La Grande Maison Tokyo

La Grande Maison Tokyo is Japanese Television drama series that aired every Sunday from October to December 2019 in the "Sunday Theater" slot on TBS Television (Japan) Starring Takuya Kimura. (This was the first drama starring him after Japanese era name was changed to Reiwa in May 2019.).

The drama was began shooting at the famous three-star restaurant L'Ambroisie in Paris on August 30, 2019. This is the first time in the world that a drama will be filmed at this restaurant.

This will be Kimura's first starring role on TBS Television (Japan) in the same frame in two years, since A Life My Sweetheart in the January 2017 season (Mitsuhiro Oikawa, who plays the role of Kamehito Aizawa in this drama, also appears in this drama),and his first collaboration with heroine Kyōka Suzuki in the same frame in 12 years, since Karei-naru Ichizoku, also in January 2007.

The catchphrase on the program's official website is "Catch your own star".

In winter 2024, a special episode will air depicting the world after the COVID-19 epidemic has damaged the restaurant business, followed by the film La Grande Maison Paris about their challenges in Paris.

Premise

 * Japanese chef Natsuki Obana trained at the prestigious restaurant L'Ambroisie in Paris, France, which was awarded the highest Michelin Guide star (three stars), and opened his own restaurant "Escoffille" in Paris and won two stars from Michelin Guide. However, At a 2015 French-Japanese summit luncheon in Paris, the French leader collapsed from allergic shock after the food served was laced with nuts, to which he was allergic. The French bureaucrat said, "More than half of the restaurant's employees are immigrants. All employees must submit work visas because of the possibility of terrorism." The discriminatory order enraged Obana, and he beat the bureaucrat and was arrested, he lost the restaurant and all of his colleagues who worked there.
 * In 2018, Rinko Hayami went to Paris for a job interview, yearning to work at a three stars Michelin Guide restaurant. She failed the interview, but met Natsuki Obana, a chef she had once admired. Obana decided to start his life over and tried to open a restaurant again with Rinko to become a chef at a three-star restaurant. Obana meets with his former colleagues to persuade them to join the staff of new restaurant, but they initially reject Obana because the incident has ruined their lives. After some twists and turns, the two open a restaurant, La Grande Maison Tokyo, aiming to win three stars in the Michelin Guide, but the incident three years ago casts a dark shadow over, and running the restaurant is not smooth sailing.
 * This is the story of a first-rate chef Natsuki Obana and Rinko Hayami who believes in his skills, including first-rate colleagues who once worked with Obana in Paris and new members, as they struggle to win three Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide in Tokyo while facing the presence of rival restaurant "gaku" and various obstacles.

La Grande Maison Tokyo

 * A French restaurant opened by Obana and Rinko in a corner of Meguro, Tokyo. Later, Aizawa, Kyono, Matsui, Serita, Kuzumi, and Hirako joined the staff.


 * Natsuki Obana (age 47) :Acted by Takuya Kimura
 * The protagonist of this work. Sous chef. He was once a top chef who worked at the three-star restaurant "L'Ambrosie" and later ran a two-star Michelin Guide restaurant Escoffille in Paris, but "nuts incident" prevented him from working as a chef and he led a depraved life. In Paris, he met Rinko Hayami and decided to open "La Grande Maison Tokyo" in Tokyo, aiming to win three Michelin Guide stars together.


 * Rinko Hayami (age 49) :Acted by Kyoka Suzuki
 * The heroine of this work. Owner-chef. She has an absolute palate, but has never managed to win a star in the Michelin Guide. On her mother's recommendation, she once visited Escoffille in Paris and was impressed by Obana's cuisine. On her way to a job interview in France, she had a fateful encounter with Obana, and together they opened La Grande Maison Tokyo, aiming to win three Michelin stars.


 * Shohei Hirako (age 29) :Acted by Yuta Tamamori
 * He was the youngest head chef at a hotel buffet restaurant. His work is precise and fast. He used to work under Obana at Escoffille in Paris, but "nuts incident" brought him back to Japan. He is dissatisfied with his job at the buffet, where he has to make a lot of the same dishes.


 * Kouichi Serita :Acted by Kanichiro
 * Part-time employee
 * He is honest and cheerful. He applied for the job after seeing La Grande Maison Tokyo's part-time job opening. After graduating from high school, she had worked part-time at an izakaya (Japanese-style pub).


 * Moe Matsui :Acted by Ayako Yoshitani
 * Buffet restaurant patissier
 * She graduated from an art college, not a culinary school. She believes that desserts should not only taste good, but also look good and be pretty. She is a colleague of Shohei and works at the same buffet restaurant.


 * Kanna Kuzumi :Acted by Anne Nakamura
 * Freelance food writer
 * She speaks English and French. She is a certified sommelier and is familiar with domestic wines.


 * Kamehito Aizawa (age 47) :Acted by Mitsuhiro Oikawa
 * Popular web cooking researcher.
 * He is a sociable and cheerful guy. He has a French wife and daughter. He used to work for Escoffille as a start-up staff member invited by Obana, but after "nuts incident", he separated from his wife and returned to Japan.


 * Rikutaro Kyono (age 49) :Acted by Ikki Sawamura
 * 'gaku' Garçon
 * He used to be a chef. He used to manage a restaurant with Obana in Escoffille, Paris, but after "nuts incident" he was in debt. He was invited by his former rival Tango to work as a garcon at the restaurant Gaku.

Restaurant "gaku"

 * A high-end restaurant located in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo.
 * Manabu Tango (age 45) :Acted by Onoe Kikunosuke V
 * Chef. He has a strong rivalry with Obana.
 * He once trained as a chef at L'Ambroisie in Paris with Obana and Kyono. He set up his own restaurant ahead of Obana, but the restaurant failed because "Escoffille," which was later launched by Obana and Kyono, was awarded a star first.
 * He once trained as a chef at L'Ambroisie in Paris with Obana and Kyono. He set up his own restaurant ahead of Obana, but the restaurant failed because "Escoffille," which was later launched by Obana and Kyono, was awarded a star first.


 * Fumio Etoh :Acted by Toru Tezuka
 * Owner. Usually speaks in a fake Kansai dialect.
 * The company "Office Eats" produces various restaurants and has several stores. gaku" is one of them. He is a schemer willing to use dirty tricks to turn "gaku" into a three-star restaurant. In "Gura Gura Maison Tokyo," he showed a side of himself that transformed into a man who loves to talk about love and meddle when he is drunk.

Others

 * Miyu Ebina :Acted by Aki Asakura
 * She is a hotel concierge and Shohei's fiancée. Her father is a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.


 * Linda Machiko Richard :Acted by Ai Tominaga
 * Editor-in-Chief of the gourmet magazine "Marie Claire Dining". Lives in France. Former lover of Obana.
 * She is so influential that restaurants she praises are booked up to a year in advance and those she criticizes close their doors. She is searching for the truth about "nuts incident" that happened three years ago in Escoffille.

Staff

 * Script by Tsutomu Kuroiwa
 * Music - Hideakira Kimura
 * Theme song - "Recipe" by Tatsuro Yamashita (Warner Music Japan)
 * Cooking Supervisor - Shuzo Kishida (Quintessence (restaurant)), Thomas Frebel (INUA), Hattori Nutrition College
 * Culinary creation and instruction - Yukio Hattori, Tomoyuki Sekiguchi, Fumihiko Ohno
 * Food coordination: Noriko Yamazaki, Sayaka Tsuru
 * Sweets Supervisor - Junji Tokunaga (Hotel Inter Continental Tokyo Bay), Tsutomu Takizawa
 * Magazine Cooperation - Marie claire style
 * Cooking Production - Hideki Ishizaka
 * Coordinators - Emi Sugiyama, Yuko Kawaguchi
 * Produced by Hidenori Iyoda and Keigo Higashinaka
 * Directed by Ayuko Tsukahara, Daisuke Yamamuro, Takahiro Aoyama
 * Production Credits: TBS Television (Japan)

Blu-ray and DVD
"Grand Maison Tokyo" Blu-ray-box and DVD-box. Special features include the making of the film, 'Gura Gura Maison Tokyo' and more.
 * Released by TC Entertainment on 24 April 2020
 * 4-disc Blu-ray set (feature: 3 discs, bonus footage: 1 disc)
 * 6-disc DVD set (feature: 5 discs, bonus footage: 1 disc)

Gura Gura Maison Tokyo (Shohei Hirako's wavering feelings)
"Gura Gura Maison Tokyo (Shohei Hirako's wavered feelings)" is a romantic comedy drama and spin-off drama of "Grand Maison Tokyo". It was distributed weekly on the video distribution service Paravi from midnight after the end of the main series. With Shohei Hirako as the protagonist, it depicts his growth and struggles as a chef, and his love triangle with his fiancé Miyu Ebina and his colleague Moe Matsui.

In TBS Television (Japan) and Kanto region local, a digest version was broadcast every Thursday from 24 October at 1:28am – 1:33am (late night on Wednesdays, time may vary from week to week). A digest version was available on TVer (streaming service) as an extra to the main Grand Maison Tokyo. This romantic comedy starring Tamamori had performed well, recording the highest number of views in the first month of distribution.

The script was written by Okura(オークラ), who also works as a variety show writer and broadcaster. According to Okura, he had previously mentioned that he wanted to write a comedy script, and when he was approached about this spin-off drama, it became a reality. He said it was fun to write the script while imagining what might have actually happened behind the scenes of the main drama.

Story
In 'Gura Gura Maison Tokyo', Shohei Heiko's feelings, which were not depicted in the main episode 'Guran Maison Tokyo', and his indecisive wavering between two women, are depicted. Its final episode depicted the future several years after the final episode of the main 'Grand Maison Tokyo'.
 * Episode 1 "Unfulfilled feelings of Shohei Hirako"
 * Shohei Heiko (Yuta Tamamori), a chef at a hotel buffet restaurant, feels unsatisfied with his routine of preparing predetermined dishes. However, his fiancée, Miyu Ebina (Aki Asakura), is unaware of Shohei's feelings.


 * Episode 2 "Emotions that Shohei Hirako was unaware of"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) is invited to dinner by Seido Ebina, the father of Miyu (Aki Asakura) and a big politician. Shohei did not like this man. After work, he went to dinner with Moe and listened to his complaints, but lied to Miyu that he had been drinking alone.


 * Episode 3 "Shohei Hirako's embarrassing encounters"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) is troubled by Miyu's (Aki Asakura) bad mood. Shohei's encounter with Miyu was fateful. So he goes for a drink with his colleague Moe to discuss her...


 * Episode 4 "Worst possible timing for Shohei Hirako"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) has been coming home late to help Moe (Ayako Yoshitani) with her work. Meanwhile, Miyu (Aki Asakura) is in a bad mood because she suspects Shohei is having an affair. So Shohei goes out for dinner with her at a high-class restaurant to try to put her in a better mood...


 * Episode 5 "Strong determination of Shohei Hirako"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) breaks his promise to Miyu's (Aki Asakura) father and gets involved with Natsuki Obana (Takuya Kimura). So he breaks up with Miyu, as her father says. Shohei helps out at the Grand Maison Tokyo festival and rediscovers the joy of cooking. Moe (Ayako Yoshitani) sees Shohei working happily and realises she is in love with him.


 * Episode 6 "The indelible mistakes of Shohei Hirako"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) begins working at Gaku, a Michelin Guide two-star restaurant where Ogana's rival Gaku Tamba (Kikunosuke Onoe V) is a master chef. Shohei starts drinking with Moe and his colleagues at the invitation of a colleague. Moe is angry with Shohei for moving to 'Gaku', but as the drinking progresses, Moe's honest affection for Shohei gradually comes to the fore.


 * Episode 7 "The very fateful reunion of Shohei Hirako"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) faces Tango (Kikunosuke Onoe V) and his cooking in his quest to become a Top 50 restaurant. Meanwhile, Shohei meets Moe (Yoshitani Ayako) again. What are Moe's true feelings?


 * Episode 8 "Shohei Hirako and his friends, each night"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori), Miyu (Aki Asakura) and Moe (Ayako Yoshitani) go their separate ways. At a drinking party, Shohei is told by a drunk Kakitani (Yusuke Onuki) and Moe's junior Kurumi (Mika Nagai) that he is a plague that makes everyone around him unhappy.


 * Episode 9 "Two confessions of Shohei Hirako"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) meets Moe (Ayako Yoshitani) again after a long time. On his way home, Shohei happens to meet Kyono (Sawamura Kazuki), who confides his feelings for him and gives him a push. Shohei then goes to Linda (Ai Tominaga) and confesses everything about the nut incident.


 * Episode 10 "The true feelings of Shohei Hirako"
 * Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) tells Miyu (Aki Asakura) that he kissed Moe (Ayako Yoshitani) and that he is the culprit in the nut-laced incident. Meanwhile, Shohei is told a shocking truth by Kakitani about his relationship with Miyu!


 * Episode 11 "The departure of Shohei Hirako"
 * The world is several years after the Michelin Guide awards ceremony. Shohei (Yuta Tamamori) and the people around him have undergone various changes.

Cast & Staff

 * Shohei Hirako :Acted by Yuta Tamamori
 * Miyu Ebina :Acted by Aki Asakura
 * Moe Matsui :Acted by Ayako Yoshitani


 * Spin-off's unique cast
 * Chef 1 (Arata Takasugi) :Acted by Sho Kaga (Kagaya)
 * Cook 2 (Tonpei Mashima) :Acted by Soya Kaya (Kagaya)
 * Subordinate in the buffet restaurant where Shohei was chef.
 * Kurumi Sugiyama :Acted by Mijika Nagai : Moe's junior in school.
 * Bartender :Acted by Naoto Eguchi (Dobrokku)
 * Bar master :Acted by Kyujitsu Kacho
 * Staff
 * Script by Okura
 * Produced by - Keigo Higashinaka, Hidenori Iyoda
 * Direction by Daisuke Yamamuro, Takahiro Aoyama
 * Production and copyright by TBS Television (Japan)
 * Production and copyright by TBS Television (Japan)


 * Streaming schedule

Other

 * With the first episode "Echube the long-armed shrim"p, the Sunday Gekijo reached 3,000 broadcasts (including the days of the one-off slot and the Toshiba Sunday Gekijo).
 * One month after the drama finished airing, Kei Kobayashi of Restaurant KEI in Paris won the first ever three stars for a Japanese in the Michelin Guide published in France on 27 January 2020, something that Obana was unable to achieve during her time at Escoffille in the drama.

Film
In winter 2024, a movie La Grande Maison Paris, which depicts their challenge in Paris, France, will be distributed by Toho as a sequel to the special episode scheduled to air that winter.