Hima Furuta sits across the table from me in a cafe in the Marunouchi business district of central Tokyo. It's only 10 a.m., and although he looks fresh and full of life, he's almost finished his main work for the day.

That recent morning, as usual, Furuta had got up at 4, and by 6 he was already working in the Chiyoda Ward venues for an "Asa Expo (Morning Expo)" event running there.

Furuta, 31, was one of the organizers of "Asa Expo," which ran from May 21 to June 1 and centered on a wide range of workshops, including classical, gospel and traditional Japanese music, talks on such themes as "morning and the brain" and "breakfast and beauty" and classes in yoga and walking.