Kiyo in Kyoto

Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House (舞妓さんちのまかないさん) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Aiko Koyama. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday since December 2016, with its chapters collected in 26  volumes as of May 2024. The series takes place in the Geisha district in Kyoto and follows the titular character Kiyo as she cooks up delicacies every day to support her friend Sumire and the other.

An anime television series adaptation by J.C.Staff aired worldwide from February 2021 to January 2022 on NHK World, and it was followed by a Japanese broadcast on NHK E from October 2021 to June 2022. A live-action series, executive produced, written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda for Netflix, premiered in January 2023.

By September 2022, the manga had over 2.7 million copies in circulation. In 2020, Kiyo in Kyoto won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the category.

Synopsis
Kiyo and Sumire are childhood friends from Aomori Prefecture who move to Kyoto to become. During their training, Sumire excels through her talent and diligence. Kiyo, meanwhile, has difficulty learning the basic skills and is eventually expelled. However, Kiyo's talent in cooking is discovered, and she is hired as the new cook of the house. Kiyo is happy with her new role: supporting Sumire and the other through her cooking.

Characters

 * Kiyo Nozuki (野月キヨ)
 * A 16 year-old girl from Aomori who came to Kyoto to become a, but her teachers thought she was too clumsy. However, the other apprentices loved her cooking, so she now works at the house as a live-in cook.
 * A 16 year-old girl from Aomori who came to Kyoto to become a, but her teachers thought she was too clumsy. However, the other apprentices loved her cooking, so she now works at the house as a live-in cook.
 * A 16 year-old girl from Aomori who came to Kyoto to become a, but her teachers thought she was too clumsy. However, the other apprentices loved her cooking, so she now works at the house as a live-in cook.


 * Sumire Herai (戸来すみれ) / Momohana (百はな)
 * Kiyo's childhood friend from Aomori who came to Kyoto with her. Unlike Kiyo, Sumire has talent at being a, earning praise from the geisha overseeing her training.
 * Kiyo's childhood friend from Aomori who came to Kyoto with her. Unlike Kiyo, Sumire has talent at being a, earning praise from the geisha overseeing her training.
 * Kiyo's childhood friend from Aomori who came to Kyoto with her. Unlike Kiyo, Sumire has talent at being a, earning praise from the geisha overseeing her training.


 * Kenta Nakanowatari (中渡健太)
 * Kiyo and Sumire's childhood friend who goes to a high school in Aomori.
 * Kiyo and Sumire's childhood friend who goes to a high school in Aomori.


 * Tsurukoma (つる駒)
 * A senior who lives in the  house where Kiyo works.
 * A senior who lives in the  house where Kiyo works.


 * Okā-san (おかあさん)
 * The "mother" of the house. She is responsible for all of the  and geisha's living arrangements and for their training and preparation.
 * The "mother" of the house. She is responsible for all of the  and geisha's living arrangements and for their training and preparation.


 * Big Brother (おにいさん)
 * An assistant of the house. He is responsible for dressing the geisha and  in their kimonos.
 * An assistant of the house. He is responsible for dressing the geisha and  in their kimonos.


 * Narration (ナレーション)
 * Provides tidbits of information on culture and lifestyle.
 * Provides tidbits of information on culture and lifestyle.

Manga
Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House is written and illustrated by Aiko Koyama. The series began in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday on December 28, 2016. The series went on hiatus from June 1–29, 2022. Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual volumes. The first volume was released on April 12, 2017. As of May 10, 2024, 26 volumes have been released.

The manga has been licensed by Elex Media Komputindo in Indonesia.

Anime
In March 2020, NHK announced that the series would be adapted into an anime television series. The series is animated by J.C.Staff, and directed by Yōhei Suzuki, with Susumu Yamakawa overseeing scripts, and Go Sakabe composing the series' music. It aired worldwide on the NHK World-Japan channel from February 25, 2021, to January 27, 2022, and it was followed by a Japanese broadcast on NHK E from October 2, 2021 to June 11, 2022. The opening theme song is "Ashita Kitto" by Ayano Tsuji.

In addition to each episode being on NHK World-Japan's free on-demand service for a year after broadcast, Crunchyroll is also streaming the series with English subtitles outside of Asia. The series ran for 12 episodes. Each episode features a "Dish of the Day" segment, in which Kiyo, Sumire, and Tsurukoma discuss the dishes that appeared in each episode's three segments.

Drama
In January 2022, it was announced that a nine-episode drama adaptation, titled in English as The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, would premiere worldwide on Netflix in 2023. It was directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama and Takuma Sato, with Genki Kawamura in charge of planning; screenplay by Kore-eda, Tsuna, Okuyama, Sato and Mami Sunada; Yoshihiro Furusawa and Naomi Sato serving as executive producers; Kenji Yamada, Ai Kashima and Eiji Kitahara produced the series; Risa Kitabayashi served as an associate producer; and the music was composed by Yoko Kanno. It premiered on Netflix on January 12, 2023.

Reception
Kiyo in Kyoto won the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award for the category in 2020.

By October 2019, the manga had 700,000 copies in circulation; over 1 million copies in circulation by March 2020; and over 2.7 million copies in circulation by of September 2022.