It's never too late for a fresh start. One year ends and another begins as familiar faces gather to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the Midnight Diner.

A breaded ham cutlet brings back an elderly lawyer's memories of playing the board game Othello with his long-lost younger brother.

The shared love of fried rice omelets forms an intercultural bridge between a young Japanese physicist and a Korean girl.

As December comes to a close and the regulars gather at the diner, the Master takes a look back at his memories of the year.

Two aspiring voice actresses stop by for lucky bowls of kitsune udon, but six months later, only one of them seems to have had any luck.

Game designer Akai grew up in an orphanage. He finds solace in a chicken rice dish that also holds the key to reconnecting with his birth mother.

Upon finishing the last of his late mother's pickled plums, a man suddenly wonders what will become of his erotica after he passes away.

A childish fight over a fish-sausage corn dog leads to a schism between an Asakusa comedian and his now-famous former assistant.

In her mid-30s, Chizuru worries her modeling career is ending. An encounter with a high-powered fan gives her a chance to evaluate her priorities.

A diner regular reunites with an old classmate who, despite a good upbringing, now works a menial job to support her troublesome nephew.

A lonely little boy with only a gambler to take care of him hopes to make a connection with a bar girl over a mutual appreciation for egg tofu.

The Ueharas run a barbershop together. They seem happy, but when his wife goes on a trip, a beautiful kimono instructor catches Mr. Uehara's eye.