The Manga Behind Netflix’s The Makanai: A Gentle Story of Food and Life in Kyoto

Japan has an old saying:

“An army marches on its stomach.”

For people today, the battlefield is the workplace.

You cannot do your best work on an empty stomach. Unlike warriors in the past, we are unlikely to lose our lives—but a good meal is still essential if we want to work comfortably and feel our best.

A gentle manga reminded me of this simple but important truth.

Its name is Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san (舞妓さんちのまかないさん).

Japan has many different kinds of manga about food.

Some follow aspiring chefs. Others feature characters visiting izakaya alone. There are even stories about people traveling back in time and serving modern Japanese food to famous historical figures.

Among all these different food manga, the one I would like to recommend today tells the story of a young girl who prepares meals for maiko in Kyoto.

The Story

The main character, Kiyo, is sixteen years old.

She leaves Aomori with her childhood friend Sumire and moves to Kyoto to train as a maiko. However, Kiyo is told that she is not suited to becoming one and should return home to Aomori.

Then, when the woman responsible for preparing the maiko’s meals becomes unable to continue working, Kiyo takes her place in the kitchen. Her cooking is warmly received, and she is given a new role in Kyoto.

Kiyo begins working as a live-in makanai-san—the person who prepares everyday meals for the maiko living in the house.

The Everyday Lives Behind the Beautiful Kimono

Maiko are now famous around the world, but many of the young women who become maiko are not originally from Kyoto.

Girls who dream of becoming maiko come to Kyoto from different parts of Japan. They begin their training while still young and live together in a maiko house known as an okiya.

In front of their guests, they wear beautiful kimono and bring color and elegance to the streets of Kyoto. But when they return home, they are still ordinary young women.

They get tired. They become hungry. They rest, laugh and go about their daily lives.

This manga gives us a small glimpse behind the scenes of the maiko world. At the same time, it allows us to experience the pleasure of good food and the warmth of the people who share it.

Simple Food Made for Someone Special

The dishes in this manga are not usually elaborate or extravagant.

Kiyo cannot prepare unusually sophisticated dishes, nor does she possess the superhuman cooking abilities often found in food manga.

Instead, she makes the ordinary meals and snacks that people eat in Japanese homes. These simple dishes bring comfort and color to the maiko’s daily lives.

Breakfast changes from day to day: grilled salmon, miso soup, sausages and eggs cooked just the way each person likes them—sunny-side up, over easy or soft in the middle.

For someone who is tired but still has more work to do, Kiyo prepares hot lemonade.

When there is a seasonal celebration, she makes special mochi.

All these dishes have one thing in common: Kiyo prepares them while thinking about the person who will eat them.

The author’s soft drawing style, the characters’ expressions and the lovingly illustrated food all give the manga a comforting warmth.

Two Friends on Different Paths

Kiyo’s childhood friend Sumire gradually reveals her talent and begins her career as the maiko Momohana.

The two girls came to Kyoto from Aomori with the same dream. However, they eventually follow different paths: one becomes a maiko, while the other becomes a makanai cook.

Even so, their relationship does not change.

Kiyo thinks about Sumire and the other maiko as they go about their busy lives. She prepares the food that each person needs that day.

Her life may be different from the future she originally imagined, but she finds her own way to support the people she loves.

That warmth reaches us as readers, too.

I think this is the perfect manga to read after work. When I finish my own working day, reading it helps me pause, breathe and relax.

Then I put the manga down and begin preparing dinner—a little reward for myself after doing my best that day.

The Manga’s Connection to Aomori

The manga is now complete, with a total of thirty volumes.

It has also been adapted into an anime titled Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House and a Netflix live-action drama titled The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House.

Most importantly for me, the manga’s creator, Aiko Koyama, comes from my home prefecture. She was born in Towada City, Aomori.

Kiyo and Sumire are also from Aomori. The characters return to their hometown during the story, and several traditional Aomori dishes appear in the manga.

These are small details, but they are enough to make readers from Aomori smile when they recognize them.

I am currently preparing another article about the Aomori culture, food and places connected to this manga—so please look forward to it!