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.

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

A dish of sauteed Chinese yam rekindles the connection between a young wife and her former lover, with whom she shares a hidden professional past.

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

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

An office worker who loves pork steaks knits sweaters for the men she adores, but her affections – and handiwork – are not always appreciated.

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

A specially prepared bowl of tanmen noodles leads a radio announcer to discover a secret about a beloved television show from his youth.