Day in the Life of a Japanese All-Night Izakaya Restaurant Worker

this is a day in the life of a Japanese allight isaka [Music] worker this is Yuka 35 years old living in central Tokyo and this is how she typically starts her day a little later than most in Japan as she was working till 5:00 a.m. this [Music] morning unlike many single Japanese her age she owns this one LDK apartment and comparatively speaking it's quite spacious for a home in the center of the city in fact only 36% of Japanese in the 30s own their own home and because it's hers she renovated it to suit her lifestyle how long does it take you to get ready so after earning her nutritionist license from a 2-year University in Tokyo she was able to secure a job at a kids Nursery as a nutritionist working there for several years her passion for the culinary arts deepened even more which led her to create her own cooking classes taught in her own home and after 8 years has grown to about 300 students but this was just a stepping stone for her to make her dream come true you ordered rice oh r on now she prepares her breakfast oh she's using ad donabe a traditional Japanese clay pot to cook her rice despite Japan's Relentless Pursuit and continuous advancements in high-tech rice cookers there's been somewhat of a growing Trend in the domestic culinary industry to cook rice in the more traditional method cool she's having leftovers from her cooking class typical Japanese Cuisine is often served as an an array of small dishes which can be timec consuming to prepare so it's fairly common for these dishes to be prepared in advance to save time in the morning hey Huka it seems like you like [Music] sake yeah not much huh now she chooses her work outfit a traditional Japanese kimono it's very uncommon for young women in Japan to wear it as everyday attire but again her job is a little different than most so how many kimonas do you have damn they're not cheap right oh I see so which one is the most expensive that one so how much does it cost fair enough I guess she's just going to bring the Obi and use another kimono she already has at the restaurant okay the rice is ready oh you can made a traditional Japanese breakfast following the principles called ichiu sunai it literally means one soup three dishes which for Japanese ensures a well-rounded meal centered around a bowl of rice delivering a harmonious balance of nutrition and visual [Music] appeal it usually takes her 30 minutes to commute by train but today she has extra stuff to carry to work so she decides to take a taxi instead good afternoon everyone I'm back with another day in life this one is going to be a little different than the ones we always have because well it's the afternoon right now and we are starting later than usual to be honest with you I don't know how I'm going to make it through this one but we're just going to have to see anyway Yuka should be arriving shortly good afternoon did you sleep well oh no you got the rest of the night ahead of [Music] you and this is her workplace Ginza kin an allight is aaya restaurant that offers traditional Homestyle Japanese Cuisine with a wide selection of alcohol in one of the most opulent areas of Tokyo [Music] Ginza she built this shop from nothing and now she serves as the Okami which means she's a head lady in charge with 15 hardworking staff she provides heartwarming food and entertainment to her customers each and every night the early ship workers start to prepare beforehand just in time so she can check the dishes when she arrives ensuring that each dish created meets a high quality standard she's put in [Music] place next she does kitsuke the art of wearing a kimono for a typical Japanese person the process is quite intense intimidating and can take up to 1 hour for someone with experience and up to 2 hours for beginners it's such a challenge that often Japanese will simply pay a skilled expert to dress them so how long does it take you to wear a kimono wow that fast in Japan kimonos used to be an everyday attire but shifted to a special occasion wear with the rise of Western fashion in the Tai show period despite this Yuka proudly wears one every day hoping to preserve the Heritage as kimono culture was lovingly passed down to her from her grandmother along with the art of traditional Japanese Cuisine she says that she's grateful for her grandmother who spent the time to teach her these things when growing up as she now looks forward in her own life hoping to influence future Generations the same way her grandmother did for her [Music] while the workers continue to prepare the food she has to go out to get her hair done at a nearby salon just a few minutes walk [Music] away her restaurant is located in the heart of the Ginza nanach ha District renowned for its abundance of Japanese Hostess clubs with many of the hostesses in the area either wearing dresses or kimonos just like Yuka as a result there are many specialized hair salons catering to the clientele discreetly tucked away in this neighborhood so how much does a styling [Music] cost oh and you have to do it every day nice is all your fake hair black oh okay you ask customers to return it okay oh really I guess she's done looking [Music] sharp are you going back now apparently tonight is the birthday of one of our regulars so she's picking up some champagne for the celebration I guess they're popping bottles [Music] tonight oh now she's back in the shop ah I guess they're switching shifts bye now you can perform the final check on the shop specialty Cuisine oai which are everyday Japanese side dishes made with seasonal ingredients originating from traditional Kyoto style home cooking the dishes are usually served in large bowls lined up on the Shop's countertop for customers to be able to see and choose so what exact L are you checking I see do you have a favorite dish yeah that one's excellent so yuku says that she's had a passion for cooking ever since she could remember which was quite the opposite of her mother who wasn't too fond of it but because of this she started making her own food as a kid stuff that she wanted to eat even going to a point to ask her family members to give her feedback on paper until the store opens in an hour she updates today's menu and takes care of the admin work like reservations ordering ingredients worker shift schedules and the Shop's finances you go what's the toughest part of starting your own business have you ever been in the red oh so you're good with numbers the rent must be crazy here how much is it I have an expensive imagination so it looks like you is working on the schedule right now so while she's doing that let's go around and talk to some of the people around here hi how long have you been working here oh so why did you decide to work here cool so which dish is the hardest to make apparently it requires two and a half hours to make two kinds of Dashi and the process needs to be repeated all day are you responsible for serving [Music] oh okay what did you do before this job I see what's the biggest difference oh so are you okay working late hours what's your shift like which zft do you like that's a great attitude thanks apparently all the workers here used to be a student in her cooking class when she announced that she was starting a restaurant many jumped at the chance to work along cider look they have a karaoke machine right here got the microphones the tablets and everything I guess later tonight we might be able to see everyone singing and this is the bathroom right here they have this cute little sink they have a Japanese washlet and it looks like down here they have some mouthwash and some [Music] [Music] toothpicks just a little before 5:00 p.m. she starts the final prep of the store and has a meeting with the workers they first discuss the menu items offered so that they're all on the same page and afterwards they review the reservation list since many of their customers are regulars you can makes it a point to share each customer's individual preferences on how they like to be served and catered to all part of Japanese amoi [Laughter] culture okay so before the restaurant even opens they're going to start drinking so I think this is going to be a fun night oh here comes the first customer dope it seems like the customer starting off with ass sorted obanai dishes at Japanese isaka restaurants it's customary to share multiple small dishes among the group while enjoying drinks the small dishes ensure that you don't fill up your stomach on food which is why isayas are often called Japanese drinking restaurants and why many Japanese will prefer gathering for drinks with friends at an isaka over a [Music] bar from here Yuka Cooks non-stop as the orders start to come in at the same time she ensures that all of the guests feel welcome so she also does entertaining and serving pretty much doing it all by 600 p.m. the shop seats are almost filled and you and the staff have to work even more efficiently to handle all the customer [Music] orders not only is she responsible for the restaurant's food menu but it's her job to have an expansive knowledge and understanding of all of the Sake Japanese rice wine that they offer as a drinking restaurant many of her customers rely on her to recommend bottles based on their preferences while also helping parent with their [Music] meals so it looks like youa is a little bit busy so while she's doing that let's go talk to some of the customers hi do you two come here often cool so what's your favorite dish I see and what are you drinking dope thanks hi can I ask you a few questions are you a regular here cool so what's your favorite dish here nice do you work in this area how do you know about this place ah she's a good marketer too oh Yuka is drinking with the customers in Japan's n life and Hostess culture it's typical for customers to buy the hostess and other staff drinks so that they can all enjoy the evening together while it's not as common for izakayas in general for smaller shops like this when the customers and the staff know each other well it's normal to receive drinks from the customers oh you can seeing a group of customers off now in Japan it's not only customary to welcome customers into the restaurant but also to see them off to show your appreciation and gratitude for their patronage it's right before 11: and the obanai dishes are starting to sell out that's the Shop's popular seasoned rice cooked in a Don Bowl I guess some customers are ordering their shim which is usually the last dish and marks the conclusion of a night of drinking typically in Japan it may consist of a rice or noodle dish and is eaten at the restaurant or sometimes at another restaurant like a bowl of ramen on the way home for some reason though I think at this all night isaka they're going to keep drinking so this place doesn't seem like a regular restaurant because the people here are actually like quite friendly with each other some of them know each other but then there's actually people just making new friends right now so it's kind of like a place where everybody knows your [Music] name at 11:00 p.m. the isaka turns into an all night K Bar how's everything going what's going to happen now oh yeah is the food FSH already at this time I love it okay so this place is getting a little bit turned up people are trying to sing drink a a little bit more well I guess they've been drinking for a while now so they're going to continue to drink and yeah I guess we'll just see how this night [Music] goes wow he's got a great voice in Japan singing K with friends is fairly typical as it's all a part of growing up one thing that may be different though is that depending on the situation like if you're in a Japanese Koke snack bar singing long in the background may be considered rude to the person singing who should have the spotlight on them it's even more crushing if you're singing it better than them I heard your famous around here you come here often is that what you're drinking cool around 11 :30 to midnight some customers will leave in order to catch the last train the customers who stay can either afford an expensive taxi ride home or simply plan a drink all through the night until the first train which starts around 5:00 a.m. oh one of the regulars gave Yuka a gift does this happen often in Japan tipping in restaurants and in general isn't customary in this case when a joden AKA regular wants to show their appreciation they usually will offer a wrapped gift like box snacks or fruits in fact offering unwrapped money like a tip can be considered rude and disrespectful as it may appear that The Giver thinks that they're better than the receiver so a thoughtful gift is a more culturally accepted gesture oh are you done I guess she's going to drink with her friends so as the Okami it's all on Yo whether the shops sees or not and she's keenly aware that above all it's her job to ensure that each customer enjoys their night no matter how she feels that day she takes pride in wholeheartedly putting the customers first and making them feel at home okay so it's getting pretty late I think you is going to be serving the customers here until 4:00 or 5 this morning and then after that she'll go home and probably go to sleep around 6:00 or 7: but that's pretty much a day in the life of a Japanese isaka worker if you guys want to help with the channel then definitely check out the hot sauce merch and if you guys want to see more videos like this or anything related to ja hit that subscribe button and the B button I'll catch you guys in the next one

Channel: Paolo fromTOKYO

Views: 1,841,069

Keywords: Paolo, Japan, tokyo, japanese food, day in the life, japanese restaurant, working in japan, japan food, living in japan, life in tokyo, japan life, day in the life japan, japan working hours, japanese worker, japan work culture, working in tokyo, tokyo hidden spots, tokyo late night bar, tokyo late night food, okami, japanese okami, japanese cuisine, izakaya, drinking culture in japan, japan culture, tokyo food, Japanese night worker, japan night worker, japan nightlife

Id: vYw9ibksThE

Length: 18min 36sec (1116 seconds)

Published: Sat Nov 18 2023