Tamae Ando is a Japanese actress. She was born in Tokyo, Japan, on August 8, 1976, and made her acting debut in 2003. Since then, she has appeared in a number of films and television dramas, including “Piece of Cake” (2015).

Tamae Ando

Wataru (Yo Oizumi) and his wife Kotoe (Manami Honjo) live on a cattle farm in the rural community of Setana, Japan. He wants to make the farm and its cheesemaking arm a success after inheriting them from his father. Although Wataru, Kotoe, and their young daughter enjoy life on the farm, they are struggling to turn it into a success. They keep their spirits high through their camaraderie with the locals – including Kanbe (Masaki Okada), a former resident of Tokyo who has turned his hand to farming sheep.

One day, Wataru’s world is turned upside down when a visiting chef uses his farm’s produce to create an unforgettable meal. Wataru is inspired: He proposes that the Setana community come together to open a restaurant for a single day to showcase the area’s outstanding food. But the scale of the project begins to expand – has he bitten off more than he can chew?

“Restaurant from the Sky” is a 2019 Japanese movie that was directed by Yoshihiro Fukagawa.

Restaurant from the Sky

Takada (Matsuda Ryuhei) is the perpetually tired but loyal driver and karate-proficient companion of an unnamed hard-boiled private detective (played by Oizumi Yo) – a university dropout who has a reputation for taking up cases the police won’t touch.

One day, Takada receives a request to find a missing woman, and he and the detective agree to take the case. Their investigation leads them to a mysterious, seedy business owned by Mari Misaki (Keiko Kitagawa) – and with dark, underworld connections.

Mari Misaki and the detective have crossed paths before, but she has now become the lover of a gangland chief named Jinya Kitashiro (Lily Franky), ostensibly a local business leader. She appears to retain feelings for the detective, but is all as it seems?

Soon, gangland thugs are on the detective and Takada’s trail – while the crime-busting duo tries to get to bottom of the ever-more-unorthodox missing persons case.

This film is the third and final movie based on the “Susukino Detective” series of books by the novelist Naomi Azuma, and was the second sequel to “Phone Call to the Bar.”

“The Last Shot in the Bar” is a 2011 Japanese crime movie that was directed by Teruyuki Yoshida.

The Last Shot in the Bar

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

🌥 🍰 Slice Of Life Team 🥮 💞

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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