A Night of Steam in the Afterglow of Neon - At a Ramen Restaurant at 2 a.m. in Kabukicho, 2000-2010

A Night of Steam in the Afterglow of Neon - At a Ramen Restaurant at 2 a.m. in Kabukicho, 2000-2010

In the 2000s, Kabukicho was undergoing a cleansing campaign and redevelopment, but at the same time it was losing its place for people who live at night. The one place that still lit up at such times was a ramen shop at 2 a.m. Hosts, cabaret girls, scouts, and cab drivers gathered in the same steamy atmosphere, silently slurping their noodles and finding some relief. The owner says, "This is a haven for everyone. In a restaurant with no flashy lights or music, the heat of the ramen noodles is the only thing that reminds you of your body temperature. Since the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the cooling economy has cast a shadow over the nightlife, and these restaurants have been one of the few places where the silence of the working people is accepted. What lies beyond the steam is the loneliness of the night and a small sense of human solidarity. Even though the streets of Kabukicho have changed, the reverberations of the city's heart continue to spring forth in the late-night
bowls of rice.