Ep. 80: Yamaoka helps Kazuo Hirai reconcile with his mother using wild yams in Kamakura

80

Culture Division staff visit Manager Tanimura in Kamakura, where Yamaoka meets childhood friend and ex-yakuza Kazuo Hirai. Kazuo runs a small restaurant with his wife Tomoe, but business is slow due to the standard menu. Kazuo’s mother reacts angrily to his past and lack of perseverance. To appease her, Kazuo offers tororojiru, a dish made with rice and wild yams. Yamaoka finds a local yamaimo over a meter long in the forest for Kazuo to dig out. After Yamaoka convinces Mrs. Hirai to visit, she is impressed by the dish and the yam’s size. This leads to reconciliation between mother and son. Adding tororojiru to the menu causes the restaurant to thrive.