When people finish their day and hurry home,
my day starts.
My diner is open from midnight to 7:00 in the morning.
They call it "Midnight Diner."
PORK MISO COMBO, BEER, SAKE, SHOCHU
That's all I have on my menu.
But I make whatever customers request, as long as I have ingredients for it.
That's my policy.
Do I even have customers?
More than you would expect.
MIDNIGHT DINER: TOKYO STORIES
FRIED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CHEESE
Let's go check it out.
I'm not sure...
Making plans for this weekend?
They say there's a fortune-teller at the east exit who is really good.
The one in the alley?
That's the one!
-You know it? -Yeah, I saw a line.
Are you going to ask about marriage?
What else?
Here you go.
-Chicken cheese katsu. -Thanks.
Do you believe in fortune-telling?
Me? Whether I believe it or not,
I think life turns out however it turns out.
I agree.
It's never worked for me, anyway.
I guess Mr. Chu will only believe it when it comes to racehorses.
I take it only as a reference.
Many women like fortune-telling, don't they?
I don't believe all of it, but I care about it a little.
Like lucky items.
I check my horoscope on TV and in magazines, just in case.
-And you, Mr. Yada? -What?
I would say...
I believe it.
Mr. Yada often orders chicken cheese katsu here.
He worked for an editing company, and he is a writer as well.
Welcome.
Do you have chicken cheese katsu?
Of course. In fact, I just made some.
That's good to hear. Please.
Sure.
Hikaru!
Are you an Aquarius, perhaps?
Yes.
Look, the Aquarius's lucky item!
Chicken cheese katsu.
Does that mean... You too, Mr. Yada?
No, this is just...
You found me out.
AQUARIUS
Most men don't read stuff like this.
Our company subscribes to it.
I've been reading that magazine since high school.
Osanai sensei is amazing. He always gets it right.
Especially about love.
That's true.
Us two Aquarians coming together must be fate.
It's nice to meet you.
You, too.
Please come visit my bar if you like.
Here.
Hikaru.
HIKARU CANDYCROWN
Mr. Yada! You really came!
-What is it? -Nothing.
-Here. -You brought it?
-You've already read it? -Of course.
It says Aquarians might have new encounters.
-Whiskey and water? -Please.
You're a rare type, being a man who likes astrology.
It's not that I like it, but...
There are times when someone has no power over something, right?
I like reading positive things.
I know what you mean. I'm the same.
-Here you are. -Thank you.
Ever since I learned about Osanai sensei when I was 17,
I've always believed in him, whether it was about work or love,
whenever I was at a loss.
I see.
"New encounters."
I hope he's right.
Look.
It says our lucky item is an apple pie.
-Do you know any nice shops? -I should have brought one with me.
You know a good place?
You could call it fate guided by the fortune-telling.
Mr. Yada started to visit the club to see Hikaru.
What are you sighing about?
I've been having some pain around here.
-Heartburn? -No, it's love.
Many years have passed since I've felt this.
It's okay because I'm single, right?
The lucky lady...
could it be Hikaru?
During the day, she works for a design company.
She works as a part-time hostess to pay off her student loan.
I guess maybe she doesn't see me as a love interest.
What does the horoscope say about it?
The star alignment isn't good now.
Mars and Venus are close, so Aquarian men need to be extra careful.
That's a shame.
Besides, I'm no good at making predictions for myself.
What?
To tell you the truth, I write the horoscopes.
What?
I learned how when I wrote for an economics magazine.
Many people working for big firms believe in horoscopes,
so I thought they could be an icebreaker.
At some point, I started writing in magazines sometimes
under the name Kyoichiro Osanai.
I see.
I haven't revealed my identity at all, so no one knows it's me.
Did you tell Hikaru about it?
Of course not.
She'd be so disappointed if she learned Osanai is a dull middle-aged man.
So don't tell her, okay?
All right.
Good evening.
-Hikaru! -Mr. Yada.
Welcome.
This is Mr. Kikuchi, a designer I'm working with.
-Beer? -Sure.
Beer and chicken cheese katsu, please.
Excuse me. Could you put in a few shiso leaves?
-That's possible. -Please.
Sure.
Mr. Kikuchi, how did you know?
My lucky color this month is green!
Is that so? It just came to me.
Amazing!
Mr. Yada.
I read that love is in the air for Aquarians.
It came true!
Right?
Two weeks passed.
You're an Aquarius, right? Look.
"Put a stop to last month's love. The stars say it will soon end."
No premonition, no presage.
"Watch out for men's lies. He might have a wife and children."
Not interested.
Welcome.
Hikaru! Long time no see.
What's wrong?
I was fooled.
He...
had a wife and a child.
-What? -What?
It's true!
Of course it is. Because Mr. Yada...
Here you go.
That Kikuchi fella was no good.
Not only was he married with a child, he had women other than Hikaru!
I see.
You got all of that from reading the stars?
Of course not.
After I met him that day, I followed him home.
Because I didn't like the look of him.
Mr. Yada, you can read auras, too?
You could say that.
Since I'm a writer, I looked into him enough to write a book.
I questioned him after reading the horoscope.
He said, "I didn't deceive you. I just didn't tell you the truth."
What a jerk. That's terrible.
But wasn't it better you found it out before things went even further?
Yeah.
This Kyoichiro Osanai is too incredible, by the way.
I don't think I can believe in anything anymore.
I might not be able to live without the horoscope.
Even after that, Mr. Yada kept on using his horoscope
to send messages to Hikaru without revealing his true identity.
People finish their day and hurry home.
But sometimes they don't want to go straight back home,
so they drop in somewhere on the way home.
POLICE STATION
"As an Aquarius,
you are very thoughtful and you think about things logically.
But to those around you, this can come off as indecisiveness."
I guess it kind of fits me.
That's right. You can come off as thoughtless sometimes.
-Really? -Absolutely.
Next is love.
"You might realize that there is someone close by who loves you."
What's your sign, Ms. Izumi?
-I'm a Virgo. -No way. You must be a Cancer.
Why?
Because you're always so crabby.
You're a Libra, right?
Why?
-Because you always sway. -Sway...
-Hi. -Mr. Momi!
-Good evening. -Good evening.
-Would you like some tea? -No, thanks.
We got a tip, so I went to check it out.
-Horoscope? -No, that's...
The space is endlessly wide, right?
So why are there only 12 zodiacs?
That's a good question.
Amazing! Great things are waiting for you!
Excuse me.
Can you look at mine?
Everyone's doing it.
Do fortune-tellers take responsibility if they get things wrong?
-I-- -What do you think?
-I wonder... -Let's see.
DINER
Are you three dressed like a traffic light?
How rude! These are our lucky love colors.
Right?
It's the real deal if a man will approach you.
By the way, I haven't seen Hikaru these days.
She hasn't been here for a while, either.
It seems she stopped working as a hostess.
Have you heard anything about her, Mr. Yada?
No.
I wonder if she's still heartbroken over the man.
She took it really hard.
Yeah, she told us she couldn't live without the horoscope.
She must have lost faith in herself.
They say, "Happiness only comes to those who are ready to accept it."
Maybe...
It's no good if your fortune-teller is too accurate.
Fortune-telling is hit or miss.
When it comes to fortune-telling,
it's best to take it with a grain of salt, right?
Thank you.
-Where are you going? -What?
What should I do?
About what?
Hikaru.
Did I do something wrong?
Mr. Yada...
You often order chicken cheese katsu, right?
Yeah.
-Why? -"Why"?
Because I like it.
You eat it because you like it. That's how things work, right?
Why don't you try to be honest about your feelings just once?
Illogically.
Two more weeks passed after that.
"To the Aquarians.
An important person of the opposite sex will appear before you
wearing a striped shirt.
This person may be your one true love."
The striped shirt...
Will it be blue stripes on white? Or red stripes? What about the width?
Hikaru! Long time no see!
-Good evening. -Welcome.
Sorry I asked you out so suddenly.
No, it's fine.
Chicken cheese katsu for me, too, please.
Sure.
-What is it you wanted to talk about? -Well...
Have a drink, first.
Who's this Kyoichiro Osanai, by the way?
Is it only me thinking
he's been especially focusing on Aquarius recently?
-That's true. -But not one thing has come true for me.
But it's been accurate for you, Hikaru?
I'm okay. It's not the horoscope's fault.
Sorry.
I'm okay, really.
Don't worry about me.
Hikaru...
you're perfect as you are.
Aquarians tend to be too logical, so you've got to be careful about it,
but if you live, being honest with your feelings,
you'll surely meet someone who loves you with all his heart.
No...
It could be that you've met one already, but you just don't know it.
Mr. Yada...
Stripes!
So, Hikaru, I...
If you like, I want you to--
Welcome.
Stripes!
Let's see... I'll have the pork soup set.
Also, a beer.
Sure.
Hikaru?
Hikaru!
Did you read the horoscope, perhaps?
What?
Why are you wearing stripes?
My laundry hasn't dried yet, and this is all I've got.
It's fate!
Kyoichiro Osanai's predictions are really something else!
Mr. Yada!
You shouldn't rely on horoscopes.
My lucky item has never done me any good, not even once.
Let's get another drink.
Wrap the cheese in the chicken breast,
and cover it well with batter and bread crumbs.
Be careful the cheese doesn't melt and leak out while frying.
Try adding plums, cod roe, or nori if you like.
-Here you go. -Thanks.
Hikaru.
The truth is, I'm the one who writes the horoscope.
I don't like liars.
Good night.
THIS STORY IS A WORK OF FICTION
Subtitle translation by Marti McElreath