The "Shibuya Talk Session," a morning event aimed at people who work in Shibuya, was held on the morning of February 19th at UPLIGHT COFFEE in the underground plaza (B2F) at the east exit of Shibuya Station.

Tokyu's new initiative: "Work like you play"

Left) Upright Cafe being transformed into Playwork Cafe, a spot for workers. Right) Playwork Cafe seen from a diagonal side view.

Tokyu, the organizer of this event, has promoted the concept of "Playwork" to promote the appeal of a free work style of "working like you're playing." In collaboration with Tokyu, Upright Cafe will be transformed into a spot for workers called "Playwork Cafe" for a limited time until March 2nd. It is equipped with counter space with power outlets and Wi-Fi, providing an environment suitable for light work and remote work.

At the beginning, Tokyu's Aya Niizato explains Tokyu's "Playwork" initiative.

This event was planned to utilize the Playwork Cafe as a space for people working in Shibuya to enjoy breakfast and think about work styles with guests active in the business world.

Morning Talk Session on "Food, Work, and Place" in Shibuya

The first speakers on February 19th will be Aya Niizato from Tokyu and gourmet presenter Hasshi. Hasshi is a certified meat doctor and rice sommelier, and is a food expert who has visited over 15,000 restaurants nationwide at his own expense. He is currently taking on the challenge of "100 Days of Yakitori Life," visiting three yakitori restaurants every day. He is also active in many areas, including television programs, YouTube, and social media.

Gourmet presenter Hasshi appears!

Hasshi appeared with a lot of energy and said, "Good day to all the meat lovers gathered here today! I'll give it my all and do my best with my meat!" Despite it being 8:30 in the morning, a busy time before work, more than 20 participants gathered and the talk session started in a friendly atmosphere.

When talking about the joys of working in Shibuya, food is an essential part. Delicious food improves work performance and increases motivation. First, the two speakers introduced their recommended yakiniku restaurants in Shibuya.

"Komaitei" where you can even open your mouth

Niizato recommended the Shibuya yakiniku restaurant "Koraitei." "The Korean owner of the restaurant brought the meat (wrapped in lettuce) right up to my mouth. I'll never forget that experience!" he said, surprised by the unique service. He said it was an impressive place where he could get closer to his coworkers and have better communication.

*Korai-teiFrom Hasshi's Instagram post

Both speakers are meat lovers, and the topic of yakiniku never ends.

"Hormone Chiba" where you can enjoy a heavy rotation of oil

Hasshi, who said "Half of my body is made up of Shibuya," gave high praise to "Hormone Chiba." "I've been to many yakiniku restaurants, but this is top class," he said, giving it his thumbs up. Originally a popular restaurant in Kawaramachi, Kyoto, the Shibuya branch opened in Tokyo for the first time in 2016. "It features an iron plate set at an angle, and when you grill the horumon with sauce, the juices flow down and soak into the bean sprouts, and the remaining juices collect in the bowl. You dip the horumon in the juice again before eating, and finally pour it over the yakisoba noodles. It's a heavy rotation of oil!" he said excitedly, eliciting exclamations of admiration from the audience.

*Hormone ChibaFrom Hasshi's Instagram post

Despite it being an early morning event, over 20 people gathered.

If it works in Shibuya, it will work anywhere

The Hyakkendana area, where Horumon Chiba is located, is a major gourmet spot with many hidden gems such as Yakiniku Horumon Dogen and Yakiniku Horumon Araiya. "Dogen is a traditional, popular yakiniku restaurant, but there is a little-known bar on the second floor of the building. It is run by Dogen, and if you become friends with the owner you can go to the bar... They also have a bubbly menu where they cut a melon in half and pour champagne over it (laughs). That range of flavors is very Shibuya-like," he said, introducing the interesting aspects of Hyakkendana.

*Yakiniku horumon dogenFrom Hasshi's Instagram post

Furthermore, when new restaurants expand into Tokyo, they often choose Shibuya as their first base. When asked why, Hasshi says, "If you're successful in Shibuya, you can succeed anywhere. Because it's a diverse city, individuality is recognized and restaurants that are authentic are valued."

Gratin chicken quiche and drinks (coffee, etc.) were provided, and participants enjoyed talking while eating breakfast.

"Turn your passion into a job" - Shibuya is a city where it's easy to achieve this

Hasshi has 16 years of experience working at Dentsu. "It was tough when I first joined the company, but in the latter half of my career I was able to realize the style of 'working like I'm playing'," he recalls. He says that he became interested in food through his work and started a gourmet blog, which led to his current career.

"To make 'work like play' a reality, it's important to turn what you love into your job. Shibuya is a city where this can easily be achieved," he said, emphasizing, "Eating delicious food makes you want to work hard (at work) the next day. Food has the power to support people."

Niizato also said that in Shibuya, "There are many people who work doing what they love." For example, at the venue, "Appride Cafe," "You can see people working during the day, or working while enjoying delicious coffee, and you can see free working styles. I think that's the charm of Shibuya," he said, adding that the free working environment is also a distinctive feature of Shibuya.

Currently challenging "100 days of yakitori living"!

Hasshi also takes on the challenge of eating the same meal for 100 days every year. "I do it out of my own curiosity, without anyone asking me to," he says, and so far he has eaten hamburger steak, grilled meat, rice bowls, hamburgers, gyoza, grilled meat, and fried rice, and this year will be his eighth year. He is currently taking on the "100 Days of Yakitori Life" challenge, and has already eaten at over 60 restaurants at a pace of visiting three restaurants a day.

In response to Niiza's question "What was the hardest thing you have ever done?", he replied, "The 100-day fried rice diet. It was delicious, but dangerous!", and shared an episode, saying, "It was a monster of oil and carbohydrates, and I gained six kilos after it ended (laughs)." On the other hand, during the 100-day yakiniku diet, he visited 212 restaurants, but all of his blood tests were normal. He also talked about his unique way of eating, saying, "By eating lettuce at a later time after eating yakiniku, my mouth is reset and I can eat more meat."

By the way, a recommended yakitori restaurant in Shibuya is "Tori Fuku" in Nonbei Yokocho. The shop is about 6.5 square meters and only has a counter, making it a small restaurant that can only accommodate about 6 people. "You can't make a reservation, so you just show up and you might not be able to get in, but it's a hidden gem that even celebrities visit," says Hasshi.

*Bird fortuneFrom Hasshi's Instagram post

Rediscover the appeal of eating and working in Shibuya

Through this talk session, it became clear that Shibuya is a place where it is easy to realize a "work like you play" style, and that delicious food and a flexible work style are factors that increase motivation. It was also suggested that success in Shibuya will create brand power that will lead to expansion to other areas.

Finally, Hasshi concluded by saying, "Shibuya is a city where people can work, play, eat, and spend their time in various ways, drawing out their own thoughts. I hope you will all help develop your own Shibuya. I will also develop my body by eating my way around Shibuya (laughs)." It was a valuable morning talk session that shared the joy of working in Shibuya, delicious food, and a free way of working.

The next event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 26th, and brand producer Yoko Shibata will be appearing as a guest.

Venue

Interviews and writing

Editorial Department: Takashi Fujii

Shibuya registrar. In addition to Shibuya of Culture information, seasonal news and topics, it will spell write that feel every day.