A bit of Friday Workshop 2/28

I’d like to introduce this morning’s workshop while playing Fujii Kaze’s new song, *Masshiro*.

Question:When you think of Friday…

Number one: TGIF—Thank God It's Friday.  Do you have any stories related to celebrating Friday nights or Fridays?

Speaker 1: Oh, when I hear the word "Friday," it reminds me of a common saying in Japan.

                 In Japanese, we say "Hanakin," meaning "Flower Friday"

                 Friday is often associated with fun because, in many cases, after work, I would go 

                 out drinking with colleagues. For many years, office workers really enjoyed Friday 

                 nights. It was a fun and exciting way to end the workweek.

                 However, after enjoying Friday and Saturday, Sunday nights would feel a bit 

                 different. Especially on Sunday nights, I would start feeling a bit gloomy. That’s 

                 because I had to commute to work on Monday morning.

<<Chit-Chatting>>

Speaker 1: It was kind of a trend to go to discos, right? Places like Maharaja were popular.

Speaker 3 : Yes, Maharaja! But I’ve never been there.  I used to go to a disco in Shibaura.

 I didn’t only go to discos, but also enjoyed hanging out in coffee shops, like the HardRock Cafe. Those places were very popular, especially among young people. They were always crowded.

Speaker 2: Do you know Anna Miller’s? The pizza place?

Speaker 1: Pie restaurant, right?

Speaker 3: I don’t know it.

Speaker 2i: It’s famous for its pies. But long time ago, we had pizza there. And their waitress uniforms were so cute, right? They had fluffy white aprons and pink dresses.

Speaker 1: Frilled aprons?

Speaker 2: Yeah, they had a very unique look!

Question: Do you have any memories related to Premium Friday?

Speaker 1:I know the term Premium Friday, but it didn’t really catch on.

Speaker 2:Yeah, I heard the government promoted it, but it never became popular.

Speaker 1: The advertisements for it stopped in 2023.

                  When I started working, we only had Sundays off.

Speaker 2: Oh, that sounds tough.

Speaker 1: Later, when Saturday became a full day off, I was so happy!

                  Having two days off makes a big difference.

                  I finally had time for hobbies and relaxation.

                  It was a big shift for Japanese workers.

Speaker 2: That reminds me of how hardworking young Japanese employees are.

Speaker 1: Right. Many were overworked and dedicated to their jobs.

                  It’s a workaholic culture.

Speaker 3: Yes, many were extremely dedicated employees.