Midnight Diner has returned to Netflix with its first new season since 2019. Season 6 premiered on October 20, 2026, bringing back Kaoru Kobayashi as Master, the owner of the late-night restaurant at the center of the Japanese drama. The new season has 10 episodes, and its opening installment reunites 21 familiar characters.
Adapted from Yaro Abe’s manga, the series follows customers at a small restaurant in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district, open from midnight until 7 a.m. Master’s menu is limited, but he tries to make whatever a customer asks for if he has the ingredients. Each episode links a dish to the personal experiences of the people who order it.
The premiere, titled “Sorry to Keep You Waiting!”, brings the regulars together after the COVID-19 pandemic. Returning characters include Marilyn, the Ochazuke Sisters, local yakuza Ryu and police officer Kogure, played by Joe Odagiri.
Netflix has also made the five previous seasons available again to international viewers. The series debuted in 2009 and later reached a global audience through Netflix under the title Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories. The franchise has also led to two live-action films and adaptations in South Korea and China.
The new season began airing weekly on Japanese television on October 20, with episodes scheduled through December 22, 2026.
Sources: Comic Book Resources.