Fault Lines in Public Morals: Talking about Ginza Nights, July 1967

Fault Lines in Public Morals: Talking about Ginza Nights, July 1967

In 1967, Ginza, a symbol of prosperity, was undergoing a metamorphosis as its rapid economic growth reached its zenith. The district, which had risen from the ruins of the postwar fire, was covered with neon lights and new buildings, and the night scene was resplendent in its new guise. However, in the eyes of the proprietor of a long-established bar, this brilliance seemed somewhat shallow. In the past, Ginza was a place where customers and bar owners exchanged words, and there was civility and sophistication in the silence. Nowadays, the night is dominated by a wave of youth culture, and noise rather than quietness dominates the night. He says, "In the old days, customers would come for a glass of whiskey and a night out, but today they come for the noise. The dignity and marginality that existed in the poverty of the postwar era has been lost in the speed of the economy. The bars and clubs of Ginza used to be places where politicians, writers, and poets crossed paths and t
old stories, but the depth of their conversations has also faded. The wave of homogenization that emerged behind the prosperity of the city has robbed the district of its human breath. The words of the owner of the long-established shop were a quiet testimony to the moment when the Showa-era city changed from chic to consumption.