「スナックはロードムービーだ」本業は“社会福祉士”昼は“ママ”の二足のわらじ、人生を聞ける場所が欲しいと始めたスナックが好調

In Nakasu, Fukuoka City's entertainment district, there's a snack bar that's open only during the day. The owner's main occupation is a certified social worker. She also works in a university lab and provides training for companies. Lost customers from all over the country visit this daytime snack bar, hoping someone will listen to their troubles. ◆ Fish Akiko, exuding the aura of a veteran Nakasu, the entertainment district, is a sparsely populated area during the day. The bar is located in the corner of a building. "Hiru Snack Hikidashi Nakasu Branch" is open from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The owner, Fish Akiko, chats with customers behind the counter. She's only open three or four days a month, but it's almost always full. Fish: "I'll give you a red heart." Regular customers apparently come just to see Fish's face. Fish, who exudes the aura of a veteran hostess, is a certified social worker by trade. When she's not open, she provides training for individuals and companies or works in a university lab. Fish: "My passion is 'purpose.' It's putting into words what people truly love and live for." ◆While tending to bees while staying at home... "Watching the bees come and go is so beautiful, I lose track of time." Fish raises Japanese honeybees at home. She started beekeeping through work connections, but now says that they're as important to her as family. Fish: "People want to buy my honey, but it's hard to sell it for money. I don't want to exchange it with money. I want to exchange it with love, so I treat it to people who come to my bar." Fish is involved in a variety of activities, but three years ago, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic decline in work and she lost her purpose. Fish: "I'd never known anything other than hard work in life, but now I can't keep up. It's the first time I've ever stopped at something that wasn't my own effort." Fish has been forced to stay at home and spend more time tending to her bees. At that moment, she realized the importance of "revealing yourself" rather than worrying about what others think. Fish: "Honeybees live their lives to the fullest, of course, but they're not trying to look good or anything like that. They're just living their lives together. I realized I didn't want to live just to be useful to others, so I wanted a place where I could hear each person's story, and so I started a bar." ◆ Renting space from a bar during the day Fish's husband: "His attitude has also become more relaxed. He was always worried, always thinking about the future, wondering what to do, what to do, what to do. But now he's more attuned, and I'm really impressed." The bar opened in January of last year, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a "place where you don't have to be useful." This is their third location, and they rent space from a bar that has been in business for 43 years during the day. The bar owner said, "As an owner, I'm really grateful that people can just drop in, take a break, talk to the people next to them, and get some life tips." A portion of the snack bar's sales is donated to organizations that support the homeless, and used for welfare events such as social gatherings for young people who stutter. It's been less than three years since the bar opened, but word of mouth and social media have made it popular, attracting customers from all over the country. Female customer: "I came all the way from Chiba. It's been a dream come true, so I'm happy." "He's such a charming guy, I can't take my eyes off him. He seems so free, and it seems so natural, and I'm jealous that he seems to enjoy what he does." This female customer visited the bar to talk to Fish about her work-related worries. Fish: "I was afraid they'd say they didn't need me." Female customer: "I feel like I'm going to cry, sorry." Fish: "I think they were afraid they'd be told they weren't good enough, so they hid it and tried hard to meet other people's expectations." Fish's daytime snack bar is a place where she can be herself, without any pretense. Fish: "Someone told me that the snack bar is like a road movie. They say that each of our lives is like a movie that sells and one that doesn't, but I think everyone is living a wonderful, different life, and it's really appreciated to hear about it."