Star of Japanese hit series 'The Solitary Gourmet' hopes to share its joy of eating

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TOKYO (AP) — Japanese TV program “The Solitary Gourmet” quietly started in a late-night slot 14 years ago featuring a suit-clad, middle-aged man’s joy of solitary dining at a local eatery after finishing a day's work.

Yutaka Matsushige, the actor who plays main character Goro Inogashira, expected the show to end quietly in a short time. It didn't. “Kodoku no Gurume,” the show's title in Japanese, steadily gained popularity across Japan and beyond and just began its 11th season this month.

Based on a popular comic by writer Masayuki Kusumi and artist Jiro Taniguchi, “The Solitary Gourmet” last year became a film directed and written by Matsushige, who also stars in the big screen version.

“The drama is about a man just eating food," Matsushige said during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday marking the start of the latest season. "But the simple notion of 'delicious' can go beyond the differences of language or ethnicity, something everyone can easily relate to."

The show has become a phenomenon across Asia and Matsushige has acquired a huge fan base in South Korea, Taiwan and China. After filming the movie in Japan, South Korea and Paris, he hopes to share the drama with people around the world.

Each episode starts with Inogashira visiting a client, such as a downtown mom-and-pop store. When he finishes working, he suddenly feels hungry and looks for a local restaurant. His eating scenes are documentary style, with his inner monologue describing his happiness and sense of freedom in searching out and finding places that appeal to him and serve good food.

“To me, eating is about telling a story,” Matsushige said, adding that his job as an actor is to show the story behind the eatery, highlighting the dishes and how they taste. “What I intend to do in this drama is to show the audience to watch, imagine and enjoy.”

At a time of global friction, the simple act of eating can help understanding between countries, said Matsushige, who is developing ideas for future projects outside Japan.

Asked who would be a good candidate to play his character in a Hollywood remake, Matsushige suggested Nicolas Cage based on his appearance, which he said is closer to the original manga comic than his.

Joking with the audience, he added, "George Clooney could also be a good candidate."