Japan social worker opens ‘It is OK to be useless’ bar to provide relief from daily pressure
Fish Akiko grew up with a chauvinistic father; she is determined not to replicate her mother’s sacrifices
A Japanese social worker opened an unconventional daytime bar nicknamed “It is OK to be useless” to offer comfort to those experiencing significant social pressure.
Operating about five days a month from 2pm to 6pm, the snack bar Hirusuna Nakasu, located in Fukuoka City, Western Japan, has attracted a diverse clientele.
Visitors gather at the bar to share their troubles and support one another. The bartender expertly facilitates conversations with each customer.
A snack bar is a unique type of Japanese bar that is typically small and intimate, where the bartender – referred to as “mama” for females and “master” for males – serves and engages with each patron, sometimes enjoying karaoke and games with them.
Unlike traditional snack bars that operate in the evening, Hirusuna Nakasu operates solely during the day. The bartender, affectionately known by her nickname, Fish Akiko, also holds a qualification as a social worker.
Fish Akiko aims for the establishment to help alleviate the pressure visitors feel from the prevailing belief that “one can only live when being useful to others.”
In a recent report by Fuji News Network, a customer confided in Fish Akiko that she has held this belief since childhood, equating “being useful” with her purpose in life.