For nearly a decade, Japanese actor Yutaka Matsushige has been teaching Koreans that there's nothing wrong with dining out alone. As the stoic yet deeply expressive Goro Inogashira in the Japanese hit series "The Solitary Gourmet" (2012-2023), he brought a quiet sense of ecstasy to the experience of solitary meals. His character’s journeys through Japan’s hidden mom-and-pop eateries left a lasting impression, particularly on Korean viewers, who sought out the very same restaurants, turning them into culinary destinations.

Perhaps, it wasn't only Koreans that missed "The Solitary Gourmet" since it came to an end in 2023. Matsushige has revived the show's character by writing the screenplay and directing the film adaptation of the series, which is set to premiere on March 19. He's acting in it too, of course.


The film follows Goro on a new culinary odyssey that spans France, Japan and Korea. This time, his quest is deeply personal: he is searching for a particular soup, one that an elderly man he met in Paris longs to taste one last time.

At a press conference held at CGV Yongsan in central Seoul on Thursday, Matsushige spoke of his aspirations for the film, extending beyond mere gastronomy.

“I hope the film can play a role in the ‘shared destiny’ between Korea and Japan,” he said. “Continuing such connections and cooperation is a mission in my life. If there is anything I can do, I sincerely wish to contribute to this cause.”

The film, in that sense, comes at the perfect time since this year marks Korea and Japan's 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, adding a layer of symbolism to its release.

It was also previously screened during the 29th Busan International Film Festival last October.

When Matsushige, who is debuting as a director, realized that his film would be competing with Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho's sci-fi film “Mickey 17," he said he wasn't intimidated at all. Instead, it surprised him because Bong was the only other person he thought could have possibly directed the film.

Matsushige said he wasn't planning to direct the film initially.

"I wanted to make the film on a larger scale, going beyond simply being a Japanese film. So, I wrote a letter to director Bong, asking him to take the helm," he said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t work out due to scheduling issues, so I decided to direct the film myself. Despite rejecting, he did send me a warm message, saying he would look forward to the film."

Korea was intended as a major setting in the film from the very beginning. Korean actor Yoo Chea-myung is another actor featuring in the film alongside Matsushige. The actor-director expressed his pride in Yoo’s performance, saying that Japanese audiences referred to Yoo’s scenes as “the highlight of the film.”

However, before casting Yoo, Matsushige was unsure of which Korean actor to cast, and this uncertainty led him to watch numerous Korean films over the past three years.

“I wanted to depict moments where emotions are exchanged with Goro solely through facial expressions and gestures, despite not speaking the same language,” he said. “So, for about three years, I watched many Korean films. Among them, I came across Yoo’s performance in the film ‘Voice of Silence’ [2020], and I thought he was the one.”

In the 2020 film, Yoo plays a member of a cleanup crew for a crime organization, alongside his mute partner, portrayed by Yoo Ah-in.

Though "The Solitary Gourmet" centers around food, Matsushige emphasized that the film is not merely typical mukbang (eating show) content, but a project of sharing memories.

“I never approach this with the mindset of merely conveying that something tastes good,” he said. “Rather, I wanted to share the memories of eating something delicious with the audience.”

Matsushige has been part of the Japanese entertainment industry for over 30 years as an actor. However, his involvement in the Korean entertainment industry is relatively recent, including Netflix’s culinary show “K-Foodie Meets J-Foodie,” where he appears alongside Korean singer Sung Si-kyung.

That said, he shared a different idea for a collaboration with Korea — creating a Korean version of “Sorezore no Koduku no Gourmet” (2024), a spinoff omnibus series of “The Solitary Gourmet” that explores the lives of people from various professions in different situations.

Matsushige also gave a tip to his future Korean audiences regarding the upcoming film, telling them to sit through the film until its ending credits.

“There’s a hidden message that I personally wanted to deliver to the audience at the very end,” he said. “So, I hope you don’t miss it and stay with the film until the very last moment.”


BY KIM JI-YE [kim.jiye@joongang.co.kr]