Mikako Tabe is a Japanese model and actress. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, on January 25, 1989, and made her acting debut on-stage in 2003. In 2004, she took her first film role and has appeared in a countless number of films and television dramas since, including “The Hours of My Life” (2014), “A Long Awaited Love Story” (2016), and “Piece of Cake” (2015).

Mikako Tabe

The Master (Kaoru Kobayashi) is the owner and cook at a tiny izakaya (restaurant and bar) that operates in a Tokyo side street. At midnight, while most are asleep in their beds, he opens his doors for business, closing again at 7am.

Although his eatery is tiny, he has a loyal clientele, who come by to enjoy the food and drink, but also to soak up the atmosphere. Most know one another well, and have a great fondness for The Master, who is famous for his sage advice and comforting manner.

Although his menu only boasts four items, he claims that he will make any dish for anyone – so long as he can.

Regulars come and go, and patrons include a gangster and an elderly man who meticulously records how many meals he has as does not “know how many” he “has left.”

The movie follows the fortunes of a number of the clients as they interact with The Master and one another – and their lives away from the izakaya.

The story variously follows a group of funeral enthusiasts, a disgruntled book publishing company staffer, an elderly woman with memory issues, and the son of one of The Master’s old patrons.

“Midnight Diner 2” is a 2016 movie that was directed by Joji Matsuoka.

Midnight Diner 2

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Convinced dating any man who takes an interest in her is better than living alone, Shino Umemiya (Mikako Tabe) has been in more than her fair share of relationships. Some have been good, some have been less so, but none have ever been as terrible as the one she finds herself in now. Trapped in an abusive relationship, Shino’s only chance for escape comes after discovering her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Determined to make a fresh start, Shino calls it quits, leaving her boyfriend, her job, and town.

Moving to a new area, Shino finds a part-time job at a local shop and quickly settles into her new life. As if planned by fate, Shino is surprised to find that the shop’s manager, Kyoshiro Sugahara (Go Ayano), is also her new neighbor. It doesn’t take long for Shino to start taking an interest in Kyoshiro, but the failure of her last relationship and the lasting impression it made, combined with the fact that Kyoshiro lives with his girlfriend Akari (Kaoru Mitsumune), makes Shino hesitant to pursue any sort of relationship.

Even so, Shino can’t deny the feelings that continue to draw her to Kyoshiro. As their relationship begins to grow, Shino must weigh the painful scars of the past against her deep desire to find true happiness.

Based on the manga series of the same name by George Asakura, “Piece of Cake” is a 2015 romance film directed by Tomorowo Taguchi.

Piece of Cake

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The Master (Kaoru Kobayashi) owns a small, unassuming izakaya (restaurant and bar) in a small side alley in Tokyo. With a small menu and only a few seats at the bar, this cozy establishment is low on frills but big on atmosphere.

The Master’s izakaya is known as a “midnight diner” as it only opens for business after dark, closing in the early hours of the morning.

The patrons are mainly regulars, who come by to enjoy one another’s company – as well as receive pearls of wisdom and cheer from the Master and feast on treats like sausages, omelet rolls, and hot noodles.

The customer base comprises a motley crew of gangsters, strippers, a kind-hearted policeman, and a local businessman’s mistress.

One day, a homeless girl named Tamako Kawashima (Takaoka Saki) pleads with the Master to give her a job. He agrees, only to discover that she has a remarkable talent for cooking.

The movie explores aspects of the characters’ lives as they wind in and out of the bar and interact with the Master and one another.

But along the way, the Master appears to have picked up an admirer – could this long-term singleton find romance in his own izakaya?

“Midnight Diner” is a 2014 Japanese movie that was directed by Joji Matsuoka.

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