Solitary Gourmet

Mackerel-Sesame and Young fowl soup-taki of Nakasu, Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture Goro goes on a business trip to Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu. He arrives in Hakata Ward on a hot summer day. He visits an old friend, Okumura (Nakamura Yuji) the proprietor of a shop in Doll Alley. On a walk, he happens upon "Miyake Udon" and decides to try Fukuoka-style udon. After a long awkward presentation at the Chamber of Commerce, Goro checks in at a hotel in Nakasu. Happening upon a side street he is struck by hunger spots an izakaya called "Kazutomi". Peeking inside, he is spotted by a customer and invited in by the shop's proprietress (Lily). Immediately identified as a Tokyoite and non-drinker, Goro's unease is distracted by the menu of Fukuoka soul food prepared with a unique twist by the shop's Taisho.

Shinkoyaki and Crab Crea~m Croquettes of Asahikawa, Hokkaido

Kodoku no Gurume 2016 SP: Manatsu no Tohoku-Miyagi Shucchou-hen

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) gets a call from a female client who runs a cafe in Monzen-Nakacho. He sets up a meeting with her at her cafe, delighted with the prospect of visiting the town which he hadn't seen since he was a student. Afterwards, he visits an antique store located in that neighborhood as well. Feeling the pangs of hunger, he looks around for a place to eat until he pauses in front of a yakitori shop called 'Shosuke..."

Inogashira-san travels to Komagome as requested by an old-time customer of his, a gallery owner. Having finished early with his appointment, he decides to have an early supper. He looks around in an unfamiliar neighborhood and even gets distracted by a group of old men playing shogi. Finally, he stops before "Washoku-tei," a home-cooked style restaurant that serves set meals...

Inogashira-san visits the bustling commercial town of Ikebukuro to meet with a client from a model room company, and to scout for a possible new office location. He also buys from his favorite store. He notices many Chinese restaurants that have sprouted in the streets, and decides to have Chinese food for his lunch. Later, a sign catches his eye and it reads, 'Chinese Home-Cooking Yan...'

On a hot day, Inogashira travels to Shin-Maruko. While waiting for his female client (a passionate owner of a dance studio) he decides to kill time in a dessert shop called "Showa-do" and orders a refreshingly sweet creamy concoction. Later on, after his appointment, Inogashira finds himself thinking about a certain busy eatery he had seen earlier in the day. It was a casual diner called "San-chan Shokudo." It was full of lively customers, all eating and drinking alcohol in the middle of the day. It could be a good place to eat and yet he does not drink. He wonders if it's worth a try....

Inogashira goes around the old cultural town of Ningyo-cho, looking for Japanese gifts to send to his European female friend. Since his friend is expecting a child, Inogashira wants to get her something for her pregnancy as well as an item that denotes Japanese culture. While looking for shops, he stops by a tea shop called "Mori no En" and tries out their sweets made with green tea. Later on, as he was browsing in a shamisen shop, he feels the need to eat something that's classically Japanese... and so, tempura comes to mind. He goes around the area searching for a tempura-ya until he smells the aroma of frying foods. It was coming from a shop called "Tempura Nakayama"...

Inogashira meets with a client at a cafe called "Alcolic Cafe Roje" in front of Numabukuro station. His meeting ends on a positive note, so he decides to remain in the shop and celebrate by ordering a slice of tart and some tea. However, his second business meeting does not seem to bode well. It is with a young female entrepreneur who is described as too flighty by her own loquacious mother. Afterwards, he wanders in the residential neighborhood in search of a place to eat, and much to his surprise and relief, he stumbles upon a yakiniku shop called "Heiwa-En"...

Goro arrives in Akabane, Kita Ward, pleasantly surprised at how the town has changed. He goes to fruit shop and cafe called "Puchi Mondo" to meet with his client, a rather eccentric lady dressed up in GothLoli-style clothes. She asks him to find akuma (devil) statues for her collection. After his strange meeting, he stays at the cafe to have some refreshments, a fruity creamy sandwich set. Next, he goes to his second client, an owner of a kimono shop. As he arrives there, he is told by the owner's daughter that her father has gone off to another place and asks to meet him there. She gives him some directions plus a heavy bag and umbrella to "please give it to him since you're headed there anyway..." Goro obliges and walks around town to a meeting place that turns out to be a snack bar. The walk made Goro very hungry and of course, we know what that means... He remembers a certain eel shop he visited before and goes to look for it. However, another nearby eel shop catches his eye...

Goro travels to Hinodecho, Yokohama City for an appointment with a pet salon owner. It seems he's too early so he strolls around the area for awhile until he gets a call from his client. Apparently, he has made a mistake and he is actually late for his appointment. However, when he gets there, the owner has stepped out. As he waits, he is treated to a cute sweet snack in the shape of a dog's face... After his appointment, he decides to go and visit a zoo on top of the hill. However, it seems he could not find it and switches the plan to search for a place to eat instead. He ends up at a Chinese restaurant called "Daiichi-Tei" that serves varied pork parts and innards dishes, and garlicky noodles with a strange-sounding name...

Goro's next appointment is in Shizuoka Prefecture. Despite the long travel, he seems to be looking forward to it as he rides the train to the Izu Peninsula. Once he's there, he meets with his client, an inn owner and pipe-enthusiast. Later he has a cream and strawberry refreshment at a shop called "Nanadaru-Jyaya" while amusing himself with the loud chat of three oba-chan customers. He strolls around the town and feels refreshed by its quiet and idyllic scenery. He next tries out a wasabi specialty shop that sells direct sale wasabi and wasabi-based dishes. It's called "Wasabi-En Kodaya." Uncharacteristically, Goro orders only one simple type of dish but not necessarily in just one order...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Kiyose, Tokyo for his appointment with an eyewear shop owner (Shiga Kotaro). However, the client is at the moment playing mahjong so Goro goes to the mahjong parlor instead and waits for him to finish. Afterwards, the two proceed with their meeting which ends on a good note, if only the owner had not insisted on making Goro try out some of his flashy sunglasses. Later, Goro aims to satiate his hunger by looking for an eatery near the station. He tries out "Miyuki Shokudo", a simple greasy spoon that offers affordable set meals with hefty amounts. Despite his hunger, Goro is taking a bit of time deciding what to order as he gets lost in the shop's varied menu: written on numerous strips of paper, attached all over one wall...

Goro goes to the vibrant district of Ginza. He is not on a business trip but to visit a friend of his and offer his support. This friend, Sasagawa Hitomi (Hirooka Yuriko) is holding an exhibit of her photographs she took from her travels in Vietnam. After the visit, he strolls around Ginza, and tries out some soothing sweets and tea at a Taiwanese cafe named "Santokudou". After further strolling, he decides to look for a place to have a "Ginza meal." However, he walked a tad too far, and ends up on the outskirts of Ginza and in what appears to be the district of Shinbashi. Nevertheless, an eatery named "Namiji-Tei", that offers Korean home-cooked meals catches his attention. However, it was narrow inside the small eatery and and is already packed with other customers, all sharing a big table. Since he prefers to dine alone, Goro plans to leave. But somehow, he gets persuaded by the eatery's Omoni (Shibata Rie) to stay and eat...

The lone merchant arrives in Miyanoshita, Hakone to take a look at a gallery/cafe called "Naraya Cafe" as a potential venue for a friend's exhibit. The cafe is managed by a pleasant man (Doi Yoshio) who is secretly nicknamed "Momi-yan" by Goro because of his huge sideburns. The owner also treats Goro to anything he likes and so he orders the cafe's specialty, a unique gourd-shaped monaka with sweet sesame seed paste filling. Afterwards, Goro decides to take a stroll around the village by way of the Miyanoshita Walking Trail. He reaches an old elementary school turned preschool. He reminisces and plays in the schoolyard until his hunger creeps in. He decides to eat at a tavern whose sign he saw a moment ago, during his walk. It took him a bit of moment though, looking for the said tavern. Finally he arrives at "Iroriya", a shop which is being run by two ladies: an elderly one (Onuki Kae) and a younger woman (Aoyama Noriko)...

Upon exiting from Inadazutsumi Station, Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) is met by a slight rain. He also gets startled when a heavy-set woman (Yoristune Akiko) seems to be charging towards him... Later, he arrives safely at a futon shop, to meet with the owner Sakoda (Terada Minori). Sakoda wanted to present his daughter with a bridal gift: a dining table made in ​​Europe, so Goro gives him a list to choose from. Then, Sakoda shows Goro a picture of his daughter... After the meeting, Goro feels hungry and goes in search of an eatery. A signboard catches his attention. It says, "Charcoal Yakiniku, Juen". Entering inside, Goro is ushered to a table by the shop's proprietress (Nishio Mari), who later on teaches him the shop's varied and interesting styles of eating grilled meats and offals.

Arriving at Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station in Koto Ward, Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) receives some bad news on the phone. It seems some business deal did not push through. He goes to buy a handkerchief at a souvenir shop and chooses one with a Daruma design on it. He hopes it will bring him good luck. Then, he meets with Tajima (Satoi Kenta) at the Fukagawa Edo Museum for a business meeting. To his delight, Goro is able to have a successful outcome with this deal. He goes out into the streets to celebrate and have a Fukagawa rice meal. But instead, he chooses an izakaya because of its name: "Daruma". Feeling that luck brought him to this place, Goro goes inside the crowded tavern, to be greeted cheerfully by the attendant, Suu-san (Asano Atsuko). Goro is also awed by the varied menu displayed on the walls, boasting a hodgepodge of Japanese and Western snacks and dishes.

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Nishi-Ogikubo to meet with a senior colleague (Kokuta Nobuaki) from his schooldays. He finds him drinking at his usual haunt, the grilled skewer alley... His senior is getting married and wants Goro to choose a carpet for his and his future wife's new house. However, fiancee Sachiko (Kai Marie) is not happy about it for some reason. Goro, sensing a couple's quarrel, leaves immediately. The awkward and tense atmosphere made him feel hungry. He goes around the neighborhood looking for a shop. He decides to try something new and unfamiliar: "Moroccan Cuisine, Tam Tamu". Inside the cramped small eatery, the proprietress (Ito Kazue) tells him that it is fine to use a table for four. He surveys the menu that teems with foreign yet delectable-sounding North African terms and dishes: "Tajine", "Harissa", "Harira", "Brik, "Berber omelet"...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) arrives in Osaka City for some business appointments. He is immediately invited by a barker (Namioka Kazuki) to try and have lunch at a kushikatsu shop. However, Goro has to regretfully decline for he has to leave for his appointment. During his meeting with real estate agent Shimazaki (Rokkaku Seiji), Goro cannot help but be amazed at how his Hokkaido-born friend/client sounded like a true-blooded Osaka native. After his meeting, Goro eats at an okonomiyaki/yakisoba shop called "Amakaraya". Although he is reluctant to eat okonomiyaki with rice (the Osaka way), he tries it out in the end, and was not disappointed... Later in the day, after another meeting with a client, Goro passes by a stall called "Kushikatsu/Doteyaki, Takeda" along a street. He finally can have the skewered goods that he had left behind earlier in the day...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) has been up early in the morning helping a panicking client in a coffeeshop near Okubo Station, Shinjuku. The client, coffeeshop owner Takeuchi Sakura (Kochi Machiko) is very thankful to Goro for his service, and for providing the much--needed coffee cup items and accessories she needs for an exhibit set to take place that day. After the work is done, Goro sets out to find a shop where he could eat. However, it was eight o'clock in the morning, and what Goro needs is a heavy meal. He reaches Yodobashi Market, a wholesale market of fruits and vegetables, and assumes there must be a diner there. Sure enough, he finds "Iseya Shokudou", a diner frequented by the market workers. Inside, Goro is enticed by the menu of delectable set meals, and small side items...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) is feeling nervous and excited over a possible big project of renovating interiors of guest rooms at a hotel in Meguro. Despite feeling confident, he was shocked when hotel executive Kudo (Yamazaki Shigenori) did not like his proposal. Kudo asks Goro to do it all over again. After the meeting, Goro walks around a residential area of Meguro in a daze, reflecting on what went wrong. Suddenly struck with hunger, he goes in search of a shop. He finds one with a huge statue of a cat at the entrance. The shop is called "Shania", a restaurant specializing in healthy "medicinal" soup curry and other Hokkaido-inspired dishes. Once inside, the shop clerk (Tanimura Mitsuki) hands him a menu, that explains step by step procedure on how to order soup curry...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) got off at Ageo Station in Saitama. He is looking forward to eating tonkatsu since he missed a chance to eat one the day before due to work commitment. But he has to attend a meeting with a client first. The client, married couple Arai (Kino Hana, Yamagami Kenji) who runs a kimono shop, is said to be the troublesome type. Goro is about to find out why they are called that way... After the meeting, Goro searches for a shop that sells tonkatsu that he has been pining for. He finds it in an eatery called "Kiseki Shokudo". Inside, he is welcomed by the proprietress (Tabata Tomoko). Goro marvels at the menu of pork katsu and steak, set meals, and their fair prices. "It's kiseki (miracle)!" But most of all, he is astounded by the huge size of the meat cuts!

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) was in Setagaya waiting at a tennis court for a client (Owada Baku) to finish playing a match with friends. Much to his chagrin, Goro who is not much into ball-based sports, obliged the client's request to practice swinging the racket... After their meeting, Goro managed to follow a somewhat vaguely drawn map towards Kyodo station. He felt hungry after experiencing relief from reaching the endpoint of the map. However, he was at a residential area with no shop within sight. By chance, he saw a sign outside a usual looking detached house. It read "Macina Mecina", a shop that offers buffet meals. Out of his "hunger's curiosity", he entered and got ushered in by the proprietress (Ishino Yoko). Goro began to enjoy the real pleasure of a buffet feast, determined to go over and taste each and every dish...

Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) was in Minato Ward to visit an international school center where many foreign children were playing. Client Yamamoto Catherine (Toyota Ellie) wants Goro's services in looking for antique toys as gifts for the kids from their home countries. When the topic of lunch was brought up, Goro heard the word "lasagna". It made Goro hungry so he immediately set out to look for an eatery. But Goro was picturing something Western in mind, so a basement Mexican restaurant, "Salsita" caught his eye. The menu was literally foreign and strange to him but he decided to try it anyway. He was welcomed by a staff (Watabe Gota). Goro tried to visualize the dishes described in the menu but couldn't imagine them at all. But he left it to luck, and went for the items he never tried before: sopes, Yucatan style chicken-lime soup, zucchini pudding, queso fundido, pipian verde...