Izakaya Shinkansen Season 2 (2024)

Beware Watching on an Empty Stomach!

A cozy, curious, satisfying story showing off Japan's different lively and beautiful towns full of delicious, umami, and stunning foods and beverages, while including a rich and in depth history of, not only Japan and/or a certain town, the food and drink featured. However, be careful not to watch on an empty stomach; honestly, it can get dangerous...

Each episode features specialties from the town that Takamiya Susumu-san (played by Mashima Hidekazu) is visiting; the variety of interesting feasts range from the adventures to the comforting "soul food" types. Each meal is thought out and planned from beginning to end, including snacks, with a lot of thought and careful selection to ensure a special and tasty meal to enjoy. The delicate choosing seems to be tangible through the screen; each episode looked immensely fun!

I really enjoyed watching the interactions between Susumu-san and the local artisans, chefs, restaurant or station staff, and citizens around the town as well. It really became a close tie in what I enjoyed watching more, his adventures around the towns he visited, the food and drink he carefully and happily chose, or the characters of the show! It was nice seeing more of his "home life" throughout a couple of episodes, though I really liked seeing Zhiwei-san enjoying Japan while thinking of his family and trying new things, too; I felt as if I (the viewer) were participating along with Susumu-san's "food prep"!

Learning about the history of Japan is one thing, but I believe that learning while engaging one or two, if not all, of the human senses (see, taste, hear, touch, position, etc) while learning can be extremely helpful! Like in a couple of episodes they showcased a few moments of Japanese history dating back to (if i remember correctly) the 1800's and while doing so the story showed off a few special drinks or food dishes that were not only popular during the time period but even now, during this day and age... In theory, if I went back to study about that certain time period, it's possible the food and/or drink I tasted when I first learned the history could help me remember and remember and remember for a long time.... Hopefully.

This show has a sneaky way of showing off the best, unknown secrets of food, drinks, and the country itself, making me want to adventure outside of my comfort zone and try new things! Tofu, mushrooms, crab, sea bream, prawns, liver, sake, craft beer, etc... A mesmerizing comfort show specializing in adventure, history, culture, umami, and even a little bit of the love of traveling. If you're interested in learning about Japan, whether that be the culture or food or beverages, or enjoy a slow-paced calming story of lively adventure, then please give this show a try!

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