Ep. 61: Nobuko Mayama hosts a ski trip at her mountain villa where a snowstorm traps the group.

61

Nobuko Mayama invites Yamaoka and the Culture Department Flower Trio to her mountain villa for skiing. They dine with Mr. Oide, a wealthy hotel owner, and his wife. The next morning, a heavy snowstorm traps everyone inside as phone lines fail. Mr. Mayama reveals the pantry was emptied by caretakers, prompting Mr. Oide to blame him. Yamaoka gathers green onions from the garden while the women find flour and sesame oil. She cooks Laobing, a Chinese scallion pancake, using these ingredients. The group enjoys the meal, and Mr. Oide compliments Yamaoka for calmly resolving the food shortage, changing his perspective. As the storm subsides, the tension dissipates among the trapped guests.