Stories of Our Past Part-Time Staff, No. 1

As I mentioned the other day, from this time on I would like to share some memories of our part-time staff.

The first person I would like to introduce worked here about 30 years ago.

She was from Kyoto, and when I said at her interview, “So, you’re from the Kansai region,” she replied rather forcefully, “I’m not from Kansai—I’m from Kyoto!” That was my first impression of her.

That was when I first learned that Kyoto should not simply be lumped together with Kansai.

In those days, there were still old-fashioned, inexpensive apartments around Waseda with shared toilets and washrooms, and she lived in a single six-tatami-mat room.

There was no bath, of course, so she had to go to the public bathhouse.

One day, I heard that she had become the manager of a university athletic club made up mainly of male students.

University athletic clubs represent the university, so being a manager is a demanding job as well.

But I was astonished to hear that one of her reasons was that she could use the shower in the club room.

Apparently, while the club members were working up a sweat in practice, she would use the shower in the club room. What a resourceful person she was! 🚿

Of course, in fairness to her, I should add that she also worked hard behind the scenes to help the members do their best…

She was also a very hardworking member of the staff at Yahata Sushi, but one day she took food up to guests on the second floor and did not come back down.

Wondering whether something had happened, I went upstairs and found her eating and drinking together with the guest!

I could not make sense of the scene before me, so I asked her about it. She said, “The male guest looked lonely, eating by himself, so I was talking with him while we ate together.”

Naturally, the guest may have enjoyed having a female Waseda student sit beside him, but that is not the kind of restaurant we are.

Perhaps I will be scolded for not having taught her such things, but we are a sushi restaurant, so that was simply beyond anything we expected.

She, with all these episodes to her name, is now apparently active in a country overseas.

I am sure that her experience working at Yahata Sushi as a student has been of at least some use to her as well. ^^