There’s something about the silence of the night that makes us lose our inhibitions, a process undoubtedly aided by the intake of copious amounts of alcohol, which helps loosen our tongues. Guidebooks on Japan state how the Japanese are notoriously private people, so if you are invited to their homes, you are being let into their hearts.
Now, my favorite TV show, “家、ついて行っていいですか?” (Can I follow you home?) dispels this stereotype. The crew from TV Tokyo finds random people on the streets late at night and offers to pay their taxi fares if they agree to be featured on the program. Although some decline, citing reasons like a dirty house, others agree straightaway without hesitation.
The Chinese saying goes, “一种米养百种人 (the same rice can feed one hundred kinds of personalities),” a remarkably apt description of the show. From swanky multistory bungalows to filth-infested apartments, you are introduced to all kinds of living situations – the spaces where interviewees seek refuge from the bustling world.
But the houses are less interesting than the sheer diversity of human nature displayed on screen. Some let themselves (and their dwellings) go due to past trauma that continues to haunt them. Others share their dreams readily in front of the camera, earnest and likeable, making you root for them.
Thrilled to arrive at my in-laws’ home, I find my mother-in-law has thoughtfully recorded six months’ worth of episodes. Binge-watching reveals one thing – the crew sometimes follows up on someone interviewed 2–3 years back. Recent footage shows how they’ve overcome challenges and found contentment. “And this too shall pass.” It would do me good to remember that.
The story that struck me the most was the 45-year-old man taking a new job that only paid 2/3 of his last drawn salary. He did it anyway because it married his passion for cars and talent for design. In Singapore, we tend to obsessively care about our net worth, so it was refreshing to come across someone prioritizing other aspects of work. I want to be strong and confident enough to make similar choices in life.