In this spellbinding, lovingly shot series, a recently retired man decides to eat something new every day – and captivates your senses along the way

A month into isolation I found myself hypnotised by the slowly slithering oil slicks on top of some freshly made chicken broth. I forgot about Covid-19, the friends and family I missed, and even the crusty bits on my share house stove. That unctuous soup filled my entire universe, and for a minute, I felt at peace. I also felt like I was in an episode of Netflix’s spellbindingly mundane Samurai Gourmet.

In Masayuki Kusumi’s 12-part 2017 miniseries, recently retired salaryman Takeshi Kasumi (Naoto Takenaka), the gentle 60-year-old protagonist, is troubled by his new free time. He decides to explore Tokyo on foot alone, eating something new every day.

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