This is a list of characters who appear in Midnight Diner.
The proprietor of Meshi-ya, the Master serves as the protagonist of the series, appearing in all episodes and the movies.
- Everybody Calls Him "Barkeep": Justified because the Master has No Name Given.
- Everybody Has Standards: Male patrons physically duking it out in his restaurant? Pour their cold drinks over their heads to cool them down; a male patron abusing his girlfriend? The Master will crack a bottle of beer over the man's head.
- Friend to All Children: Unusually for someone in his line of work, the Master likes having children around and he is particularly kind to them.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Most of the time when the Master smokes is during either an insightful conversation or a poignant scene.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: One across his left eye; it's implied from the finale of Season 1 that Katagiri feels personally responsible for it. During Season 2 Episode 10, Murata's daughter Asuka thinks it was from a yo-yo.
- Just Friends: When questioned what his relationship with proprietress Chieko Hanawa is by his patrons in the first movie, he answers she's an acquaintance. However, it's suggested in the final episode of Season 1 for Tokyo Stories the two of them have a history that goes beyond friendship.
- Mysterious Past: The Master's origins are never discussed nor shown.
- Not So Above It All: The Master is hardly immune to the charms of beautiful women, such as former idols and gravure models who come to his diner. Lampshaded at the end of Season 2 Episode 2, where the patrons note he's playing favorites with Saya by adding highball drink to his seemingly never-changing menu. He also owns a copy of said gravure idol's nude photobook in Tokyo Stories Season 2.
- Supporting Protagonist: While the Master is the only character to appear in every episode, he is never the main focus of any episode's story, and throughout the series we learn very little about his personal life. In a typical episode his role is to help to the focus character(s) of that episode solve their problems by offering them some sage advice.
- Supreme Chef: Played with; though it might seem like the Master can cook anything his customers want, he states there are some dishes that even he can't do like sushi. Exaggerated in the Season 2 finale when he orders gyoza (dumplings) from a nearby take-out restaurant as an order from a customer because the Master claims he can't make gyoza as good as the owner, Murata; it leads to Murata teaching the Master his gyoza recipe.
Regular Customers of Meshi-ya
Characters listed here are those who have appeared in at least one episode of every "season" and the movies.
A local Yakuza boss who runs an illegal gambling ring, Ryu's Trademark Favorite Food are cooked red wieners cut into the shape of an octopus.
- Anti-Villain: As a Yakuza, he's technically a criminal, but he has a Hidden Heart of Gold. He's loyal to his friends and allies, nor does he tolerate any unnecessary trouble.
- Captain Ersatz: A tall, hunky yakuza, brooding and silent, but kind-hearted, protective of kids, skilled at baseball and hung up on his childhood Love Interest - are we talking about Ryu or Kazuma Kiryu?
- Even Evil Has Standards: Played with as Ryu is hardly "evil".
- Despite his gambling operations being illegal, he scolds his underling Gen for taking gambling bets on professional baseball games from high school students. Turns out there's a good reason for that.
- Although he doesn't share the same feelings that Kosuzu has for him, Ryu nevertheless helps him get rid of a few disturbing patrons at his bar off-screen during the first movie.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: He gets stabbed in an attack after beating down a knife-wielding assassin that slashes Gen. He survives, but spends some time in the hospital.
- Kindness Button: Whenever high school baseball is discussed; this becomes the crux of Tokyo Stories Season 2 Episode 5, where Ryu pays off loan sharks hounding Kotani for overdue payments because the latter used it to support his old high school baseball team, who made it to the national invitational finals.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: A tall, imposing man who wears a black suit and always dons a pair of sunglasses, his physical attributes serve as an attraction to Kosuzu and his eccentric friends. Visually exemplified in a black-and-white photograph taken by Komichi when he opens his gala, mesmerizing Kosuzu enough to call Ryu "beautiful".
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: After Kanemoto tells a ghost story in the last episode of Tokyo Stories Season 1, Ryu flies into hysterics when he hallucinates aliens and ghosts, unable to eat watermelon ever again.
Owner of a gay bar in the same neighborhood as Meshi-ya, Kosuzu's Trademark Favorite Food is tamagoyaki (grilled egg rolls).
- Bilingual Bonus: Kosuzu's accented Mandarin spills out upon Chinese film director Lee talking about his latest Wuxia production that he's taking over from his father, whom Kosuzu had a history.
- Camp Gay: Though compared to his friends, Kosuzu appears the least camp of the bunch, particularly when Ko has a far more flamboyant appearance.
- Unrequited Love: Has a crush on Ryu but is constantly rejected by him. In Tokyo Stories, it is revealed that Kosuzu used to harbor romantic feelings for Lee Punfa's father in the former's youth.
An old-school stripper, Marilyn has trouble establishing firm relationships with men, so much that after many failed tries, she settles on Kimitoshi, a chiropractor. Her Trademark Favorite Food are cabbage rolls.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: Invoked; after she starts dating Kimitoshi, she replies to Chu and Komichi that what attracted her to him the most is not just "his heart", but also "his hands".
- Intergenerational Friendship: She forms one with an older woman named Yachiyo, who in her youth was a stripper like her.
Part of Ryu's Yakuza group, Gen's Trademark Favorite Food is kinpira gobo (braised burdock root). He also hates dishes that are too hot to eat (rather than spicy) because it burns the roof of his mouth.
- Birds of a Feather: With Noriko in the last episode Tokyo Stories Season 2 - Gen served time in prison for his attack on a rival yakuza gang at the end of Season 1, while Noriko just finished her sentence after the scam she and her older sister pulled from Season 2.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Gin can't handle a lot of alcohol; in fact, he occasionally orders a beer to go with his food, but won't drink it. It's suggested he does this to maintain his tough guy exterior.
- Character Development: When he first started out, he was a real prick but he quickly grew as a character first from guilt trip over Ryu getting stabbed and then seeing his illegitimate son for the first time.
- "Dear John" Letter: He's on the receiving end of this when his old teacher, whom he has a fling with, has left the country, if not to "someplace farther" than New York.
- Heroic BSoD: Upon finding out his old high school teacher, whom he loved, has died (or "going to a faraway place", as she puts it with Master), Gen goes into a fit of rage and breaks down crying.
- Hot for Teacher: Gen coincidentally reunites with his high school English teacher in the diner during Season 3 and it develops into a short-lived romance.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Given he's a gangster, Gen has attitude problems and is easily triggered to anger, but upon hearing of how hard Saya is working late-night shifts at pachinko parlors, he pays for her meal. Additionally, he confronts and intimidates Saya's abusive boyfriend for taking their relationship for granted.
A jovial elderly man who provides commentary on the other patrons and happenings in Meshi-ya.
- Never Bareheaded: He always wears a hat, most often a green baseball cap. It also hides his bald head.
- The Straight Man: The most logical and reasonable patron of the regulars; Chu also has the least amount of "wackiness" compared to the rest of the cast. Justified when he's the oldest of the frequent patrons.
An amateur photographer.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Has been trying to gain Kasumi's affections since her appearance, but to no avail, as she has zero interest in him.
- Book Dumb: More often than not, Komichi fails to state even the most basic explanations.
A trio of 30-year old office workers, they are the most attuned to gossip of the Meshi-ya customers. Collectively, ochazuke (tea poured over cooked rice) is their Trademark Favorite Food.
- Breaking the Fellowship: This almost happens to them in their episode when while one is off taking care of her mother, the other two get into a bar fight.
- Hive Mind: With the exception of that episode in Season 1 where they have a fight, the three seem to always have similar thoughts and their Catchphrase is their agreement with each other, "Right?" (ね〜？).
- In-Series Nickname: Master refers to them as "The Ochazuke Sisters".
- Old Maid: They constantly bemoan this, even when an Arranged Marriage is in the works for one of them.
- Those Three Girls: Almost always seen together.
A middle-aged Salaryman
- The Smart Guy: Of the regular patrons, Kanemoto is the most knowledgeable of random facts, such as the origins of the "highball" drink.
- Flat Character: Whereas most of the regular and recurring patrons have a particular quirk or trait, Hachiro has nothing significant or unusual about him that stands out.
Recurring Customers of Meshi-ya
Characters listed here at those who have appeared in at least one episode of at least two seasons, but are nevertheless patrons.
A mysterious patron always sitting in the back-corner of the diner.
- The Cameo
- Is briefly seen near the end of the rice omelette episode of Tokyo Stories eating at the Korean restaurant.
- In the penultimate episode of Tokyo Stories Season 2, he chats with an actor before being mistaken for being a back-up because of his choice of clothing.
- Catchphrase: "Don't belittle life".
- He also has a habit of comparing life to various rivers.
- Collector of the Strange: Played with - throughout Season 1, he's seen shelling and lining up peanuts as he drinks. The end of the season reveals that he's actually been looking for near-identical peanuts to make an abacus out of them. Season 2 has him doing it to hard-boiled eggshells, the finale reveals he made a painting with the shells.
- Old Flame: Momoko, who is now the wife of the gyoza restaurant owner Murata. Doubles with Old Flame Fizzle as the fallout from their relationship is the theme for the final episode of Season 2.
- The Reveal: Katagiri was formerly the owner of Shinjuku's biggest illegal casino, but was arrested eight years before Season 2.
Known as "Erect Oki", this famous male porn star is said to have a career spanning over 200 movies in the industry. Hailing from a family of schoolteachers, Oki was disowned by his mother for his choice of career and has not seen her in years. His Trademark Favorite Food is potato salad.
- Black Sheep: Everyone in his family were teachers, with him being the only one who's a pornstar.
- Heroic BSoD: When his mother suffers from dementia, Oki returns home to visit her, except she doesn't recognize him. He tearfully apologizes, lamenting the fact that his ill-strickened mother only remembers the days when he was a boy who loved to eat potato salad. Oki urges his student Tanaka to not neglect his own injured mother in the hospital as Oki did with his.
- Kavorka Man: Oki isn't ugly, per se - just dorky-looking and unassuming. To look at him, one would think he was a schoolteacher or a librarian, not the studly star of over 200 porn flicks.
- Meaningful Name: "Oki" literally means "big wood".
- New Old Flame: Mixed with infidelity, Oki reconnects with an old lover during Episode 8 of Tokyo Stories, even though she's already married at the time. She breaks things off with him when her husband dies and she discovers he's already known she starred in porn during her youth.
A harsh food critic, he becomes pleasantly surprised when he encounters his elderly sister's boyfriend from years past, Goro, after Komichi introduces him to Meshi-ya. His Trademark Favorite Food is butter rice (a slice of butter placed on a steaming bowl of rice with a dash of soy sauce).
- Shipper on Deck: Even though it's been years since they last saw each other, Masao states his sister still thinks of Goro and encourages him to go see her.
A renowned police detective, who happens to be Ryu's high school classmate and teammate in the baseball club, his Trademark Favorite Food are Chinese chives with liver.
- Consummate Professional: Noguchi lambasts his partner Natsuki for her unorthodox detective work and her empathizing with crime victims when it's not a detective's job to do the latter. Subverted when she discovers he's been doing that himself by attempting to court a single mother.
A clerk working for a pachinko parlor during late-nights, Saya was in a relationship with a failing comedian after graduating from high school, but broke it off after her boyfriend was goaded by Gen. By the first movie, she works as a tour bus guide. Saya's Trademark Favorite Food is kaarage (deep-friend chicken) with a highball drink.
- Sleep Cute: What the male Meshi-ya patrons think when she dozes off before the Master can serve her a dish of kaarage due to irregular working hours. Averted after she quits working at the pachinko parlor.
Hailing from Osaka, Kasumi's Trademark Favorite Food are deep-fried beni shoga (a type of Japanese pickle) in the form of tempura.
- Luke, You Are My Father: An Osakan businessman keeps trying to seduce her until she reveals that she's his illegitimate daughter.
- What, Exactly, Is His Job?: Lampshaded by Komichi, who isn't entirely sure what she does for a living. Even the show doesn't settle on a singular job for her, which ranges from street vendor to handing out flyers throughout the seasons.
One of Kosuzu's gay friends
- Camp Gay: Definitely more camp than Kosuzu, wearing a pink-colored wig and is a Wholesome Crossdresser.
- Hot-Blooded: Specifically when he goes on the radio station in the first episode of Tokyo Stories, reciting the Badass Boast of his old television Sentai group.
Marilyn's current boyfriend, a practicing chiropractor.
- Devoted to You: A Rare Male Example Played for Drama - Kimitoshi is aware of Marilyn's prior relationships and job, but willingly stays with her after Marilyn's mother urges him not to break up with her daughter. Their relationship has been fractured due to a string of failed hook-ups when Marilyn was young, making the latter distant from her mother in the present. This is so her mother hopes to avert History Repeats for Marilyn.
Noguchi's partner in the police department: whereas he is more traditional and strict with protocols, Natsuki prefers out-of-the-box thinking and bending of the rules. Her Trademark Favorite Food is liver with Chinese chives.
- Cowboy Cop: She prefers to act quickly to catch the possible culprits without caring for procedures.
- Shout-Out: When Noguchi asks what motivates her into who she is in their line of work, she cites Harry Callahan as her source of inspiration.
Other Characters
The local police patrolman operating in a booth just around the corner from Meshi-ya.
- Never the Selves Shall Meet: Meta-example - although Katagiri and Kogure are portrayed by the same actor, neither character interacts with the other. Justified when Katagiri leaves Tokyo at the end of Season 2, while Kogure made his on-screen debut at the start of Season 3.
Owner of a produce shop the Master goes everyday to purchase his groceries for Meshi-ya. His Trademark Favorite Food are his mother's pickled plums and plum wine.
- Ascended Extra: Although he makes his appearance briefly in the first movie, Yoichi serves as the central character for one of the episodes in Tokyo Stories.
- All Men Are Perverts: Discussed; he's afraid if he dies and his body is found at his home by the authorities, they'll find his Porn Stash. He reasons with the Master that as a fellow man, he must sympathize with such a plight.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: At the end of his episode in Tokyo Stories, he gets together with the nurse who took care of him during his brief stay at the hospital. By Season 2, they are Happily Married.
A runaway who stumbles upon Meshi-ya in the first movie, following a dine-and-dash scenario, Michiru works alongside the Master in his restaurant in the second act of the film.
- Demoted to Extra: Justified for her brief appearances after the first movie since she's hired by Chieko to work at her restaurant after the Master recuperates from his injuries.
- Deuteragonist: She takes the headlining role in her part for the first movie; Justified due to the Master taking a backseat in his duties at the restaurant In-Universe because of his hand injuries.
The proprietress of a traditional kaiseki restaurant, Chieko occasionally stops by Meshi-ya to catch up with the Master.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Implied in Season 2 of Tokyo Stories; at the end of the "Salmon and Mushrooms" episode, she has a "talk" with the Master off-screen when she thinks he's attracted to the Yakuza mistress throughout the episode. Hilarity Ensues when pots and pans are tossed to resemble an archetypal argument.
- Ship Tease: With the Master; this is not lost on his patrons and Michiru, whom the latter explicitly asks her in the first movie if she likes him or not.
