#198【これが幸せっちゅーもんや！】
To mark the second anniversary of their show, Peco (ペコ) and Jessica (ジェシカ) dedicated episode #198 to reading five listener-submitted "Happy News" stories sent in by their fanbase, the PJs. The stories ranged from an unexpected 500-yen gift at a café in Germany to a first-grade student's blunt declaration of love at a parent-teacher conference to a solo dash to London for an Ariana Grande concert. Running through every story was the same quiet idea: that happiness is made of small moments noticed and savored, one on top of another.
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What this episode answers
How did Peco and Jessica feel about reaching the show's 2nd anniversary?
Both said recording mornings feel "not scary at all — in fact, something to look forward to," and they looked back in disbelief that listeners actually stop them on the street. Because they met for the very first time through the podcast, this anniversary also became what they called their "first-ever friend anniversary."
What unexpected thing happened to Roku-san, who lives in Germany?
While working at her café, Roku-san spotted Japanese coins — a 10-yen and a 500-yen piece — in a customer's wallet; when she said in German "Aren't those Japanese coins?", the customer turned out to be a Japanese speaker who had once lived in Japan, and on the way out gave her the 500-yen coin and said "I love Japan" in Japanese.
What does Mai-san's story reveal about the essence of happiness?
On her way to see someone she liked, small happy moments kept stacking up — riding a Pokémon train, the sea outside the window, then a text from a friend saying the café latte she had recommended was delicious — and Peco summed up the lesson: catching moments like "an egg that cooks perfectly" or "air that just smells good" in your heart and feeling happy about them is the real thing, and that accumulation is what makes life happiest.
What happened during Honami-san's first solo trip abroad?
A 15-year Ariana Grande fan, Honami-san secured a resale ticket and flew solo to London; after returning home, a welfare check call from Otani-san revealed she had left her key stuck in the front door the entire time — but nothing was stolen, giving her one more reason to feel happy: "Japan really is a great country."
What did Tomo-san realize from her painful matchmaking experience?
After a matchmaking connection was ended via a single LINE message with the excuse "I don't have the bandwidth," Tomo-san realized she has two best friends she can call the moment things get hard, vent to without holding back, and who are always on her side — and she credited their presence with letting her switch gears without carrying a grudge.
The Show's 2nd Anniversary and the Birth of "Happy News"
Two years in, Peco and Jessica stepped into their third year together — and neither of them dreads recording mornings anymore. "I'm not scared of them at all; I actually love them. I get excited the night before," Peco said. She also marveled at the reality of being stopped by strangers on the street with an "I listen to Peco and Jessica" — something she said she "really never imagined." Because the two met for the very first time through the podcast, this anniversary also marked what they called their "first-ever friend anniversary."
The milestone gave birth to a new segment: "Happy News." Jessica had previously floated the idea that "there should be a news program that only covers good things," and the production team turned that pitch into reality — inviting listeners, known as PJs, to send in their own happy news for Peco and Jessica to read aloud.
A Chance International Exchange at a German Café (Roku-san)
Roku-san, who lives in Germany and works at a café, noticed Japanese coins — a 10-yen and a 500-yen piece — mixed in among the change in a customer's wallet during checkout. She said in German, "Aren't those Japanese coins?" and discovered the customer was a Japanese speaker who had once lived in Japan. On the way out, the customer handed her the 500-yen coin and said, "I love Japan" — in Japanese. Still adjusting to life abroad as a first-time emigrant, Roku-san said the chance encounter warmed her heart.
Peco and Jessica related immediately. "Out of all the countries in the world, the fact that someone specifically loves Japan — that feels like fate," they said. "Hearing Japanese overseas makes me want to cry." They also reflected that encounters like this make them want to "not be an embarrassment" as Japanese people when they travel.
"This Is What Happiness Feels Like" — Small Joys Stacking Up (Mai-san & Mugi-san)
Mai-san's happy news: on a day off, she was heading to see someone she liked, riding a Pokémon-themed train with the sea visible outside the window under a clear sky. Midway through the trip, a friend texted to say "That café latte you recommended was delicious — thank you." Small happy moments kept arriving one after another until she felt "immensely happy." Peco drew out the lesson: "You don't need something big. Whether an egg cooks just right or the air simply smells good, being able to catch those things in your heart and feel happy about them is true happiness. And that accumulation is what makes life happiest of all."
Mugi-san's happy news came from her first-grade classroom. At the end of a parent-teacher conference, she asked her student, "Is there anything you want to tell me?" After a long pause, the child broke into a huge smile and said: "I love you. That's all." Peco and Jessica were stopped in their tracks. "She must be such a good teacher," they said. "Kids are honest — they notice everything. This story is really about what a wonderful person Mugi-san is."
A Solo Trip Abroad — and an Unexpected Discovery (Honami-san)
Honami-san, a 15-year Ariana Grande fan, secured a resale ticket and made her very first solo trip overseas — a quick dash to London. The concert was everything she had hoped for. Back home, though, a welfare check call from Otani-san revealed she had left her key stuck in the front door the entire time she was away. Nothing had been stolen, leaving Honami-san with yet another warm feeling to hold onto: "Japan really is a great country."
The story prompted Peco to share her own adventure: a solo seven-hour trip from Osaka to Yamanakako for a ONE OK ROCK acoustic live. She missed the last train and ended up at a mountain cottage in the middle of nowhere, riding through a dark mountain road in a taxi thinking "I might actually get killed" — but she arrived safely and had a wonderful time.
When Matchmaking Fails and Reminds You Who Matters (Tomo-san)
Tomo-san had a matchmaking connection ended with a single LINE message: the man said he "didn't have the bandwidth." It stung and made her angry. But working through that pain led her to realize she has two best friends she can call the moment things get hard, vent to without holding back, and who are always in her corner no matter what. After crying freely, she was able to flip the switch — "What's done is done, no point staying mad" — and she credited her best friends entirely for that.
Jessica revealed she had gone through something similar just three days earlier. When she called her best friend, that friend read aloud notes she had already written down about her feelings for Jessica — and it made Jessica cry "harder than I had in a long time." Both hosts landed on the same conclusion: "Even though we didn't grow up together, having someone who just gets it the moment they pick up the phone — that means everything."
Takeaways
- Listener stories from Germany, a first-grade classroom, London, and a matchmaking app showed that the most moving moments of everyday life are small, unexpected, and often arrive by pure chance.
- Peco distilled the episode's theme into one idea: happiness is not a single big event but the accumulation of small moments — a perfectly cooked egg, fresh air, a kind text — that you actually notice and let land.
- Two difficult experiences — Honami-san's accidental unlocked-door trip and Tomo-san's abrupt rejection — each turned into a reminder of something good, proving that hard moments can quietly illuminate what matters most.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.