It was time to go to work. I'd had the night before. Made a cup of coffee, grabbed the newspaper and turned on the TV to check morning headlines. The first thing to do at the office was to browse the major newspapers, looking for any breaking situation that would require immediate action.
Phones rang constantly in a room filled with cigarette smoke.
Ikuji Nakaya Afternoon is the time to go searching for fresh material and write articles before the daily deadline. Nighttime is an important time for many Japanese reporters to get good stories. Tension never eases until after 2 a.m., when the newspapers close the deadlines for their morning editions. It was exciting. As a journalist, I was able to meet many people in highly responsible positions with ease.