Kiyo in Kyoto

Kiyo Nozuki and Sumire Herai leave their snowy hometown for Kyoto's historic geisha district, both dreaming of becoming maiko. But when Kiyo fails her audition, she doesn't pack up and go home. Instead, she becomes the house cook, the makanai-san, for the maiko lodging where Sumire trains. The manga follows Kiyo's quiet days: shopping at Nishiki Market, simmering miso soup before dawn, and learning which dishes lift spirits after a long day of dance practice. It's a story told through steam rising from hot pots and the crunch of fresh vegetables, with the city's temples and narrow lanes as a constant backdrop.

Aiko Koyama serialized the series in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from December 28, 2016 to January 22, 2025, collecting 30 volumes under the Shōnen Sunday Comics Special imprint. The manga sold over 2.7 million copies by September 2022 and won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award in 2020 in the shōnen category. Two adaptations followed: a 12-episode anime by J.C.Staff aired on NHK World from February 2021 to January 2022, and a live-action Netflix series titled The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, premiered in January 2023 to wide acclaim. [edit]