S04 · E18

The Happiness Theory of Healthland

For a low fee, you can enjoy to your heart's content a spacious bath and massage room, as well as a place to eat and take a nap at this health spa in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture. During the day, it is a social gathering place for the elderly. At night, it is a place for workers to stay after work. On holidays, families line up at the entrance from morning for affordable leisure. What kind of future do these people look forward to as they go about their daily lives? In late July, when the nation was in a state of excitement over the Upper House election, I thought about the “happiness” of the Japanese people at a 24-hour health spa.