Late-night diner lit in the dark

Late-night diner Tenchichi is open from 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. It is a restaurant with a slightly different rhythm, opening toward night. If the morning restaurant is a place to “start the day,” this is the opposite. It is a place to get back in order at the end of the day.

People who pass by the store always look at it twice. The light is so gentle that it draws you in when you notice it.

When you open the door, there are nine seats at the counter. The people sitting there are strangely quiet and calm. There are not many places where you don’t have to strain your voice.

Oden and spaghetti are the stars of the show

Oden and spaghetti are the signature dishes of the late-night diner Tenchichi. At first, the combination confuses you, but the second time you try it, that doubt disappears.

Oden is a clam broth with asari clams. The clear broth has an aroma of the sea. When I put my chopsticks into the daikon radish, the radish slices as if absorbing the broth. As you bite into the daikon, the broth fills your mouth.

After a short pause, thick spaghetti noodles are served. It is not what you would call “pasta,” but more like that served at a coffee shop. The taste of each dish is strangely comforting, and my cheeks naturally relax.

Late-Night Set Lunch Option

Eating a set meal late at night may sound a little immoral. But at Late Night Diner Tenchichi, it feels strangely right.

Stir-fried dishes, deep-fried dishes, dashimaki (Japanese rolls). For an additional 100 yen, each dish comes with rice and miso soup. That’s all there is to it, but it turns a mere “snack” into a proper “dinner.

Miso soup with steam rising from the bowl. A bowl of white rice. It may seem obvious, but it is a view that is hard to find late at night.

People who missed the last train, people who worked until midnight, people who don’t want to go home yet. Whatever the reason, when you sit down to a set meal here, your body relaxes a little.

Taste that accompanies the town that never sleeps

Even after nightfall, the door to this restaurant is sometimes heard opening. People who work at nearby pubs and bars drop by after work. Instead of saying “Otsukare-sama,” the sounds of rice cooking and the aroma of oden soup stock soften the air.

Some days we talk about how our day went, and other days we just silently continue with our chopsticks. Either way is fine. Either way is acceptable.

The taste of food that makes you think, “I did my best again today,” fits easily in your stomach late at night. This restaurant may be one of the reasons why this town never sleeps.