. Back in my school days I gave a friend of mine a wristwatch as a present. But, in the end I never saw them wear it even once, so I thought “Ah, they must not like it”, and I got very sad. Even now it’s still a painful and unforgettable memory. Since then, if I’m giving a present I want it to be happily received — so when figuring out what would be good to give, I just ask them directly about the thing that they would want. For the people who help me out (in my work) I often pick out handkerchiefs, or socks, or any other practical stuff.

ー Chocolate comes to mind when you think of Valentine’s but, do you like chocolate?
From the start, I’ve liked sour stuff like pickled plums and vinegar, so for snacks I like it if they’re a bit saltier. I usually don’t go looking for chocolate all that much but lately, before I record lines for a dub I’ve been eating a lot of sweet stuff, and I’ve come to like chocolate now. But, as I thought, I like bitter chocolate more. Hi milk* is no good.

*Note: Probably stuff like this

***Thoughts and Takeaways
ー I do try to stylize these translations to the limits of what a free WordPress account would allow me (’cause plain text on a white background might not be the most appealing thing in the word to look at sometimes) so that more or less explains that “Rikyako Column” bit up top there.
ー Speaking of that bit… Rikyako strikes again!
ー Feels more Christmas-y really with all this talk about giving presents xD

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As always, I can’t really say for certain that these are 100% accurate (maybe a conservative passing grade at the least) so there might me some words mistranslated here or there, or a misconstrued sentence or two owing to me getting confused over particles (which does still happen to me at times). But, do trust that I don’t change anything from what I’ve read, and the words that I add at times, I add solely for clarity’s sake 🙂

Second half coming some time soon. And after that, well.. we’ll see!

Till next time.