It has been announced that season 5 of the popular gourmet drama "Banshaku no Ryugi" (The Way of Drinking Evenings), featuring actress Chiaki Kuriyama as the protagonist and showcasing her drinking style and snacks, will begin airing on July 3rd (TV Tokyo, Fridays at 12:52 AM). Following last year's season 4, which was the first to air for two consecutive seasons, this season will also air for two consecutive seasons.
The series, which explores the theme of "how to enjoy the last drink of the day to the fullest," premiered its first season in 2022. The protagonist, Miyuki Izawa, played by Kuriyama, is known for her love of food and drink, and her uncompromising approach to her evening drink, which has garnered significant attention, leading to the production of a new season every year.
Following last year's Season 4, Season 5 will also be broadcast in two consecutive seasons, July and October, titled "Summer Edition" and "Autumn/Winter Edition," respectively. This time, Hop Housing, where Miyuki works, is expanding into Hokkaido. Branch manager Jiro Umino orders Miyuki to select a location for the Hokkaido branch, and she agrees to the business trip in exchange for a drink in Hokkaido. The branch manager of the Hokkaido branch will be a "leading actor from Hokkaido."
The regular cast members will be reprising their roles, including Kuriyama as Izawa Miyuki, the protagonist and ace employee of the real estate company "Hop Housing," Takeda Kohei as her junior colleague Shimamura Naoto, Tsuji Nagiko as Tomikawa Aoi, Okayama Hajime as branch manager Unno Jiro, Baba Hiroyuki (Robert) as Ushiba, an employee at Miyuki's favorite supermarket "Tsurumart Petit," and Mr. Chin as Chinzan, the cheerful manager of "Tsurumart Petit."
◇Comment from Chiaki Kuriyama, who plays the role of Miyuki Izawa
It's starting again this year! It's season 5! And it's a two-season series, summer and fall/winter! With each passing season, I'm happy to hear more and more people say "I'm watching it!" in various places, but it also makes me feel more determined. This time, the first episode is our first ever business trip. We're heading to Hokkaido, a place with lots of delicious food. Stay tuned to see what kind of evening drinks we'll have.
◇Naoto Shimamura: Kohei Takeda
"The Art of Evening Drinks" is now in its fifth year. I am delighted to be able to enjoy delicious drinks and delicious food with all of you again. This year, we will once again deliver a show that resonates with your daily lives, where you "live to enjoy delicious drinks"! Season 5 is packed with many new and exciting features, so please look forward to it!
◇Aoi Tomikawa: Nagiko Tsuji
Long time no see! It's Aoi-chan! Thanks to all of you who love "The Art of Evening Drinks," we're on season 5! I was in my twenties back then, but now I've entered my thirties and reached the age where I can enjoy a drink. I'm so happy to be able to see Miyuki-san, Shimamura-san, and Umino-san again this year ^_^ I'll be working happily at "Hop Housing" and dedicating my life to evening drinks in 2026!
◇Ushiba role: Hiroyuki Baba (Robert)
Once again, we hope you'll enjoy watching this episode with an ice-cold beer, non-alcoholic beer, or your favorite drink to unwind after a long day. Enjoy the interactions between Miyuki, Manager Chinzan, and Ushiba.
◇Role of Chinzan: Mr. Chin-san
"The Art of Evening Drinks" is back for Season 5! I'm thrilled to be able to meet you all again as Manager Chinzan. Furthermore, starting this season, Tsurumart Petit has a revamped logo in the hope of making even greater strides! We continue to evolve. We have prepared ingredients that will please our customers more than ever before, and we look forward to your visit. I've been so excited for the past six months that I'm sure I'll mess up again. "Ushiba-kun, what should we do? (sweat)"
◇Jiro Umino: Hajime Okayama
I'm so grateful and happy to be able to see you all again. Branch Manager Umino is fired up to power up and scale up even more, ready to cause some chaos and mayhem. He's teaming up with Miyuki, Shimamura, Aoi, and everyone in the shopping district to make sure everyone has a good time. Please cheer on Branch Manager Umino!
