Walk the Talk

Time flies, and this year marks my 47th year in the nightlife bar business. By the time the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics conclude, it will be 50 years. I’ve made it this far because I always say, “I’ll do it.” When I was 20, I started helping at my sister-in-law’s bar, “Lindbergh.” Initially, I found it tiresome to work at the bar, but a senior colleague told me, “A beautiful person can stay quiet, but most people need to be liked by customers to make a living.” That remark ignited my competitive spirit, and I spared no effort to make many customers like me. Four years later, I took over “Lindbergh.”

I am a firm believer in walking the talk. If you don’t say it, you won’t act on it. If you don’t declare your intentions, you might end up not doing anything, and if you keep saying “I’ll do it” but achieve nothing, people will get angry or disappointed and say, “Hey, you’re all talk!” I dislike that.

Similarly, when I started ‘Nakasu Tsushin,’ I declared that I would do it. I launched it as a monthly magazine to promote Nakasu’s culture and served as its editor-in-chief for 30 years. The beginning was extremely challenging. There’s even a saying about “three-issue magazines,” indicating how tough it is to continue something. I made a serious promise with the newspaper folks who frequented my bar, saying, “If Nakasu Tsushin doesn’t last 30 years, I’ll do anything. But if it does, you all have to shave your heads.” In 2011, Nakasu Tsushin celebrated its 30th anniversary. By then, those newspaper folks, who were in their 40s at the time of the promise, were already in their 70s. Even if I wanted to make them shave their heads, they would just laugh and say, “We’re already bald!” (laughs).

Meeting and Connecting with People

Meeting and talking to people is the best way to learn, far surpassing information gathered from books or the internet. By meeting people directly and listening to various stories, I gain new knowledge. The excitement and surprise from these experiences become valuable lessons that I can share with others, enhancing my own growth. Perhaps, in a way, I am a missionary of communication.

I believe I meet more people than anyone else. Even on a slow day, I meet at least 30 people, and on busy days, the number exceeds 100. Depending on the job or department, some might meet only around 10 new people a day, and for others, meeting a new person might happen once a month. One of the joys of the nightlife bar business is the opportunity to meet many people. Sometimes, despite my experience, I encounter situations where I just don’t click with someone. In such cases, I rely on the many women working at the bar. As the manager, I don’t need to handle everything myself. Compatibility is not something I choose; it’s up to the other person. Letting things happen naturally is the best approach.

Introducing customers to each other follows the same principle. Even if I think they might get along well in business and suggest, “You should meet that person,” I sometimes get responses like, “Why do I have to meet them?” It’s strange, but sometimes, even when I think my intuition was wrong, things turn out well after a while. When I connect people and they both benefit, I simply ask them to come back to the bar for a drink. That’s really all I need. I don’t expect anything in return.

Thoroughbred of the Nightlife Business

When I was in elementary school, the scars of war were still very visible. Fortunately, I was able to attend school, but many children were sent to work in factories on mass employment trains. Compared to that, many of today’s university students attend college on their parents’ money. Most of them probably spend their part-time job earnings only on their own leisure activities. From the perspective of our generation, today’s youth seem quite sheltered. However, it’s wrong to say they’re not as capable as people from the past. There’s a significant difference in motivation between those who do things on their own and pave their own way, and those who live off parental support while freely pursuing their interests and attending school. I believe people who have gone through tough times tend to have a stronger drive to accomplish things through their own efforts.

Personally, I’ve never found myself in dire straits in business. I attribute this to not being greedy. Although I’ve faced hardships and debt, I’ve managed to grow my business gradually without overextending myself. I call myself a “thoroughbred of the nightlife business” because of this approach.

People Are What Matters Most

Now that I’m 71, I don’t feel the urge to take on new challenges. However, in an era where opportunities to drink and socialize have diminished, I want to create a place where people can easily drop in and enjoy themselves. We differentiate our lounge “Lindbergh” and the members-only club “Royal Box” by their pricing, hoping that young people who grow up with “Lindbergh” will eventually move up to “Royal Box” as they mature. Personally, I’ve also stepped up gradually since I first opened my own establishment, constantly evolving. I don’t like staying the same. Our customers age, too, so keeping the same format I started with at 24 wouldn’t match their needs anymore.Some who started with “Lindbergh” may explore other venues but often return. For those who once used our services for entertaining clients and now want a place to drink alone, we’ve opened a small five-square-meter bar. It’s important not just to change but to keep evolving.

I don’t sell anything tangible. Selling intangible experiences is the hardest. If it’s a car, you sell a car; if it’s whiskey, you sell whiskey. But when it comes to making people think, “I want to go to that place,” it’s all about the people. In the world of nightlife, the most crucial element is the people themselves.

June 2017, at the members-only club “Royal Box”.Translated by ILI Inc.