Midnight Diner, 深夜食堂

深夜食堂, Midnight Diner

Recently I came across an interesting Drama Series and Movie, 深夜食堂 or しんやしょくどう (shinya Shokudou).  深夜 (shinya) means midnight, while 食堂 (shokudou) is an eatery or diner.  Therefore, 深夜食堂 literally means midnight diner.  This show is based  on the manga series, 深夜食堂 by 安倍夜郎 (Yaro Abe).

Master

As its title suggest, the diner only opens at midnight.  The owner, played by Kaoru Kobayashi, 小林薫, is known as Master by the customers.  The diner opens till 7 a.m. and has a small menu.  Only Pork Miso Soup, 豚汁 or とんじる (tonjiru), Beer, ビール (biiru), Sake, 酒 or さけ (sake), and Shochu, 焼酎 or しょうちゅう (shouchuu) was listed.  Master also limits alcohol to three servings per customer as his diner is not a bar.

A simple menu

Despite the simple menu at めしや (meshiya - shown on the sign outside the shop, meaning a restaurant that makes simple food), Master has a business policy of trying to make anything the customers asked for if he is able to. 

 Octopus Shaped Red Wiener, 赤いウインナ (akai uinna)

For each story, there will be a dish associated with the background story or memory of the characters.  Usually Master will have customers with some concern or problem at that moment, and as they dined at the めしや, we will slowly learn the plot and Master will usually offer some advice or go out of his way to help his customers.  After every episode, there will be some tips on how to make the dish of that episode. 

While watching, I can’t help wanting to make most of the dishes.  You will come across many famous dishes in Japan like お茶漬け (ochazuke), バターライス (bataaraisu), ロールキャベツ (rourukyabetsu), 玉子焼き (tamagoyaki), から揚げ (karaage), とろろご飯 (tororogohan), and many other.

Japanese	Romaji	English
豚汁 or とんじる	Tonjiru	Pork Miso Soup
ビール	Biiru	Beer
酒 or さけ	Sake	Sake
焼酎 or しょうちゅう	Shouchuu	Shochu
お茶漬け	Ochazuke	Steamed rice with Green Tea
バターライス	Bataaraisu	Butter Rice
ロールキャベツ	Rourukyabetsu	Cabbage Roll
玉子焼き	Tamagoyaki	Japanese Rolled Omelette
から揚げ	Karaage	Japanese Fried Chicken
とろろご飯	Tororogohan	Steamed Rice topped with Grated Yam
赤いウインナ	Akai Uinna	Red Wiener

Enjoy the Show and try the foods.

More Colors

In the previous post, we learned six colors in the Japanese language from Kamen Rider OOO.

Kanji	Hiragana/Katakana	Romaji	English
色	いろ	Iro	Colors
緑	みどり	Midori	Green
黄	き	Ki	Yellow
灰色	はいいろ	Haiiro	Grey
青	あお	Ao	Blue
赤	あか	Aka	Red
紫	むらさき	Murasaki	Purple

Red-Haired Shanks

However, there are more colors to know.  I find that characters in One Piece have hair that helps me learn and remember the colors.  First, is Red-Haired Shanks, 赤髪のシャンクス (akaigami no shankusu).  I also learn that 髪 or かみ (kami) also mean hair on the head.  かみ can mean many things actually, but the three most used meanings would be God, 神, paper 紙, and hair 髪.

Whitebeard and Marco

And there is Whitebeard, 白ひげ (shirohige).  We will know that white is 白 or しろ (shiro) and ひげ here is translated as beard, although it is actually Whitebeard’s mustache that is white.  ひげ however, can mean mustache, beard, whiskers, or sideburns.

Blackbeard

Brownbeard

There are two more “beard” characters, the big villain, Blackbeard, 黒ひげ (kurohige) and the less famous Brownbeard, 茶ひげ (chahige).  Since ひげ (hige) is facial hairs, 黒 or くろ(kuro) is black while 茶 or ちゃ (cha) means brown.    茶 or ちゃ (cha) can mean tea as well.

Straw Hat Pirates

Some of the crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates have colored hair.  Nami’s hair color is orange, オレンジ色 (orenjiiro), Zoro’s hair is green, 緑 or みどり (midori), and Sanji’s hair is blonde, ブロンド (burondo).  

Akumu Chan

There’s a Japanese Drama that Keiko Kitagawa (北川景子) acted in, titled My Little Nightmare, 悪夢ちゃん (akumuchan).  After the drama ended, a movie was released and the main soundtrack was a song by the Japanese female idol group Momoiro Clover Z, ももいろクローバーZ (momoiro kurouba z).   The name of this group help me learn and remember the word for pink, 桃色 or ももいろ (momoiro).  I also learn that 悪夢 or あくむ (akumu) mean nightmare.

Momoiro Clover Z

Kanji	Hiragana/Katakana	Romaji	English
白	しろ	Shiro	White
黒	くろ	Kuro	Black
茶	ちゃ	Cha	Brown
	オレンジ色	Orenjiiro	Orange
青	ブロンド	Burondo	Blonde
桃色	ももいろ	Momoiro	Pink

Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	English
髪	かみ	Kami	Hair
神	かみ	Kami	God
紙	かみ	Kami	Paper
	ひげ	Hige	Mustache, beard, whiskers, sideburns
茶	ちゃ	Cha	Tea
悪夢	あくむ	Akumu	Nightmare

This post covers most of the important colors and also some other words.  Happy learning.