Yutaka Matsushige, director and star of the movie "The Solitary Gourmet," speaks during a press conference at a theater in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Yutaka Matsushige, director and star of the Japanese movie "The Solitary Gourmet," said the series, which depicts the daily life of finding delicious food, is more popular in Korea than in Japan and expressed his hope that the film version would serve as a bridge between the two countries.

"When I presented this movie at the Busan International Film Festival last year, I felt that young Korean film fans truly appreciated our work through the questions they asked me," Matsushige said during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday.

"I believe that the two countries, as close neighbors, must overcome future adversities together as a community of shared destiny. If this film can make a small contribution to that, it will remain the greatest mission of my life."

The film version of the series, which has many Korean fans, features Korean actor Yoo Jae-myung and uses Korean food and Korean ingredients such as "hwangtae" (dried pollock) as key items, increasing familiarity for Korean viewers.

"It seems that young people in Korea like this work more than in Japan. I could feel that even when walking in the streets of Korea," the director and actor said.

Regarding why hwangtae is featured prominently in this movie, the 62-year-old decided to focus on it because he knew that although pollock is eaten in Japan and there are dishes using its roe, it is not made into soup like in Korea.

“There is a restaurant in Tokyo that sells 'bugeoguk,' a Korean soup made with hwangtae. I had never tasted hwangtae broth before, and it was unfamiliar to me, so I thought it would be good to make this fish the theme broth. I also visited Korea to taste hwangtae broth," he said.

Yutaka Matsushige performs Goro Inogashira, a trader who loves to eat delicious foods, in "The Solitary Gourmet." Courtesy of Media Castle

Matsushige said that he thinks the film will connect with many people through the act of eating.

"Everyone eats several times a day to live or for happiness. I think that's why this series, which is simply about an old man eating, is loved in many countries," he said.

Matsushige is currently one of the most familiar Japanese actors in Korea through appearing in "The Solitary Gourmet" for over 10 years. He recently gained popularity on the Netflix show "K-Foodie Meets J-Foodie," where he travels with Korean singer Sung Si-kyung to find delicious food in both countries.

He added that he would like to make a drama in Korea where people with their own stories visit a restaurant and change their mood through food.

“The Solitary Gourmet” will be released in theaters on March 19.