Izakaya Shinkansen (2021)

What shall I takeaway from my journey today? ----> Local food!!!

Izakaya Shinkansen felt more like a reality show than a drama to me.

I found the the way the protagonist gained joy in searching for & eating local specialties within the short time frame of his everyday train journey very relatable. All of us working individuals are generally short of time. This show is all about finding joy in those small things and how slight changes to your daily grind can make it less grinding and more fulfilling. I liked this takeaway from the drama besides the introduction to all the possible local delicacies and food ‘takeaways’!

There isn't much to the story besides moments where we are exposed to the main lead's professional experiences but this happens rarely. The major part of this show is about food and his journey towards appreciating each morsel. I guess that was the only slice of his (ML's) life that the director wanted to show us. One differentiator between this drama and other food shows is the introduction of alcoholic accompaniments with every meal.

As this show is episodic, you can watch one episode whenever you feel like it. I’d recommend watching it while eating as it makes your average food more palatable. Also, food shows tend to make me feel hungry. A 7.5/10 for me.

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Warning: Do Not Watch If Hungry

I'm not sure if this story was supposed to be a drama or if it was created by Japan's tourism industry in the midst of Covid-19, but let me tell you a show/movie/anime/manga/drama/music group/history lesson has never fueled my love and want for traveling to Japan! Also, fair warning as stated above, but: do not watch on an empty stomach!


I really love how this show created such a wonderful story that showed not only each specialty of food, drink, and sweet from wherever region in Japan that Takamiya Susumu had traveled to, the story also was fantastic at showing off Japan itself! The scenery, the people, the local towns/cities were absolutely stunning. I feel like I was taken on a personal tour of Japan itself.


Each town was showcased so perfectly, I really felt like I had been there myself; the food and drinks shown looked so beautiful, and (to someone who is american, a sensitive eater, and has watched Japanese shows passionately for years) the foods and drinks they showed really appealed to a person who has never tried Japanese food before. Everything was simple yet extravagant and even though there were some pieces of food that I probably wouldn't (or couldn't because of personal food restrictions) try, there were so many pieces of foods and drinks that looked so delicious they made my mouth water! There were so many different types of foods that, even though I know I don't like them, made me want to try them immediately! From seafood to pasta, steak to vegetables, traditional sweets to traditional alcohol... this story really captured the spirit of Japan within its 12 episodes!


If you're looking for a calm, simple, comedic, heartwarming, genuine, purely beautiful story that will leave you stuffed and with a feeling of sweet bliss and nostalgia, then this show is definitely for you. An underrated gem of a show that is filled with amazing people, delicious foods and drinks, and will most definitely remind you to take proper care of yourself with good food and "personal time", while also showing you that it's great to step out of your comfort zone and explore the unknown!

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