Naoto Ikeda (池田直人), one half of the Japanese comedy duo Rainbow (レインボー), announced on August 7 that he has married Kana Sato (佐藤佳奈), a former announcer at Yomiuri Television. The two shared the news simultaneously through their personal social media accounts.
Ikeda broke the news in a fittingly comedic way, working the announcement into a stage skit before dropping the joking tone to tell the audience directly, “This time, we really did get married.” The line suggests the duo had teased the idea of marriage in the past before making it official.
Following the wedding, Sato has decided to move her base of activities to Tokyo as she starts this new chapter of her life alongside Ikeda.
Who is Naoto Ikeda?
Ikeda is a member of Rainbow, a comedy duo (owarai combi) that has been a familiar presence on Japanese television variety and talk shows for years. Kana Sato, his new wife, previously worked as an announcer at Yomiuri Television (讀賣テレビ), one of Osaka’s major commercial broadcasters, before departing the network to pursue other opportunities.
Author’s Comment
Nothing screams "true love" quite like sneaking your own wedding announcement into a comedy bit before the punchline lands. I respect the commitment to the craft. The line "this time, we really did get married" is doing a lot of quiet work there, and I’m choosing not to ask too many follow-up questions about what that implies about round one. What I will say is that Kana Sato packing up her whole life and relocating to Tokyo for this relationship is a genuinely sweet, grown-up gesture in an industry that usually treats marriage announcements like damage control. Let the man have his happy skit.
