Ryu Kenzaki is a Yakuza boss who likes pan fried mini-wieners cut into the shape of an octopus. One night, while Kosuzu enjoys his, Ryu arrives at the diner and the two share their meals with the other. Through mutual respect and understanding, the two become friends; although Kosuzu, being gay, would prefer a more romantic relationship.

Unemployed enka singer Miyuki shares a bowl of dried fish flakes sprinkled over rice with Master in the early mornings. One day, her luck changes when she meets an accomplished lyricist at the diner. After listening to Miyuki perform, the lyricist writes her a song as a gift, but fate soon reveals other plans for her.

Miki, Rumi, and Kana are three, single, thirty-something best friends who frequent the diner for hot bowls of ochazuke and juicy gossip. After multiple nights of loudly voicing their opinions on true love, their seemingly unbreakable friendship verges on total collapse when one of them decides to go on a blind date in the hopes of escaping her unmarried status.

A young man named Tanaka is determined to get his start in the pornography business, and convinces famous porn star Erect Oki to help him get his shot in front of the camera. But the emotional toll of the work might be more than Tanaka can handle, as Mr. Oki's own dark past comes back to haunt him.

Komichi brings as a guest a famous, yet arrogant, food critic named Mr. Toyama. His pompous attitude brings resentment from the regular patrons. A surprise visit by an elderly guitarist named Goro and his performance payment for a simple bowl of butter rice resurrects long-buried memories for Toyama.

Katsutoshi Kawada (called "Kacchan" by the diner patrons) is an amateur boxer who comes to Master's diner to enjoy a bowl of katsudon after every win. One day, he falls in love with a widow named Akemi, and forms a strong bond with both her and her young daughter. Kacchan struggles to prove himself in the ring, endangering his hopes of becoming a professional boxer.

Nakajima is a poor but hard-working university student who juggles his education with working as a delivery boy for a newspaper agency. He falls in love with a rising Internet star named Lisa, who hopes to become a successful actress. She returns his feelings and in fact is the first one to confess, but Nakajima then has second thoughts, as he believes their lives are too wildly different. This gets in the way of their relationship, ultimately forcing the choice of staying together or splitting up.

A woman named Rinko with a very distinct voice comes to the diner and asks for yakisoba with a fried egg on top. Two other patrons recognize her as an ex-idol, a former fame that continues to make Rinko's life difficult as she struggles to become an actress in serious dramas.

Frustrated young stripper Marilyn connects with an older woman named Yachiyo. As their friendship blossoms, Marilyn is insulted by a former classmate who recognizes her at Master's diner. When Yachiyo comes to her rescue, she inadvertently reveals a secret about herself, one Kosuzu and Mr. Chu remember all too well.

Still reeling from the attack on his "big brother" Ryu, Gen stabs the leader of a rival Yakuza gang and becomes a fugitive. Master attempts to bring Gen comfort, and advises the young Yakuza junior to take responsibility for his actions if he ever hopes to make Ryu proud. The other patrons come together to celebrate Christmas with Master in his diner.

Featured dish: None

Yakuza boss Ryu enjoys his evenings eating mini-wieners at Master's diner. Detective Noguchi hears about a local diner in Shinjuku that serves Ryu and decides to investigate. He tracks down Ryu and his junior Gen at a batting cage where the police detectives arrest Gen. Noguchi informs Ryu that if he wants Gen to earn his freedom, the two will have to put their aside differences for the sake of an old friend in need of help.

Featured dish: None

Newcomer Saya Adachi always orders fried chicken and a highball before dozing off. She works long hours at a pachinko parlor so she can financially support her boyfriend Shosuke, a struggling comedian. Master and Gen decide to intervene as Shosuke becomes increasingly abusive towards Saya.

Takeshi is a middle-aged martial arts instructor who constantly bickers with his elderly, alcoholic mother named Oren. Oren's alcoholism has prevented Takeshi from maturing as a man, something she blames on her son rather than on her own problems. Master's conversations with other characters reveal a tragic past to the mother-and-son relationship, which comes to a head after a serious car accident.

Bento shop employee Shoji has a crush on Ikumi, who comes to the diner for Master's jellied fish broth over rice. On a particularly busy day, Ikumi helps Shoji with frustrated customers at his bento shop. As Shoji prepares to declare his love for Ikumi, Komichi reveals a surprising secret about Ikumi's real line of work.

Genki and Yuki are aspiring filmmakers who wish to turn their screenplay about a suicidal woman into a feature film. They cast the mysterious Kikuno as the lead actress but she soon disappears. Both men, in love with Kikuno, fight over her affection when she suddenly reappears. Master talks to a mysterious patron at his diner, who tells stories involving gruesome murders and ghosts, much to Genki and Yuki's distress, and they begin to speculate whether Kikuno is a ghostly reincarnation of the subject of their screenplay. This is the first episode of Midnight Diner that features supernatural or magical realist elements.

Suzuki is a struggling novelist who fights with his editor and suffers from writer's block. He decides to hire Hana, an escort who frequents Master's diner, as a stress reliever, but is shocked to learn about her true identity.

Tsukiko is a famous TV screenwriter who comes into Master's diner for his pickled cabbage, which she claims is the best in all of Tokyo. One night, she shares her leftovers with a taxi driver named Takeshi, who also loves pickled cabbage. The two become friends after they learn they're from the same hometown. Tsukiko's affair with her TV producer is revealed to the press, sending her career into a downward spiral.

Hitomi is a beautiful young woman who is unsuccessful in relationships with men her age. One night, she decides to pursue the company of an older man named Mr. Hashimoto. The two get along wonderfully and eat chilled noodles at Master's diner despite it being the middle of winter. One night, Detective Inuzuka stops by the diner looking for a wanted criminal. His only clue is "chilled noodles".

Kanemoto excitedly brings in his girlfriend Chiaki to taste Master's meat and potato stew. The stew brings back memories of her childhood for Chiaki, when her family was too poor to afford beef. Kanemoto plans to marry her but the proposal is cut short when other patrons recognize Chiaki as someone else.

One of the few dishes Master will not prepare is gyōza, which he prefers to specially order from a neighboring restaurant called Anamori Dumplings. The chef at Anamori, Murata, offers to teach Master how to make gyōza in exchange for a party at the diner. Murata's wife Momoko enters the diner with her husband and is immediately recognized by both Master and Katagiri as a customer from the early days of the diner. The three of them argue over their actions in the past, threatening to expose long-buried secrets to Murata and the other customers.

Featured dish: None

Misao Kashima is a retired singer who gave up on her career after her husband's death. After mourning for eight years, she finds the courage to return to the diner and eat a favourite dish of her late husband: minced meat cutlets. Mr. Toyama, the food critic, asks her for help with his sick wife, leading Misao to look back on her life choices.

Manga editor Uno brings his new manga artists to the diner to try the Master's recipe for cherry tomatoes wrapped in bacon. His most recent artist, Hashimoto, seems to be incapable of creating any significant work and goes into an identity crisis. This affects everyone around Hashimoto, including his exhausted girlfriend Noriko.

Private investigator Kei Satomi has a new trainee named Mamoru who has doubts about his abilities. Kei devises a test after eating Master's squid and taro stew to prove to Mamoru he is ready. Mamoru's attempts to successfully pass his test lead to some unexpected places and more than one secret romance.

Komichi falls in love with Kasumi, an extremely confident and intrepid woman from Osaka who only orders pickled ginger. Kosuzu and the other customers find her tastes strange but Kasumi has a hidden agenda, one that Komichi continues to be oblivious to as he tries to win her heart.

Miho and Sayuri plan their elementary school reunion while sharing a bowl of glass noodles at Master's diner. As part of the festivities, they unearth a time capsule that was buried 25 years ago by the students in the class. Sayuri finds letters she wrote about her true feelings for a fellow classmate named Shiga. After she confides in Miho, a love triangle emerges between the three friends.

As the nights in Shinjuku get colder, Master prepares stuffed cabbage for the customers. Everyone is pleased, apart from Marilyn, who despises stuffed cabbage ever since she was a child. Soon after, Marilyn's mother Eri comes to Tokyo and immediately clashes with her daughter over her profession and her new boyfriend, Kimitoshi.

Happily married couple Yoshio and Mizue Hiraga visit Master every Saturday morning after finishing their morning walk through Shinjuku to enjoy a hot bowl of clam soup. After Mizue visits her hometown and runs into an old flame, she begins to have second thoughts about returning to Tokyo. At the same time, Yoshio develops feelings for Mariko Teshigawa, a Go player he sees on TV.

After a night of rowdiness, Gen finds his old high school teacher Chizuru Ishikawa at Master's diner enjoying a serving of braised burdock root. The two spend the following weeks together, shopping around town and enjoying late nights at the diner and Kosuzu's bar. On her final night in Tokyo, Gen works up the courage to tell Chizuru how he really feels; Chizuru is unsure if she feels the same way.

Detective Noguchi disagrees with his new partner Detective Izumi. The two spend their evenings off work arguing in Master's diner about the correct way to be a police detective. After arresting a voyeur for stealing a woman's underwear, Noguchi and Izumi head to Master's diner, where Izumi has a surprise waiting for her partner.

New Year's Eve arrives and Master diligently prepares his homemade soba noodles. However, Komichi, Hachiro, Kanemoto, Marilyn, Kimitoshe, and Mr. Chu all bring their own uncooked soba for him to prepare, much to his annoyance. He is saved by Detective Izumi, who asks him to prepare soba for herself, Detective Noguchi, and Officer Kogure, who will all be spending New Year's Eve at the neighborhood kōban. Kosuzu arrives with his drag queen friend Ko, shortly followed by The Ochazuke Sisters dressed in kimonos. Everyone in the diner enjoys Master's soba just as Ryu arrives with Gen. Clad with mochi-making equipment, the patrons make mochi outside while Master prepares mochi soup. The group toasts to the new year and continues to feast into the night.

(Special Note: This is the first episode of the show that does not feature a character story or a plot. Instead, the events described above play out in sequence while the episode ends with a montage of major scenes from the season set to music.)

Featured dish: None

Master prepares tan-men for Mr. Shimada, a radio DJ. He prefers it over ramen because of its healthier ingredients. When he hears another customer, Harumi, order the same dish, he attempts to form a relationship with her. Harumi is put off by this, as Mr. Shimada's position as a radio DJ shines an unwanted spotlight on her personal life and muddled past.

Serao Kesara is among the last in a dying breed of comedians working in Asakusa. He is angry that his former pupil, Hajime, has eclipsed him in fame and become a sex symbol thanks to a successful TV career. Angry that the world has left him behind, Kesara harasses Hajime until their relationship crumbles, leaving Master to pick up the pieces.

Shigemi is a naive, awkward, real estate agent who knits a sweater for every new crush she develops. The affection she feels is never returned, and she despairs over never finding true love. Her newest crush, Kirihara, blinds her from an opportunity at real happiness with a secret admirer who loves and appreciates her handiwork.

After forgetting his umbrella during a rainstorm, physicist Amamiya arrives at Master's diner and orders omurice. Yoona, a young Korean hostess, connects with Amamiya after she unintentionally helps him with a difficult physics problem. Their mutual affection comes to a halt when Yoona's parents disapprove of her relationship and order her to move back to Seoul.

(Special Note: This is the first episode of the show to feature a region outside Japan as a location for part of the story.)

Professional Mahjong gambler Mr. Ogami returns from Kyushu with his estranged son Taizo. The duo eat egg tofu over rice at Master's diner where they meet a young hostess named Midori. Tensions rise when Midori's boyfriend, Kazuma, challenges Mr. Ogami to a high-stakes game of Mahjong, overseen by the Yakuza.

Mr. Hoshino is the diabetic insomniac who owns the fresh produce store where Master shops. He is tormented by a recurring nightmare in which his deceased mother's ghost tries to break into his house in search of something. Kasumi enlists the help of Komichi, Mr. Chu, and Detective Noguchi to find what Hoshino's mother is searching for and make peace with her lingering spirit.

Mr. Chu reunites with Okae, a childhood friend who left their hometown to become an actress. Decades after her career fails, Okae is forced to care for her deadbeat nephew, who begs for money and is constantly rude to her. Mr. Chu pleads with Okae to realize this is not what is best for her, ultimately leading to a nasty confrontation between old friends about their decisions in life.

Drawn to Master's diner by their love of sautéed yam, Mr. and Mrs. Hisamatsu enjoy a night out celebrating 23 years of marriage. Later that week, Mrs. Hisamatsu seeks out Erect Oki, revealing herself to be his old adult film co-star Fujiko. Their romance is rekindled as Fujiko wrestles with what she knows is right and what she feels for Mr. Oki.

After working as an attorney for 35 years, Mr. Nakatsuka has one month left before he retires. A news story airs on TV about a man who refuses to vacate an apartment building set to be demolished to build a stadium for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Mr. Nakatsuka recognizes this man as his long-lost younger brother Kenta, who he used to challenge to games of Othello for the prize of ham cutlets.

As December comes to a close, Master and his patrons gather at the diner to relive memories of the past year. (Each story is shown as a flashback corresponding with a season of the year).

• Spring: Komichi wins one million yen after successfully betting on a horse race. He throws a massive sushi party at the diner and brings in an outside chef, much to Master's chagrin.

• Summer: During a power outage, Kanemoto tells a horror story about watermelons, causing Ryu to collapse in shock.

• Autumn: Officer Kogure is accosted by a mute woman who tries to make him eat ramen noodles. It is implied by Detective Izumi and Kasumi that the woman has a crush on Kogure. He flees when he hears sirens in the distance.

Back in winter, the patrons enjoy Master's New Year's soba. As the clock strikes midnight, Gen and Ryu escort Michiru into the diner; she has brought osechi for everyone. After all the customers have left, Chieko arrives and helps Master clean up. She invites him to visit a shrine with her, but he turns her down. Saddened, Chieko wishes Master a happy new year and leaves. Realizing his mistake, Master chases after her but sees no sign of anyone outside. He returns to his diner as the first snow of the year begins to fall.

Featured dish: None

(The episode features soba and osechi in major scenes but does not provide any cooking instructions to the audience.)

Akai is a video game designer who grew up in an orphanage. When his company's games fail to meet his standards, he goes to Master's diner and finds solace in a chicken rice dish he often ate as a child. Unbeknownst to Akai, the dish also holds the key to reconnecting with his birth mother.

Featured dish: None

Middle-aged magazine writer Yara stops by Master's diner to enjoy cheese-stuffed chicken cutlets. Hikaru, a hostess, orders the same dish as Yara based on what her horoscope told her earlier that day. Yara develops a fascination with Hikaru, and attempts to use their mutual interest in astrology to charm her into falling in love with him.

One night, a lost old man enters the diner. He does not speak much or introduce himself as he orders rice and sour plums. The next day, he goes with Mr. Chu to Marilyn's strip club where she recognizes him as Mr. Umemiya, her old bookkeeping teacher in high school. Mr. Umemiya does not seem to remember anything, apart from his desire to find and spend time with Marilyn.

Chizuru is a 34-year-old gravure model who dreams of finding a husband that will make her happy. Her agent reminds her that she is unlikely to still be a model after 35. At the request of her friend, Chizuru goes to a party for rich CEOs in Roppongi where she meets Toru Kanzaki, a millionaire CEO who works in IT. He asks Chizuru on a date to Master's diner but the other patrons are suspicious of his wealth.

Kotani is a former baseball player who now owns a chain of successful cat cafés in Tokyo. He frequents Master's diner to eat yakisoba stuffed into hot dog buns thus creating "yakisoba dogs". When the other patrons ask him about the origins of this dish, Kotani remembers the summer beach trip he took with his friend Yokokawa where all they ate were yakisoba dogs. He decides to track down his old friend and discovers that he is the coach of a high school baseball team.

Featured dish: None

Over the past 10 years, the Ueharas have lived their dream of running a small barber shop. Their favorite food is baked salmon with mushrooms, a fusion dish indicative of their two distinct upbringings: Mrs. Uehara grew up on a frigid coastline village in northern Japan while Mr. Uehara grew up deep in the mountains of central Japan. When Mrs. Uehara goes on a trip to Shanghai, Mr. Uehara is forced to attend to all their clients, including a mystifying newcomer dressed in a beautiful kimono.

Akina and Haruna are young, aspiring voice actresses who seek out Master's diner after hearing a rumor online that eating a bowl of kitsune udon will grant you one wish. After six months and many bowls of udon, only Akina's luck seems to have improved, leading to a rift between the two friends in an already fiercely competitive industry.

A pachinko parlor clerk named Kabayama reconnects with his old middle school classmate Shuichi. They eat dinner at Master's diner, consisting of Japanese-style curry ladled over ramen noodles. Shuichi recalls first eating this dish at Kabayama's home when they were kids, but as both former schoolmates come to learn, appearances can be deceiving.

A comedy of errors leads to a stand-off at Master's diner between supposed members of a Chinese Triad and the Yakuza. As both groups prepare to battle, a man named Lee Punfa appears and informs Master that the men are actually part of his film production team. Mr. Lee reveals that he is the son of a famous Chinese director, and came to Japan to find the actor that starred in his father's famously unfinished final film. His only memory of the man is that he enjoyed making tamagoyaki.

(Special Note: This is the second episode of the series to feature a region outside Japan as a location for part of the story. This is also the first episode to portray a culture other than Japanese, as many lines of dialogue are spoken in Mandarin and the films shown are historical dramas dealing with Chinese history from the 13th century.)

Featured dish: None

The diner patrons express a collective desire for a fresh start as another year comes to an end. Gen meets a woman he nicknames "Nori-chan" who turns out to be a figure from Master's past who wronged him. Master forgives her after she shows remorse, and treats them to an entire roasted red king crab on Christmas Eve. Officer Kogure forms a bond with the mute woman after she teaches him a new way to serve ramen. At the same time, he plays a small role in Detective Izumi's sting operation to catch a group of scam artists who target women like Nori-chan in need of money. Seita and Saori bicker as to who will inherit the family soba business, but learn to put their differences aside when Master needs help preparing New Years soba for his patrons. Master's relationship with Chieko deepens as the pair feed the crowd of regulars gathered at Meshi-ya to greet the new year. Outside, snow falls on the streets of Shinjuku as Master's voice-over recites his opening narration.

Featured dish: None