Oishinbo
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Episodes (136)
5 / 6- 97EP 97
Touzai staff help Hakodate grandmother sell 300kg of squid for granddaughter's wedding
Mar 12, 1991An elderly woman from Hakodate is struck by a car while attempting to sell squid at the Touzai offices. She requires funds for her orphaned granddaughter's wedding and has brought 300kg of product. Inspector Nakamatsu, Yamaoka, and other staff members wish to assist, but General Affairs Manager Iikura blocks sales in the company market due to his dislike of squid. Yamaoka challenges Iikura to taste the seafood or resign. After enjoying fresh squid sashimi and soy sauce marinated squid, Iikura changes his mind. He permits the sale at the company market, allowing Yamaoka to retain his position while helping the grandmother achieve her financial goal.
- 98EP 98
Tayama challenges Kurita and Yamaoka to prove their culinary expertise at the Dainichi Hotel.
Mar 19, 1991Soichi Tayama invites college friend Kurita to his father's Dainichi Hotel restaurant, where he is smitten with her. Tayama arranges for Kurita and Yamaoka to evaluate the establishment for Touzai News, joining them with food critic Takehara. Takehara claims that Kurita and Yamaoka are too young to create the Ultimate Menu, asserting that appreciating fine food requires three generations. This remark is a ploy by Tayama to demoralize Kurita. However, the duo correctly identifies five different raw meats and discovers that two complex sauces were mixed up by kitchen staff, resulting in identical plates. Takehara apologizes for his rudeness. The following day, Tayama offers Kurita flowers and requests another dinner, but she declines his invitation.
- 99EP 99
Dainippon TV cafeteria food contest features Aikawa's winning potato korokke recipe
Apr 23, 1991Dainippon TV organizes a cafeteria food competition requiring korokke entries. Mr. Black seeks to understand the rakugo story "Parting From My Children" regarding a divorced couple. Cafeteria chef Aikawa encounters his son Takashi, mirroring the tale. Despite creating flavorful variants, Aikawa follows Yamaoka's advice to submit his standard potato and meat korokke. This simple dish wins against twenty other cafeterias. Takashi persuades his mother to watch the broadcast, where she recognizes Aikawa's dedication and reconciles with him. Observing this family interaction, Black gains the insight needed to perform the rakugo story successfully on stage.
- 100EP 100
Ashida confronts his wastefulness after a lavish meal funded by his ex-girlfriend Nobuko.
Apr 30, 1991Kurita and Yamaoka dine at an upscale French restaurant with Sushimoto's Ms. Natsuko and Mr. Kitao. Yasutaka Ashida, an old friend of Kitao, arrives and sends expensive wine, leading Kitao to call him a spendthrift. Ashida's former girlfriend, Nobuko Kanichi, comes with money, but Ashida slaps her when she reveals her father will stop funding him. Kitao explains Ashida was rejected for a wealthier man. Suspecting Ashida is acting out, Yamaoka arranges a dinner hosted by Nobuko. Ashida is served luxurious Japanese food involving significant waste, such as tai skin and bluefin tuna belly. This extravagance makes him realize his selfishness since his previous partner left him. He decides to return to the family restaurant business and reunites with Nobuko.
- 101EP 101
Tomii's son refuses a race, prompting Yamaoka to help bullied Masashi through a shared meal.
May 7, 1991Deputy Director Tomii’s son Hitoshi refuses to attend a school field trip because his parents must participate in a race. Tomii coerces Yamaoka and Kurita to impersonate Hitoshi’s parents for the day. At school, Yamaoka observes Masashi being bullied by classmates who mock him as a bean sprout, while Hitoshi watches passively. Yamaoka volunteers to run alongside Masashi, and Kurita runs with Hitoshi; the pair wins the race. Later, Hitoshi asks for Yamaoka’s assistance because Masashi continues to face harassment. The next day, Yamaoka serves the students a lunch featuring bean sprouts, fried eggs, and an imitation shark fin soup. Although initially hesitant, the children enjoy the meal. Yamaoka then explains that Masashi spent considerable time manually trimming the sprouts to improve their taste, which shifts the students' perspective and reduces their hostility toward him.
- 102EP 102
Yamaoka introduces American journalist Arthur Brown to donburi and Italian writer Anna Marina to norimaki.
May 21, 1991Mr. Black asks Yamaoka for lunch ideas for a magazine article on Japan, leading to a donburi recommendation. American journalist Arthur Brown visits Japan, and Yamaoka shows him various donburi restaurants featuring tempura, chicken, and tuna sashimi toppings. Brown praises donburi as the heart of Japan. He then meets Italian writer Anna Marina, who arrived to study martial arts and argues that norimaki better represents Japanese culture. She demands Yamaoka take them to the best norimaki spots, leading to Ms. Natsuko’s sushi restaurant. Natsuko serves diverse norimaki rolls, which Brown eats enthusiastically. Initially unimpressed, Brown undergoes a blind taste test with wasabi maki. The strong flavor convinces him that norimaki encapsulates Japanese culture, and he agrees to let Marina write her article for his magazine.
- 103EP 103
Yamaoka and Kurita investigate international dining trends while facing Sakurada's skepticism.
May 28, 1991Prompted by Japan's rising economy, Yamaoka and Kurita plan an article on international restaurants. They propose collaborating with critic Sakurada, who dismisses the idea as pointless. He challenges them to verify the value of the Ultimate Menu by dining at foreign establishments. The journalists observe that patrons prioritize wealth display over food quality but decide to proceed. Sakurada complains to President Ohara, leading Yamaoka to invite him to a temple breakfast featuring porridge, takuan, and goma tofu. Impressed by the simple meal, Sakurada agrees to collaborate. Ohara rewards the journalists with a reservation at an extravagant international restaurant, much to their horror.
- 104EP 104
Yamaoka helps Norio Tsugawa revive his declining tempura restaurant Ginya with a new tsukemono menu.
Jun 4, 1991Mr. Okaboshi brings Yamaoka and Kurita to Ginya, a tempura restaurant owned by Norio Tsugawa. Business has suffered since Norio assumed control after his father’s death. Yasuichi Kawanishi, a playwright and gourmet, criticizes the current quality. Yamaoka defends the food but notes unrealistic expectations. He advises Norio to craft a unique nukadoko using high-quality, unfertilized rice bran for pickling vegetables. Norio implements this change, and Yamaoka invites Ohara and Kawanishi to taste the updated menu featuring the new tsukemono. The guests are highly impressed. Yamaoka explains that while the tempura matched the father’s standard, the enhanced pickles were necessary for acceptance. The strategy succeeds, and customers return to Ginya.
- 105EP 105
Shin faces Kizaki in a pasta duel to prove his culinary superiority and retain his wife and restaurant.
Jun 11, 1991Yamaoka and Kurita meet Shin, a skilled cook, in a park. Kurita discovers Shin is Nobuyasu Yoshimura, who left his family years ago. Shin explains he and rival chef Kizaki studied in Italy for five years under a restaurant owner who promised his daughter Kumiko and the business to the better chef. The owner died after two years, allowing Shin to return, marry Kumiko, and take over. Now Kizaki has returned to challenge Shin. Feeling inadequate due to his pasta specialization, Shin receives help from Yamaoka. They arrange a competition in the Touzai kitchen. Kizaki prepares an impressive veal dish, but Shin serves a maccheroni filled with various meats. Kizaki acknowledges defeat, conceding that Shin is the superior chef.
- 106EP 106
Chef Terasugi reunites with former lover Sabine after a decade apart.
Jun 18, 1991Head chef Yoshio Terasugi prepares a dinner for Touzai News staff on a German luxury cruise. He recounts his past training under Ernest Muhler in Yokohama, his engagement to Muhler’s daughter Sabine, and a fatal fight with a blackmailer that resulted in a 10-year prison sentence. Upon release, Terasugi studied cooking in Germany. Yamaoka and Kurita confirm that Hansa still operates with Sabine as owner, though the menu lacks mushroom soup and potato pancakes. Yamaoka arranges a meeting, revealing Sabine removed these dishes because they reminded her of Terasugi. She awaits his return to cook them again. Through Yamaoka’s intervention, the former lovers are happily reunited after their long separation.
- 107EP 107
Yamaoka prepares a special dish using small abalone to help artist Ginko Kiyotani recover his memory.
Jun 25, 1991Artist Ginko Kiyotani undergoes surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage, prompting his friend Mr. Kyogoku to worry about his mental state. Kyogoku reveals that Kiyotani mentioned cooking "sea pine mushroom rice" before collapsing, insisting it surpassed matsutake, though neither he nor Yamaoka recognized the ingredient. Yamaoka travels to Hayama, where Kiyotani used to fish, and learns the recipe relies on small abalone clams harvested in the Shōnan region during summer. He prepares the dish following the local Shōnan method and serves it to Kiyotani. The familiar taste successfully triggers a memory recovery, allowing the artist to resume painting.
- 108EP 108
Kurita and Yamaoka help two children whose mother disappeared after her husband's death.
Jul 2, 1991Tamayo, Kurita's grandmother, pressures Kurita to find a husband, making him relieved when Yamaoka calls for assistance. Yamaoka had encountered two young children whose mother vanished days prior, leaving them alone. The landlord informed him of this situation. Through Tamayo Kurita's connections, the children are placed in Mr Hatanaka's cram school. They later run away after refusing to eat umeboshi, leading Hatanaka to believe he was too harsh. Kurita and Yamaoka search the neighborhood and eventually locate the children, returning them to their apartment. Yamaoka discovers umeboshi pickled by their mother, noting its superior quality compared to store-bought versions. The mother then returns, explaining that she had struggled with unemployment and suicidal thoughts following her husband's death but chose to come back. Later, Yamaoka and Kurita learn she began working at Hatanaka's school and wonder about the children's well-being.
- 109EP 109
Toji and Water
Jul 9, 1991Yamaoka and Kurita meet Inspector Nakamatsu while observing a dispute between Tooru Kiyama and Hōji Kinno. Kinno hired Kiyama, a brew master, in Niigata to improve his brewery’s poor reputation, but Kiyama left for Tokyo after becoming angry. The conflict arises because Kinno drank tap water and used plastic containers on the train, which Kiyama viewed as a lack of water quality awareness essential for sake brewing. Yamaoka invites Kinno’s older brother, who manages the brewing, to perform a water taste test. After the brother correctly identifies the water source used in a high-quality sake, Kiyama is convinced of their expertise and agrees to work for the company.
- 110EP 110
Yamaoka helps Ryoko make mackerel sushi using Kagoshima black vinegar
Jun 16, 1991Yamaoka and the culture division visit Kyoto for the Gion festival, enjoying botan hamo before buying blue mackerel sushi for Mr. Tojin’s wife, Ryoko. The group eats half the sushi on the train, leaving only enough for Ryoko to replace. Her attempt fails because she uses distilled vinegar, causing Mr. Tojin to fall ill. Yamaoka identifies the preservation error and travels with Ryoko and Kurita to Kagoshima. There, master maker Takenoshina demonstrates traditional kurozu production, explaining how sun warmth aids fermentation in outdoor pots. Returning to Tokyo, Yamaoka teaches Ryoko his specific method for preparing mackerel sushi, involving filleting, pickling, rice addition, kombu rolling, and slicing. Ryoko successfully prepares a new batch, which Mr. Tojin enjoys, forgiving her earlier mistake.
- 111EP 111
Kichi confronts his artistic failures and decides to master culinary arts at Shibahama.
Jun 23, 1991Kichi, heir to the century-old Shibahama restaurant in Kanda, ignores family duties for art. Ohara sends Yamaoka and Kurita to evaluate the food for the Ultimate Menu and investigate the owner's reluctance to transfer control. The elderly owner serves sea goblin, highlighting distinct preparations for skin and flesh. Kichi invites Touzai New to his exhibition, prompting Ohara to send the pair. Yamaoka criticizes Kichi’s fish paintings, arguing they lack culinary merit, and uses Shibahama chefs as judges to prove his point. Disillusioned by this critique, Kichi destroys his artwork. He then shifts his focus entirely to developing his cooking skills, abandoning his previous artistic pursuits in favor of the family business legacy.
- 112EP 112
Yamaoka reflects on his mother while helping Mrs. Kamura roast tea leaves.
Jul 30, 1991During summer, Yamaoka and Kurita witness hojicha roasting, triggering memories of Yamaoka’s mother being bullied by Kaibara. Manager Tanamura tasks Yamaoka with delivering fresh tea to novelist Riichi Kamura, who is behind schedule and dissatisfied with previous shipments. Yamaoka, who dislikes fussy artists, reluctantly agrees. Upon arriving at the Kamura residence, they find Riichi rude to his wife before storming out. Yamaoka demonstrates the slow roasting of green leaves over hot coals on mulberry paper to Mrs. Kamura. He shares how his mother found solace in his father’s success despite her suffering. Riichi returns, praises the tea, and Mrs. Kamura feels satisfied, leading Yamaoka to contemplate his own parents' relationship.
- 113EP 113
Yamaoka helps prepare Miwa somen to help Grandma Tamayo recover her appetite
Aug 13, 1991Yamaoka joins Yūko Kurita and her grandmother Tamayo on a shopping trip where Tamayo consults a fortune teller about Yūko's future. The elderly man collapses from the heat and is hospitalized, revealing himself as Ohashi, a former advertising agency head conducting psychological research. Tamayo attempts to nurse him back to health but falls ill herself due to the heat and exertion. When Kurita, Tabata, and Hanamura visit, they find Ohashi caring for Tamayo, though she dislikes his cooking. Yamaoka provides a recipe using Miwa somen from Nara, teaching them to prepare the noodles and sauce. Tamayo enjoys the improved flavor, regains her appetite, and Ohashi subsequently asks her on a date.
- 114EP 114
Yamaoka and Kurita interview critic Shinichi Furuyoshi about Japanese spirit culture and Awamori aging.
Sep 3, 1991At a Maruzakaya expo in Higashi Ginza, Yamaoka and Kurita spot an intoxicated man. President Ohara tasks them with interviewing literary critic Shinichi Furuyoshi, who is the same drunk individual. Furuyoshi claims Japan lacks cultural depth due to weak spirits compared to whiskey or cognac. Kurita counters with the shochu boom, but Furuyoshi dismisses it as shallow compared to liquors aged over 30 years. Yamaoka criticizes Furuyoshi’s Western obsession. After Furuyoshi attempts to have Yamaoka fired, Ohara sends him to Okinawa. Yamaoka arranges tastings of Awamori aged 20, 30, and 40 years. Furuyoshi admits the Awamori rivals other spirits and forgives Yamaoka. Later, they see Furuyoshi drunk again, leading Yamaoka to conclude he is merely a heavy drinker, not a true connoisseur.
- 115EP 115
Inspector Nakamatsu investigates a chef with amnesia found on Miharabashi Bridge holding a spice list.
Sep 17, 1991A policeman discovers an amnesiac man dressed as a chef on the handrail of Miharabashi Bridge, clutching a paper with Katakana characters and numbers. Inspector Nakamatsu requests a newspaper notice, leading Keiko to identify the man as Yutaka Mizoki, a chef dedicated to perfecting curry for their restaurant. She reveals that a former pimp forced her to assault Yutaka before he vanished. Yamaoka proposes cooking curry together using the list's ingredients, which helps Yutaka recover some memories, though he claims to remember nothing after arriving home. Nakamatsu suggests a fall caused his injury, but he, Yamaoka, and Kurita deduce that Yutaka is feigning partial amnesia to shield Keiko from guilt and embarrassment regarding the assault.
- 116EP 116
Chief Editor Nita Invites Culture Department for Global Food Tour Article Production
Oct 15, 1991Touzai Graph chief editor Mr. Nita tasks the Culture Department with a Global Food Tour feature. Ms. Mariko Niki joins, prompting Yamaoka to volunteer. After debating topics, Yamaoka and Ohara choose boar stew. Yamaoka’s friend Kissho Senkichi leads a hunt where a wild boar attacks, injuring Senkichi’s dog Koro nearly fatally. Editor Nita rejects the draft as too light and not focused on gourmet food. Yamaoka serves Nita wild boar stew, whose exceptional tenderness and flavor surprise him, leading him to praise Mariko’s work. Later, Mariko informs Kurita of her romantic interest in Yamaoka and proposes a fair competition.
- 117EP 117
Mariko’s Success Leads to a Dinner with Nito Bank and a Protected Bird Controversy
Oct 22, 1991Mariko Niki’s successful Global Food Tour article prompts a dinner with her father, head of Nito Bank, and Kaibara. Mr. Niki assumes friendly rivalry between the Ultimate and Supreme menu creators, unaware of the animosity between Yamaoka and Kaibara. A whole roasted bird is served, identified by both chefs as a protected Japanese thrush. Kaibara reprimands the chef and criticizes Yamaoka for not recognizing the bird until tasting it, causing Yamaoka significant embarrassment. Yamaoka misses work for 10 days before returning looking like a bum. He claims to have located bird traps and leads a Touzai expedition to nets catching migrating birds and other endangered species. Poachers are arrested by police and photographed by Touzai staff for a Mariko article. Mr. Niki shows the article to Kaibara, who makes no comment regarding Yamaoka’s efforts.
- 118EP 118
Kurita Persuades Photographer Isamu Kinjō Through Traditional Hida Cuisine
Oct 29, 1991Mariko Niki proposes hiring photographer Isamu Kinjō for Touzai Graph, but he declines, viewing food coverage as trivial. Undeterred, Kurita pursues Kinjō during a drive in his Datsun Bluebird, which he describes as embodying Japan’s post-war industrial resilience against American competitors. Seeking a solution, Yamaoka recommends the Hida Takayama morning market. The group arrives the night before to gather fresh ingredients. Yamaoka prepares a local specialty by heating soybean paste with salted vegetables and steamed rice over a hibachi using a dried silver magnolia leaf. Kinjō is moved by this authentic taste of Japan. Kurita challenges him to capture the experience in a photograph. Impressed by the meal and the challenge, Kinjō later visits the Touzai offices to accept the assignment.
- 119EP 119
Isamu Kinjō seeks to lure Hide Hirao back to Paris through a culinary contest between Yamaoka and Kaibara.
Nov 5, 1991Photographer Isamu Kinjō worries about his friend, fashion designer Hide Hirao, who is exhausted and homesick in Paris. Kinjō asks Yamaoka to cook dishes that will persuade Hirao to return to Europe. Yamaoka refuses until Kinjō threatens to involve Yuzan Kaibara, sparking a rivalry. Kurita suggests a Japanese meal, but Yamaoka disagrees. At dinner, Yamaoka serves exquisite French cuisine, leading Hirao to declare he need not return to Paris if such food is available in Japan. Kaibara then presents a simple dish of rice steamed in bamboo leaves with pickled cucumber and mountain spring water. Hirao exclaims that he has tasted the essence of Japanese cuisine, feeling revitalized by his roots and deciding to return to Paris. Yamaoka is left angry and defeated by Kaibara's tactics.
- 120EP 120
Yamaoka helps Teruko fix her relationship with Katamori using giant chawanmushi
Nov 12, 1991Yamaoka saves an assertive woman from a car, only to learn she is Teruko, Mariko Niki's aunt. Teruko insults her date, writer Mr. Katamori, and later invites Yamaoka to dinner at an exclusive restaurant to make Katamori jealous. Yamaoka secretly informs Katamori that Teruko loves chawanmushi and cabbage rolls. He arranges for jumbo-sized versions of these dishes to be served. When Katamori arrives, he accuses Teruko of demanding perfection as outrageously as the meal, leading to a breakup. Teruko eventually recognizes her own flaws and asks for forgiveness. She later visits the Touzai offices to thank Yamaoka for repairing her relationship with Katamori. In return, she offers to help Yamaoka date Mariko Niki, surprising Kurita.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many episodes does Oishinbo have?
- Oishinbo has 136 episodes.
- When did Oishinbo come out?
- Oishinbo came out in 1988.
- Which studio made Oishinbo?
- Oishinbo was produced by Shin-Ei Animation.
- Who directed Oishinbo?
- Oishinbo was directed by Yoshio Takeuchi.
- Is Oishinbo finished?
- Current status of Oishinbo: Finished.