思ひで
1日が終わり
家路へと急ぐ人々
ただ、なにかやり残した
ような気がしてー
寄り道したい
夜もある
深夜食堂のマスター
Since November I’ve been doing translation work for a local company. While the job only requires me to handle translation issues for the Japanese working on the factory floor, I have been fortunate enough to frequently get out and work with them. It has been really rewarding and I am grateful for the experience of working with these really nice people. There are times though that I am basically sitting in an office waiting for any situation that may arise, and in these periods of down time, I have started watching a couple of shows that may be of interest.
Honestly, I don’t know exactly how this show ended up in my suggestion box, but the first show I watched is titled 深夜食堂, or “Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories” in English. It is based on a manga and the setting is a little bar similar to what you would find in Shinjuku’s ゴールデン街 (Golden-gai). The vignettes all revolve around the interesting characters that frequent an establishment only open from midnight to the early hours of the morning, and they all have some specific dish that fits into the narrative of the story. “People finish their day and hurry home. But sometimes they don’t want to go straight home, so, they drop in somewhere else on the way.” The show is a welcome diversion. I found the quirky characters refreshing and a counter to the narrative of homogeneity that is so often the portrayal of Japanese. I tend to think of Japanese as experts in adhering to the social constraints of “time, place, occasion” and the setting of the show allows for viewers to see a very different, and definitely more humanized version of Japan, even if the tropes are painted with a wide brush.
Once I finished the available episodes of Midnight Diner, new recommendations popped onto my list. The second show I have begun to watch is titled 野武士のグルメ, which is translated as “Samurai Gourmet.” It must have been the connection to food that led me to the show, but after giving it a chance, it is really quite interesting. The protagonist of the stories is a recently retired salaryman who makes discoveries about himself through adventures with food. It seems to focus on mindfulness and the meanings we connect to food as a masterless samurai pops into and out of the storyline to encourage remembrances of food. This series also stems from a manga, and I guess I’m really realizing how much I like the genre. It allows for quick and light stories that are reflective without getting bogged down in a lot of plot development.
Whether or not I’ll have time to watch more is somewhat beyond my control. I really do like getting out and helping out on the factory floor. There’s something satisfying to seeing completed products that you worked on. Who knows how long the company will need translators, and whether I’ll be able to continue helping. I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to spend watching these shows, but they have provided some mental relaxation and enjoyment. I appreciate the entertainment and insights they allow.