One night out in Tokyo

Because the final trains go away the central hubs of Shinjuku and Shibuya for the suburbs, a lot of town heads house. Nonetheless, Tokyo by no means sleeps. Economics reporter Elizabeth Beattie comes on the present to debate a narrative she wrote in regards to the companies that hold night-time Tokyo buzzing.

Hosted by Shaun McKenna and produced by Dave Cortez.

On this episode:

Shaun McKenna: Articles | Twitter | Instagram

Elizabeth Beattie: Articles | Twitter

Johan Brooks: Instagram

Learn extra:

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Transcript word: Deep Dive is made to be listened to, and we suggest this transcript be used as an accompaniment to the episode. This transcript has been generated utilizing a mixture of speech recognition software program and human transcription, and should include errors. Please examine its accuracy in opposition to the episode.

Shaun McKenna 00:03

Welcome to Deep Dive from The Japan Instances. I am Shaun McKenna.

So, along with doing this podcast for The Japan Instances, this summer time I additionally took over modifying duties for the weekend Longform part. That is the place we publish longer-than-usual options, most of which find yourself turning into the matters for this podcast.

After I began this new position, I edited a bit titled “Stakeout Diary” by Alex Okay.T. Martin, which I like to recommend trying out if you have not already. Alex wrote about this stash of pictures found in Jimbocho of some detectives from postwar Tokyo who had been on the hunt for a Japanese serial killer. And the detectives had been so fashionable, and so they find yourself influencing trend designers in Europe. Nonetheless, Alex needed to unravel the precise case that they had been engaged on. So he wrote about that a part of the story. Then, simply the opposite week, we printed a journey piece titled “My annual pilgrimage to Okinawa,” which was written by photojournalist Lance Henderson. It was heartfelt and introspective, and I feel that is the most effective issues in regards to the Longform part. It permits writers the area to craft extra experiential, experimental and generally even emotional tales. One Longform story that took benefit of this area not too long ago was a bit by Japan Instances economics reporter Elizabeth Beattie, titled, “After final practice in Tokyo, a second metropolis involves life.” And Elizabeth is becoming a member of me right now to speak about how this glimpse into Tokyo nightlife took place.

Elizabeth, welcome again to Deep Dive.

Elizabeth Beattie 01:36

Thanks, Shaun.

Shaun McKenna 01:37

So the place did you initially get the concept for this story?

Elizabeth Beattie 01:40

So for a short time I needed to look into Tokyo’s night time time economic system. Tokyo has a really iconic nightlife scene however like each huge metropolis on the planet this quietened through the pandemic, though Tokyo did not impose a harsh lockdown like different cities, like Melbourne or Wellington, the place I am initially from. With tourism beginning again up, I assumed it was a great alternative to examine in on the state of Tokyo’s nightlife.

Shaun McKenna 02:04

Really, final week, we bought some information on how this return of worldwide tourism is affecting the economic system, did not we?

Elizabeth Beattie 02:10

Sure, so Japan’s GDP, the gross home product, grew by 6%. This was partly as a result of weak yen, which boosted demand for Japanese exports. However the weak yen additionally performed a component in tourism restoration, as many guests from overseas are actually benefiting in the case of cheaper motels and cheaper costs in Japan total. So that you might need seen your pals coming from abroad and speaking about what an affordable place Tokyo is to journey about for the time being. Proper now, Japan is much cheaper than it was to journey round.

Shaun McKenna 2:39

Sure, that is very true.

Elizabeth Beattie 02:40

I feel these statistics are crucial, however generally they could be a bit dry whenever you’re merely reporting on them. I actually like engaged on tales that inform that financial story, but in addition sort of make the problems extra relatable to readers by speaking in regards to the individuals behind them. So for this piece on the night time economic system, I favored the concept of sitting a bit of reportage on the individuals which might be out at night time as an opportunity to seize a distinct aspect of Tokyo that many people residing right here do not encounter as a result of we’re, we’re asleep, principally.

Shaun McKenna 03:08

We’ll get into the weather that you just reported on in additional element later. However, simply an summary, you checked out worldwide enterprise — particularly, you spoke with a lawyer who labored with an American agency, so he would generally function in accordance with a distinct time zone, basically. Then there was the nightlife business and really late within the night time or very early within the morning, relying by yourself sleeping habits, the fish market in Toyosu, did you set out desirous to give attention to these areas particularly?

Elizabeth Beattie 03:36

Partially sure, I feel fairly early you and I got here to the conclusion that Tokyo is a big metropolis. There’s so many issues you’ll be able to write about right here. We sort of mentioned the food-service business, karaoke, we mentioned manga kissa, that are these all night time bookstore slash cafes that lots of people find yourself spending the night time in

Shaun McKenna 03:55

The individuals who keep there are sometimes referred to in Japanese as netto kafe nanmin, which interprets to web cafe refugees.

Elizabeth Beattie 04:02

Just a little bleak, however yeah, everybody has their very own expertise of that Tokyo nightlife. So there’s countless tales that would actually signify that. In order that’s the place you got here in Shaun, through the brainstorming session, I keep in mind you suggesting perhaps we decide these 5 completely different situations and they’d kind vignettes which might enable us to current the story as an evening in Tokyo and likewise slim down what we’re taking a look at and sort of give the piece construction can also be a approach of getting it character pushed.

Shaun McKenna 04:30

Yeah, it actually appeared overwhelming to try to do every thing that we needed to do. I knew I needed to seize a summer time vibe, particularly Tokyo’s summer time vibe — one that might be just like the summers that I skilled in Tokyo in my 20s and 30s.

Elizabeth Beattie 04:44

You’re sporting shorts for the time being. Yeah, one other reference I keep in mind you mentioning which served as a little bit of an inspiration for this piece was Jim Jarmusch’s “Night time on Earth.”

Shaun McKenna 04:59

Yeah, “Night time on Earth” is a movie from 1991 by the celebrated American filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. And it has 5 completely different scenes that happen in taxi rides in 5 completely different cities: Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Rome and Helsinki. The cab rides all happen at the very same time. However due to the completely different time zones, we get totally completely different situations. And the primary one in LA stars Gena Rowlands and a really younger Winona Ryder, however the movie additionally stars Roberto Benigni, Rosie Perez and Giancarlo Esposito.

Elizabeth Beattie 05:47

Yeah, I feel the Winona Ryder one was my favourite.

Shaun McKenna 05:50

Yeah, she’s a legend.

Elizabeth Beattie 05:51

So as soon as we had the construction and the inspiration, we mapped out how we might cowl the piece. And I keep in mind early on you sort of wheeling out this Glen Beck-style whiteboard you had with you. And sort of mapping out the completely different sort of routes and components of town.

Shaun McKenna 06:03

You realize, whiteboards are a necessary a part of any journalist’s toolkit.

Elizabeth Beattie 06:07

And I really feel like I’ve to say you are, you are nothing like Glen Beck. There’s similarities within the attachment to the whiteboard.

Shaun McKenna 06:14

Yeah. I imply, the whiteboard helped us determine that we lacked bookends to the piece, proper? So we got here up with the concept of beginning the piece on the name for final practice and ending it with the primary practice of the morning. Elizabeth, you’ve got been in Japan for a yr, you had been in Hong Kong earlier than that. Have you ever had the push for the final practice expertise that you just described seeing at the beginning of your piece?

Elizabeth Beattie 06:33

Effectively, in Hong Kong, it is slightly bit completely different. In Hong Kong, the trains do cease round midnight or 1 a.m. However as a result of taxis are lots cheaper than they’re in Tokyo and town is rather more compact. That rush is much much less intense than it’s right here. OK, the closest factor in Hong Kong is definitely the push to catch the final ferry out to Lamma Island, which is the small outlying Island, as a result of there’s actually no approach house in case you miss that ferry. So I have been having drinks with a pal who was sort of pounding the pavement making an attempt to catch that ferry. And, you realize, as you are working into different buddies, they’re making an attempt to entice you to cease and you’ve got these sort of whack-a-mole temptations alongside the way in which house.

Shaun McKenna 07:12

No, no!

Elizabeth Beattie 07:13

Yeah precisely, I feel that was most likely probably the most related in Hong Kong. Regardless that I have been in Tokyo for a yr, I’ve skilled the final practice run. I am not an enormous partier, am I making myself sound like an enormous partier? But it surely simply actually feels sort of triumphant whenever you make it onto the practice. It is the little wind sort of to finish within the night time.

Shaun McKenna 07:35

Yeah, I truly suppose you realize, you are a real Tokyoite whenever you’ve calculated the route you could take to get as shut as potential to your house with the newest potential mixture of trains.

Elizabeth Beattie 07:46

For positive. Even that concept of the final practice is sort of attention-grabbing. There’s all these theories about why it stops when it does. And slightly attention-grabbing indisputable fact that I did not embody within the story is seemingly the rationale why Tokyo has a final practice is so upkeep might be carried out, the railway system throughout that point. Japanese trains normally are actually famend for working on time. In order that’s one other a part of the night time economic system that I might have cherished to have gone into in a bit extra element, however I suppose we will put it aside for a future article.

Shaun McKenna 08:26

OK, beginning with the piece, we talked slightly about final trains earlier than the break, from there we head to the Marunouchi enterprise district, and also you spoke with a lawyer named Michiro Nishi.

Elizabeth Beattie 08:37

Sure. So Mitch works for worldwide companies and he is reported to workplaces in each New York and London. In summer time when it is 10 p.m. in Tokyo, it is 2 p.m. in London and 9 a.m. in New York, so fairly a major distinction to that point distinction implies that he generally wants to remain out previous the purpose of the final practice.

Shaun McKenna 08:56

Are there many different companies working on this approach in Tokyo?

Elizabeth Beattie 08:59

Effectively, the rise of video conferences through the pandemic made it rather less crucial. We noticed extra individuals working from house throughout that point, however Japanese companies have since from what I’ve heard and no matter it largely returned again to the workplace. Nonetheless, there’s that tradition of video conferences that continues to be. So when individuals do have an after hours dedication or a late night time work dedication, they do not essentially have to remain within the workplace to do this.

Shaun McKenna 09:23

Yeah, that is one good factor that got here out of the pandemic. In fact, which means there must be some sort of economic system to assist help these people who find themselves working previous final practice, proper? Like they can not all reside off Household Mart’s fried rooster on a regular basis … or can they?

Elizabeth Beattie 09:40

I imply, it’s a problem I would not thoughts. However apparently sufficient, Mitch had stated he has to entertain extra visiting shoppers and colleagues, you realize, because the borders are opening, we’re seeing that circulation of worldwide journey much more. And meaning for Mitch that he’s taking them out to eating places or izakaya pubs. I discussed earlier than that there weren’t these harsh lockdowns in Tokyo, however nonetheless eating places had been abiding by requests to shut early and cease serving alcohol late within the night time. So though there weren’t these strict lockdowns, the variety of izakayas dropped fairly drastically from round 7,200 in December of 2019 to I imagine it is 5,844 by the top of 2021. And that is regardless of authorities help.

Shaun McKenna 10:25

So Mitch has much less choices in the case of izakaya. What about eating places?

Elizabeth Beattie 10:30

Effectively, they Tokyo Shoku Analysis discovered that there have been 842 restaurant bankruptcies throughout Japan in 2020, which eclipsed the variety of bankruptcies there have been within the wake of the Nice East Japan Earthquake of 2011.

Shaun McKenna 10:44

So the pandemic actually took a toll on the meals service business.

Elizabeth Beattie 10:48

It did, but it surely actually simply exacerbated a pattern that was already underway. There have been these two points that had began lengthy earlier than the pandemic. And so they’re the excessive price of hire in Tokyo and staffing shortages. So we have seen staffing shortages additionally hit the lodge business, for instance.

Shaun McKenna 11:04

At round 2 a.m. you end up in Shinjuku Ni-chome, which is called Tokyo’s LGBTQ neighborhood, and also you’re chatting with some individuals out for the night time.

Elizabeth Beattie 11:15

Yeah, so I met this very pleasant group of younger individuals who had been sort of deciding what membership to go to. And so they very kindly agreed to speak to me, they had been very eager for me to return and be a part of them on their night time out. However in addition they supplied sort of slightly snapshot of the nightlife and the night time scene there. So yeah, it was a enjoyable interview for positive, though I used to be fully sober.

Shaun McKenna 11:37

Good, very skilled. After which as a part of this part, you additionally spoke to the Japan Nighttime Economic system Affiliation. What does that group do?

Elizabeth Beattie 11:45

The JNEA promotes the nighttime economic system and speaks to different cities world wide on the lookout for concepts about the way to finest actualize a thriving night time economic system. As an illustration, they spoke to me slightly in regards to the Kabukicho Tower, which opened in April. It is a 48-storey constructing, which incorporates eating places, cinemas and a nightclub.

Shaun McKenna 12:04

A nightclub?

Elizabeth Beattie 12:06

Effectively, sure, nightclubs had been hit as onerous as eating places and izakaya had been through the pandemic, so the JNEA is hoping to convey that facet of Tokyo again to life. I spoke to Director Tak Umezawa, and he talked about how the group is making an attempt to struggle again in opposition to this evil status the nighttime economic system bought through the pandemic.

Shaun McKenna 12:23

Evil?

Elizabeth Beattie 12:24

Yeah, so when individuals had been flouting the antivirus precautions, there was a notion that that is when COVID-19 was actually aggressively sort of spreading in all kinds of locations. Umezawa identified that builders have been beginning to come round with the concept to the high-class workplace areas aren’t sufficient to attract individuals into town heart, that you just additionally want some sort of cultural attraction, too.

Shaun McKenna 12:44

OK, so like some areas of Tokyo, just like the enterprise districts, they sort of threat this status of being thought of chilly and uninviting, whereas the locations with like nightlife areas or sort of some type of life at night time are seen as charming.

Elizabeth Beattie 13:00

Yeah, and to convey it again to these 4 individuals I spoke to in Ni-chome, Umezawa famous that it was additionally an vital facet of the nightlife business, bringing collectively the LGBTQ group to congregate. In any other case, he identified in case you’re LGBTQ and also you’re in an workplace, you won’t be out to your colleagues. So this type of protected area permits concepts to kind, permits individuals to sort of be their actual selves. It additionally results in broader modifications in tradition, whether or not it is by the formation of bands, media, activist teams — which then go on to alter legal guidelines within the nation too.

Shaun McKenna 13:33

Proper, OK, lastly, we finish your night time on the Toyosu fish market. What’s the night time economic system that is taking place right here?

Elizabeth Beattie 13:40

It is a little blurry, as a result of to some it is extra of a really, very early morning economic system. Fishing is an business that is largely male, however nonetheless counts ladies amongst them, the fishing business is definitely making an attempt to draw extra ladies into the area as effectively. However this type of is a phase that sits out to sea early, like perhaps 1 or 2 a.m. And it is vital to notice that the workforce itself is dwindling, which matches again to that time I discussed about them making an attempt to encourage larger inclusivity is partially to fight this dwindling workforce. In 2020 staff from the sector had been down 6.3%, in accordance with authorities numbers, however on the identical time, the demand for Japanese seafood nonetheless stays actually excessive. So as soon as they get there catch of the day, they convey it again to Toyosu fish market, which is near Tokyo Bay, it’s then bought on to town’s eating places on the 5 a.m. public sale.

Shaun McKenna 14:40

You realize, you discuss lots in regards to the tourism impact right here, too.

Elizabeth Beattie 14:44

Sure, I’ve heard the story trying on the fishing business itself would eat up all my phrases. It is a very fascinating a part of Japan’s economic system in itself. So as an alternative, I regarded on the context of this and an evening out in Tokyo. And the fish market is a part of that for a lot of vacationers. These fish come again to Toyosu and so they’re auctioned off and the general public can collect to observe this public sale. So I spoke to some vacationers who had been visiting Tokyo and for them watching the public sale gave them an opportunity to see slightly snapshot of Tokyo life.

Shaun McKenna 15:11

And the fishers we’re coping with right here. They’re out south of Japan, I feel. And so they aren’t the fishers which were hit onerous on Japan’s east coast because the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, we truly spoke to Mara Budgen about them and the anticipated launch of wastewater from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant final month previous to the announcement that the water can be launched right now.

Elizabeth Beattie 15:33

Proper. So it is a robust business for a lot of causes, but it surely’s additionally an important phase of Japan’s economic system. And to be able to sort of get slightly piece of that, or witness slightly piece of that, some vacationers will keep up all night time, or stand up very early within the morning to catch the public sale, after which have a meal. An expertise I positively suggest.

Elizabeth Beattie 16:02

So once I’m engaged on a function story, naturally, I start to consider the sorts of pictures that may associate with it. And for this piece, Shaun, you managed to get Johan Brooks to take the images for us, which is superior.

Johan Brooks 16:13

My title is Johan Brooks, and I am a photojournalist based mostly out of Tokyo. I am a contributing photographer for The Japan Instances, and I’ve lived in Japan for about 14 years now.

Shaun McKenna 16:23

Yeah, I have been following Johan’s work for some time on Instagram, and he makes a speciality of road pictures. I assumed that is likely to be finest for this type of story. I imply, you are grabbing tales from the road, so it is smart that you’d seize visuals from the streets, too.

Johan Brooks 16:38

So this text, it has all these completely different individuals, proper? We did like a photograph shoot of a lawyer working late in his workplace in Otemachi. In order that’s like one half — very, very completely different from the remaining. The remainder is extra road pictures, proper. So I might be out in Shibuya fairly late at night time up till the final practice, making an attempt to search for individuals working or simply individuals having fun with the night time, and simply the distinction between the 2 actually. I feel there’s one picture that was used and it has — on the left aspect — it has a younger girl, I feel she’s ready for her pal simply in entrance of a bar, and on the suitable aspect, there’s an older gentleman working inside what I imagine is an izakaya and he is ready for purchasers. We’ve got two individuals at very completely different levels of their lives, ready for one thing, very various things. I feel it brings the article collectively in that approach, you realize, completely different lives being lived so shut collectively.

Elizabeth Beattie 17:41

He had one photograph particularly that I actually cherished. It was of those two ladies wearing night robes working throughout the Shibuya scramble to catch the final practice. And it felt very cinematic too, which is why I actually love this picture.

Shaun McKenna 17:54

He had one other one among this man exhaling smoke from a cigarette outdoors a Household Mart Shibuya. I actually favored that one.

Johan Brooks 18:01

I sort of consider road pictures as photojournalism’s little brother. Whereas photojournalism is extra structured and generally ventures extra into the extremes of life and variety, road pictures makes an attempt to seize the traditional, the on a regular basis, in visually interesting methods. I’ve lived in varied cities and locations in England. I grew up in New York Metropolis, proper. However Tokyo is simply … I simply find it irresistible. Regardless of how homogeneous it’s there’s a lot variety right here, in a visible approach.

Shaun McKenna 18:31

Now, lastly, the final part of your article handled the primary practice. I’ve to say this will likely have been my favourite a part of the article since you made some attention-grabbing observations. What’s first practice in Tokyo like?

Elizabeth Beattie 18:44

Thanks, Shaun. Yeah, the primary practice is sort of just like the yin to the final practice yang, if that is smart. On the time of final practice, issues are noisy and chaotic and there is sort of this mad sprint for the station, however individuals who take the primary trains, both those that have been out all night time, they’re often very drained and sleepy, or they’re early birds seeking to hit out into the mountains and get began on a day of mountain climbing.

Shaun McKenna 19:09

Yeah, you wrote in regards to the indicators of life beginning to stir on the practice stations as they open up and so that you get these sounds from the ticket gates like these digital dings. And Tokyo additionally has this factor that if a baby walks by the ticket gate, it will sound like a chicken chirp, after which they’ve chicken sounds for basic ambiance within the precise station — truly I feel they’re to stop individuals from killing themselves however yeah, it but it surely’s it seems like a forest anyway. And I actually favored that you just likened these digital sounds to the sounds of a forest coming to life within the morning. I like that picture.

Elizabeth Beattie 19:45

There’s such an attention-grabbing second of calm because the to sort of Tokyo’s meet one another that 5 a.m. morning. The trains are actually quiet, town is absolutely quiet, but it surely would not keep that approach for lengthy as a result of if it is a weekday there will be a chaotic morning rush hour. However at that second, every thing’s sort of peaceable and slightly bit dreamy. And there is these, such as you stated all these little chirps and ambient sounds.

Shaun McKenna 20:08

And in 18 hours the cycle will repeat itself.

Elizabeth Beattie 20:12

The cycle will repeat itself, yeah.

Shaun McKenna 20:14

Elizabeth, thanks very a lot for coming again on Deep Dive to speak about this story with us.

Elizabeth Beattie 20:19

Thanks for having me, Shaun.

Shaun McKenna 20:24

My thanks once more to Elizabeth, make sure you take a look at her piece titled “After final practice in Tokyo, a second metropolis involves life” at japantimes.co.jp. She additionally wrote an attention-grabbing piece on Elon Musk’s Starlink system. I am going to put a hyperlink to that within the present notes, too.

Elsewhere within the information, beginning at 1:03 p.m. On Thursday, Japan started the controversial discharge of handled tritium laced water from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear energy plant, a significant step within the decommissioning course of for the vegetation reactors, which had been hit by a triple meltdown following the March 2011 earthquake-triggered tsunami. Between 200 and 210 cubic meters of water will probably be launched on Thursday, however Tepco is aiming to lift the each day discharge quantity to roughly 460 cubic meters. Japan’s neighbors have remained blended of their response to the discharge of the water. China has remained firmly against the plan whereas the Philippines has expressed understanding. South Korean Prime Minister Han Duk-soo known as on Japan on Thursday to transparently disclose details about the discharge of contaminated water over the following 30 years. And after saying that it will try and launch a spy satellite tv for pc inside an eight-day timeframe on Tuesday, North Korea failed in its try to take action on Thursday morning. It was the reclusive nation’s second try in lower than three months. The North’s official Korean Central Information Company reported it will strive once more in October.

Deep Dive from The Japan Instances is produced by Dave Cortez. The outgoing observe is by Oscar Boyd and our theme music is by the Japanese artist LLLL. I am Shaun McKenna, podtsukaresama.