Wakako Zake - Season 4

First aired: 1/7/2019 12 episodes

Episodes

1. Go to the tuna cutting show!

Aired: 1/7/2019

Wakako (Takeda Rina), who is in a good mood because of the growth of new employee Ito-kun (Hasegawa Shinya) and Mii-san's (Yamada Kinuo) pregnancy, is drawn to the office when she sees a poster advertising a tuna cutting show. The excitement grows as she sips on a cold draft beer. The tuna is brought out and the cutting show begins. With the deft hands of the craftsman, the tuna, which was once a fish, is transformed into a food ingredient. The freshly cut sashimi is paired with hot sake.

2. A quick drink at a ramen shop

Aired: 1/14/2019

"How about ramen?" Shiraishi　asks, to which Hasegawa　replies, "I had a quick drink at a ramen shop yesterday." The men get excited talking about the trendy quick drink thing. When Chief Okada says, "Ramen shops are great, aren't they?", Wakako passes by and can't help but reply, "That's true!". Deciding to have a quick drink at a ramen shop, Wakako discovers a nice-looking place on her way home from work. She goes in. Her eyes are drawn to the braised pork on top of the ramen brought to her by the person next to her, and she eats it with a Tsingtao beer. With the base ready, she moves on to chive dumplings and Shaoxing wine. This time, the office is in a heated discussion about what flavor the ramen should be. Wakako, who can't get ramen out of her head, goes to another ramen shop. It's a place connected to Tokiwa-so, and there are many autographs of manga artists on the wall. You have to pick up your own bottled beer. Wakako orders a 100 yen bamboo shoot. Then, who comes along...?

3. The taste of thick-sliced ham cutlet

Aired: 1/21/2019

New employee Ito-kun (Hasegawa Shinya) speaks passionately, but Chief Okada (Shiotsuka Kohei) brushes it off by saying, "What's right isn't always the right answer." Wakako (Takeda Rina) thinks, "There are certainly some things you can only understand after time has passed." And so, today, I'm drinking alone again. I go into a restaurant with two U-shaped counters. When the thick-sliced ham cutlet is brought to me, I order it without hesitation. I pair it with draft beer. When I was a student, I thought ham cutlets were thin. I didn't understand back then, but I do now. Both thin and thick cuts have their own merits. On my way home, Wakako is in a hurry because she really wants to eat Atka mackerel. At Oraku, the chef (Nozoe Yoshihiro) and others welcome her as usual. While waiting for the Atka mackerel to be grilled, she orders... cold sake and snacks.

4. Bar crawling in the shopping district

Aired: 1/28/2019

During her lunch break, Wakako (Takeda Rina) peruses a magazine feature on shopping streets. When she says she's going to go food-hopping on her next day off, Mii-san (Yamada Kinuo) and the others tease her, saying, "You're going to go bar-hopping, aren't you?" Wakako arrives at Nakano's Kawashima Shopping Street and strolls around, looking into the market. The first place she chooses is a former camera shop. Although they say they serve lunch, she orders chilled tomatoes and a sour to cool down. The vitamins of lycopene seep in. Next, she has chicken wasabi and potato shochu... After picking up souvenirs for Mii-san and the others at a Japanese sweets shop, Wakako heads to a retro bar. A highball is appropriate for dusk. The bartender recommends an Evan Williams bourbon, which she opts for along with some piping hot sesame-salted cabbage. And what will she choose to finish off her day off with...?

5. Taste of summer in a yukata

Aired: 2/4/2019

Chief Okada instructs them to write down their summer vacation plans. Pregnant Mii-san is going to a nearby resort, while Abe-chan (Watanabe Mizuki) is going to a fireworks festival on a houseboat. They all get excited talking about their plans, but Wakako's (Takeda Rina) schedule book is completely blank. When she leaves work on time, the sky is still bright. Feeling the summer, Wakako is drawn to corn tempura. Bottled beer and crispy corn tempura. Inside the soba restaurant, the topic of summer vacation is the topic of conversation. Then, Wakako has an idea! She pulls out her favorite yukata from the wardrobe and strolls around Asakusa. She visits Sensoji Temple, shoots a target, eats shaved ice, and enjoys the Japanese summer. Of course, the last place Wakako heads to is that restaurant. The chef and Aoyagi look happy to see Wakako in her yukata. They toast with edamame and bottled beer. What seasonal dish does the chef recommend?

6. Toasting at the beer garden

Aired: 2/11/2019

It's busy season and the office is filled with a murderous atmosphere. Hasegawa , who has just returned from a business trip, says that outside is a fireworks festival and the place is packed. Seeing everyone exhausted, Chief Okada treats them to pizza delivery and non-alcoholic beer. They all gather around the pizza and have a good time. The fireworks start and they watch them from the office window. Even though it's non-alcoholic, Ito-kun staggers around, which is comforting. Feeling refreshed, they can work hard. The next day, Mii-san, who has already left because she is pregnant, is a little depressed after hearing the story from Wakako and the others. She seems to feel left out. Wakako, worried, suggests a beer garden when the manager (Morishita Yoshiyuki) suggests going for a drink. Everyone gathers in casual clothes at the beer garden on the roof of the building. They drink draft beer in the middle of the day. Mii-san seems to be having fun. What did Wakako order...?

7. A wonderful encounter

Aired: 2/18/2019

For Wakako (Takeda Rina), good alcohol and good food are the best things to meet. Tonight, she goes to a new restaurant in search of new encounters. She orders draft beer and "potatoes with buttered karasumi". Wakako enjoys the combination of buttered potatoes and karasumi. She drizzles soy sauce on them. She also enjoys the soy sauce butter. Then, on her way home, Wakako comes across the sign of a certain restaurant again, and decides to "start dieting tomorrow". She orders some grilled turban shells and some sake and waits with excitement, but then she gets a surprise! When Yoshida Rui, the man who is synonymous with bars, comes along. After sharing some sashimi with her, Wakako listens to the stories of her senior, a drinker.

8. A delicious curry to go with your drinks

Aired: 2/25/2019

The change of seasons is busy. Wakako (Takeda Rina) works overtime every day and doesn't have time to go out drinking. She's exhausted, so she goes to a nice-looking restaurant in the downtown area for a drink during her break. She starts off with sliced onions and draft beer. She washes away the fatigue of the day with a cold beer. The recommended menu on the wall is the "Famous Liver Fry". Tsukishima's soul food is liver cutlet. She enjoys it with a beer mixed with shochu, Chappy. Wakako feels completely refreshed. And then, the month of overtime is finally over. She heads to a back alley where she can have a drink without any worries. A small izakaya with only a counter and a sign saying "Homemade curry". She pairs her pork belly curry with an original lemon vinegar drink.

9. Korean food in Shin-Okubo

Aired: 3/4/2019

During her lunch break, Wakako (Takeda Rina) is influenced by Abe-chan (Watanabe Mizuki) as she looks through a Korean guidebook, and with her head full of thoughts of Korean food, she comes to Shin-Okubo, where she can get a taste of Korea without being in Japan. She goes straight into a restaurant and orders chanja and barley shochu with water. The spiciness of the chanja makes the water seem a little weak, so Wakako also orders some barley shochu on the rocks. She sips the rocks and the chanja, and uses the water as a chaser for the alcohol and kimchi. The more she tastes it, the deeper it gets. She enjoys her chanja addiction to the fullest. The next day, Abe-chan, having heard Wakako's story, tells her a recommended restaurant for pot-pickled kalbi. Wakako goes right there and orders the pot-pickled kalbi and draft beer. She enjoys eating yakiniku by herself.

10. Have a drink at a traditional diner

Aired: 3/11/2019

She goes to work as usual, finishes her work without a hitch, and it's a peaceful day with nothing happening around her. On a day like this, she wants to have a drink with something ordinary, not something rare or expensive. Wakako (Takeda Rina) goes into a local restaurant bustling with regulars. She chooses simmered mackerel from the side dishes lined up in the display case and eats it with a bottle of beer. The hostess pours her special miso on it, so she can enjoy two different flavors. Running out of alcohol, Wakako adds some chilled sake. She orders vinegared octopus and savors the end of a peaceful day. The next day. Wakako takes over from Mii-san (Yamada Kinuo), who is about to go on maternity leave. When she hears Mii-san talk about arranging for a traditional midwife, she wonders what her traditional way of life is. And where does she head to...?

11. Warm Chawanmushi and Hot Sake

Aired: 3/18/2019

Wakako (Takeda Rina) is late because she has been putting together documents that Hasegawa (Sakoi Takayuki) has asked her to do. It's chilly due to the change of seasons, and she feels like she has caught a cold. Seeking warmth, Wakako goes into a desert oasis-like restaurant and is drawn to a large piece of garlic. She learns from the manager that the garlic is from Aomori and has a mild smell, so she orders garlic baked in foil and a lemon highball. Wakako's appetite is whetted after eating the steaming garlic, and she adds stuffed peppers and a highball. Drinkers have a way to cure themselves. Wakako feels much better now. Later on... Hasegawa's plan, for which Wakako put together the documents, is approved. Everyone recognizes her achievement, and Wakako is in a good mood, so she goes to a small restaurant where large plates of side dishes are lined up to reward herself...

12. Craft beer steak

Aired: 3/25/2019

After Chief Okada (Shiotsuka Kohei) declares that this month's quota has been met, Wakako (Takeda Rina) is able to go home early with a clean slate. In high spirits, she heads to a standing craft beer bar that she has been interested in for a while. She enjoys Kyodo Ale, brewed in the attached brewery, and sirloin steak. The day has come when Mii-san (Yamada Kinuo) goes on maternity leave. Wakako gives her a relaxing CD as a parting gift. Mii-san keeps changing, but Wakako remains the same every day. Feeling the urge to see everyone's faces, Wakako goes through the curtain of Oraku. She mixes some barley shochu from a bottle she has on reserve with hot water and enjoys it with flounder yukhoe. As Wakako waits, ordering another dish of steamed Chinese cabbage and pork, who comes next to her...?