Japanese Documentary 72 Hours [Tokyo's Bookstore That Never Sleeps] Gemini Translation + Edit
(Narration) Tokyo, the city that never sleeps. On one corner, there’s a 24-hour bookstore—a rare find in the country these days.
(Man 1) It's just unique, you know? This bookstore. It's 24 hours even though there are no customers. I kept wondering why they stay open at night.
(Man 2) Seeing your favorite celebrity right in front of the shop puts you in a good mood (laughs).
(Narration) Who comes to a bookstore in the middle of the night? Each person arrives with a hunger for a chance encounter with a book. What are they holding on this deepening autumn night? We observed this sleepless bookstore for three days.
[Tokyo’s Bookstore That Never Sleeps]
(Narration) Near Ikebukuro, Tokyo. A short walk from Otsuka Station on the JR Yamanote Line. The bookstore is on the first floor of a building. Thursday, mid-October, 5:00 PM—filming begins. Inside, countless books are stacked. They say there are over 80,000. It's not as big as a mega-bookstore, but it has that 'neighborhood bookshop' vibe. Oh, there’s someone picking out a book.
(NHK) We’re from NHK. What kind of book are you reading right now?
(Man) I’m a realtor, so I’m looking at study books related to that... since I sell apartments.
(NHK) It feels like real estate prices are rising lately...
(Man) Well, yeah. I look for info in these books to understand why prices are going up.
(Narration) A real estate salesman who lives nearby. He says he stops by often, but...
(Man) Lately, I search the internet more, or watch book summaries on YouTube. It's hard to flip through a physical book while commuting, so I usually read e-books on my phone.
(NHK) And yet, you still come to the bookstore?
(Man) Right. For things like business books. I feel like it's easier to look at series that the staff recommend as 'best-sellers.' I stop by mainly to keep up with trends or for self-growth.
(Narration) This time, two people came together. They’re flipping through a magazine.
(NHK) We’re from NHK. (Women) Korea... / We’re foreigners...
(NHK) Are you here on a trip?
(Daughter) I live here, and my mom came to visit.
(Narration) A mother has come from Korea for the first time to visit her daughter working in Japan.
(Daughter) I told her, 'This is a shop I go to often, it's a bookstore,' and she said she wanted to see it.
(Daughter) She just said she wants to buy this book.
(Mother) Japanese food is very interesting and pretty...
(Daughter) There are beautiful photos, so she says she can use it for reference even if she doesn't know Japanese.
(Mother) It all looks delicious.
(Narration) The magazine is a gift for her mother.
(Narration) This man's eyes are fixed on...
(NHK) "What are you holding right now?"
(Man) "Bears... I heard bears have been showing up a lot lately."
(Narration) I see.
(Man) "This bookstore is a place to enjoy without a purpose."
(NHK) "What do you mean by that?"
(Man) "It's full of strange books. I always wonder what their criteria is for choosing books here."
(Narration) It seems they carry books rarely seen in typical neighborhood shops. There are definitely some intriguing titles.
['How to Walk the Backstreets of Southeast Asia']
(Man) "A book like this wouldn't show up in a keyword search... Actually, my job is related to searching. I've been building search systems since before Google existed."
(Narration) He’s worked on search engine systems at a major IT firm for a long time...
(Man) "I’ve worked so hard in the IT world where you search with keywords and a purpose... You can find things well enough. They give recommendations there too, but the industry is narrow. This bookstore is a completely different world."
(NHK) Like an encounter with something you didn't expect?
(Man) "Exactly. Exactly. Worldviews I never even thought of. You don't usually search for keywords like 'Confucianism,' do you?"
(Narration) It seems he had another encounter with a new world today.
Customers visit sporadically as the rain begins to fall at night.
(Man) I was feeling nostalgic for a unit called 'Tama' that appeared on a show called 'Ikasu Band Heaven'... because I’m old. I live near this streetcar line, but neighborhood bookstores are disappearing. One by one. Bookstores vanish, movie theaters vanish. Everything disappears eventually. All my young friends buy books on the internet. I guess it can't be helped."
(Narration) In the last 10 years, 30% of bookstores across the country have disappeared.
(Woman) "I really love 'Otona no Shūmatsu' (Adult’s Weekend). It's like a food report. It's too high-end for me to actually go, but it's eye candy. I'm still a student. Even though I'm 40."
(NHK) Oh? You’re a student?
(Woman) "My father passed away in a car accident, and I wanted to study the work he used to do. Today I've been sketching specimens for nearly 3 hours and my eyes hurt... but I still find myself wanting to read. Because I'm hungry [for knowledge]."
(Woman) "A bookstore at night is amazing. It makes me feel calm. I'm on my way home from a part-time job at an Izakaya, looking for a good book. Besides the Izakaya, I also do classical vocal performance. I get pretty hyped after my own concerts, and this bookstore is the only place I can go to cool down."
(Narration) She makes a living working part-time while performing as a vocalist.
(NHK) You do classical vocals? / (Woman) Yes, that's right.
(Woman) "I think only a tiny fraction of people can survive on this... it’s a path of thorns. But this place is truly a healing space for me at times like this."
(Narration) 12:00 AM. A staff member begins some work.
(NHK) What are you doing right now?
(Staff) I’m displaying new releases that go on sale at midnight tonight.
(NHK) That's a huge amount.
(Narration) Since they’re open 24 hours, they start selling the moment the release date hits... Ah, someone’s already here.
(NHK) Excuse me... ah, excuse me. We're from NHK. From what we saw, you were the first to grab a book...
(Man) "Yeah. 'Kingdom.' It's always great. I usually buy it here every time."
(Narration) Past 1:00 AM. Once the last train stopped, the area suddenly went quiet. ...Or so we thought, but someone came.
(NHK) Excuse me. What brings you here at this hour?
(Man) My work just ended.
(NHK) You just finished work?
(Man) Yes.
(NHK) Good work today. What kind of work do you do?
(Man) Let's just say... night work.
(NHK) Night work, I see. Heh! What are you looking for?
(Man) I'm looking for a book like Ultraman.
(Narration) Eh?
(Man) I came to buy a book for my kid.
(NHK) So that's why you're in the children's section?
(Man) That's right. That's right. (To staff) Excuse me, do you have something like an Ultraman encyclopedia? And a book about constellations too.
(Man) Ah, it’s like this.
(Staff) You can open it and take a look.
(Man) Oh, really?
(Narration) A book his five-year-old child wanted.
(NHK) Did you find it?
(Man) I found it.
(NHK) When are you going to give that to your child?
(Man) When they wake up today.
(NHK) What kind of conversations do you usually have with your child?
(Man) Only briefly in the morning... our schedules rarely match up.
(NHK) Your child will be so happy to get a book like this.
(Man) I hope so.
(Narration) Past 2:30 AM, two men enter... What are they buying at this hour?
(Man 1) A penmanship practice book.
(NHK) Why a book like that at this time?
(Man 2) We were talking about calligraphy, and he said he wanted to try it, so we came to buy a book I recommended.
(Man 1) I thought I wanted to practice writing beautifully. This is the first time in my life I've come looking for a book at this hour.
(Man 2) Usually, ideas pop into your head in the middle of the night, right? It was open, so we just came.
(NHK) What is the relationship between you two?
(Man 2) I used to run a golf school, and he was a student then. We’ve stayed in touch ever since.
(Narration) A reunion after a long time. It seems they talked deep into the night because he had something to consult about.
(Man 1) It was a time when I was worried about what to do if I had to quit my job... I'm taking a break from work due to an illness or injury, so I was asking for advice...
(NHK) What kind of injury did you have?
(Man 1) My back.
(NHK) Ah, your back...
(Narration) The programmer is currently on leave because he can't sit down due to a worsened hernia. There’s no set date for his return yet.
(Man 2) I really like calligraphy because it 'calms the mind,' and when I told him that, he said, 'Then I'll do it.'
(NHK) He’s very compliant.
(Man 2) He's a really gentle, compliant soul.
(Man 1) I'm hooked on calligraphy now. I’ll try doing it while standing up or something. I'll just give it a go.
(Man 2) Having pretty handwriting never hurt anyone.
(Man 1) I'll trust you on that.
(Narration) Whenever you make up your mind, the sleepless bookstore is there to welcome you.
(NHK) Goodbye. Thank you.
(Narration) Day 2 of filming, past 5:30 AM. As soon as dawn breaks, a customer arrives.
(NHK) That book you just grabbed so quickly, what is it? 'The New Yellow...'?
(Man) I'm a mystery and SF collector.
(NHK) Is that so! How many books do you have?
(Man) Ah, about 10,000.
(NHK) What?
(Man) My floor once collapsed under the weight.
(NHK) Woah, from the weight of the books?
(Narration) Incredible.
(Man) When I was young, I even worked at a bookstore register.
(NHK) Oh, I see. Heh! Then what do you do for work now?
(Man) Now I work at a construction site.
(Narration) He says he often stops by here after finishing his night shift. It seems he never goes anywhere without a book.
(Man) It's in my blood... I have to hit at least three bookstores a day or I feel off.
(NHK) In your blood?
(Man) Like a house where we'd buy three copies of the same Isaac Asimov book... for my dad, my eldest daughter... this was 40 years ago... that kind of house.
(Narration) Reading is deeply ingrained in his life rhythm.
(NHK) Are you going home today to...?
(Man) I'll sleep, and then this time I think I'll head to a bookstore in Akihabara.
(Narration) It’s now commuting hours. People are stopping by before work. Among them, someone walks in with a hurried pace...
(NHK) You ran in so fast... (Man) (laughs) I like these kinds of suspense books.
(NHK) 'Kumicho Deka' (Mob Boss Detective) (Man) (laughs)
(Man) I just finished work.
(NHK) After a night shift? (Man) Yes. (NHK) At a convenience store? (Man) Yes.
(Man) After work, I take care of my mother while working...
(Narration) To care for his 81-year-old mother, he works five night shifts a week.
(Man) A long time ago, I was a system engineer.
(NHK) That must have been a difficult decision to make.
(Man) My mother was always bright and healthy... she always spoke to me kindly and did so much for me since I was a kid, so I always wanted to take care of her...
(Narration) It was his choice, but his days are hectic with work and caregiving. He says a brief moment of reading is his current joy.
(Man) It’d be a disaster if I collapsed. So I buy books to change my mood (laughs). I like yakuza 'Ninkyo' series books, where yakuza members start an orchestra or help out people. I like the humorous ones.
(NHK) Do you like things that are cathartic?
(Man) I need to find a way to rest somewhere... because we have to keep living together for a long time...
(Narration) The time provided by books is supporting many different people.
(Narration) Before noon.
(NHK) Hello, we’re from NHK...
(Woman) I'm looking at books about work and my own mental health, like books on increasing self-affirmation.
(NHK) Is today your day off? (Woman) Yes, it's my day off.
(Woman) I'm a childcare worker. Right now, this book 'Crisis Escape Encyclopedia' is quite popular. The kids told me about it. 'The School's Great Crisis.' (NHK) These kinds of crises really matter to kids. (Woman) It's funny, I guess. Things that happen in daily life... it's like, 'Oh, this is fun.'
(NHK) You look at work-related things even on your day off?
(Woman) It stays on my mind... It's kind of a hobby, or rather, my work is my hobby.
(Narration) She’s very dedicated. We asked and found out she was a kindergarten teacher, but quit once due to circumstances.
(Woman) Staying until 10 PM every day took a toll on my body... and since I'm responsible for children's lives, the pressure is heavy. It's not a job you can do just because you like kids...
(Narration) After that, she got a job in insurance sales, but she returned to childcare because she wanted to be involved with children after all.
(Woman) Even when I was signing insurance contracts, I'd find myself where the kids were... and I thought, maybe that's where I belong...
(Narration) It's her third year as a childcare worker. She still lacks confidence at times. When that happens, she says she relies on books.
(Woman) I struggle with self-affirmation... but seeing these books displayed here, I realize everyone has the same worries. I'm not the only one...
(Narration) Facing herself slowly. Taking one step at a time.
(Narration) 1:30 AM. A customer visits late at night on this day too.
(NHK) What brings you here at this hour?
(Man) Sometimes my work ends at this time... I'm a cram school teacher.
(NHK) You've already got so many books...
(Man) Manga and books on my hobby, pro-wrestling.
(Narration) From entertainment to history and philosophy. He has a wide range of interests.
(Man) I buy so many books that I rent a storage space for them.
(NHK) You have a warehouse just for books?
(Man) Yes. I rent a place in the countryside... If you asked me what comes after food, clothing, and shelter, I'd say 'bookstore.'
(Narration) The reason he became such a peculiar bookworm lies in his childhood.
(Man) I'm a Zainichi Korean born in Japan who has since naturalized. My mother couldn't read Japanese. She might not remember, but I remember her looking sad when I asked her to read me a book. So I started reading myself... Back then, it was the Showa era, and honestly, there was discrimination. I think there was a time in my youth when I was frustrated. In my heart.
(Narration) During those troubled times, he read books voraciously. He says he found salvation in the process.
(Man) Master Shotaro Ikenami wrote in 'Onihei Hankacho' that 'humans can have the heart to do good but end up doing bad things.' We're like dolls made of contradictory mud... In a good way, I might have changed because of that. Thanks to books.
(Narration) He says the way of thinking he absorbed from books naturally comes out when he faces his adolescent students today.
(Man) Students all worry about who they are, so I think, 'Maybe they should read this story...' I tell them, 'What I know isn't even 1%, I'm still lacking,' and 'Go to a bookstore.' Once you go to a bookstore, you realize instantly how much you haven't read... Everything from picture books to poetry is there... It’s not quite 'all of creation,' but it's fun.
(Narration) For anything, the hint is surely in a book.
(Narration) Various lives intersect in the midnight bookstore.
(Man) I only come here at night. I drive a taxi. I looked for a job but the interviews didn't go well... I started this as a temporary gig and I've just been dragging it out. You see all sorts of things driving people around. I mostly look at bike magazines.
(NHK) Do you ride one yourself? (Man) Of course. (NHK) Heh~
(Man) It’s different from a car. It's fun. Feeling the wind...
(NHK) Why so late at night...?
(Man) I was working until just now. I run about four businesses—restaurants, a sales company, and a staffing agency. I didn't finish high school. I joined a place at seventeen and learned sales know-how, then decided to go independent and started my first sales company.
(NHK) What kind of book did you buy?
(Man) This one... ['Why Does That Person Repeat the Same Mistake Over and Over?' by Hiroaki Enomoto]
(NHK) How did you learn management know-how? I wondered if you learned it from books. No?
(Man) That... I hardly ever learned from books. If you just copy others, it doesn't turn out well. I'm the type who thinks it's better to think for yourself.
(Narration) Day 3 of filming, Saturday. There was someone carefully looking through the business book section.
(NHK) You were reading so intently...
(Man) I had to look something up related to Excel...
(NHK) Excel?
(Man) Yes. Something I can use for sales or building systems... Times are different now; even as a manager, you have to do things yourself, don't you?
(Narration) A man in a management position at an IT company. He wants to learn Excel, but...
(Man) At this age, you can't keep up with the young people. I say, 'Yeah, I got it,' but honestly, there are times I don't really understand, and I'm too stubborn to ask.
(NHK) Excuse me, are you in your 50s?
(Man) I'm almost at retirement. Half a year left. Retiring at 65.
(Narration) Over 40 years of service. There seems to be a reason he’s starting to learn something new right before retirement.
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