Kitchen was a breakout novel for Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto, a pen name chosen to be purposefully androgynous. Published in 1988 (Banana was only 28), it spawned "Bananamania", a runaway sensation in publishing that appears rarely. Critically recognized as the forefront of contemporary Japanese literature, it had over 60 printings in Japan alone, was filmed twice, and won almost all the major writing awards.
My edition also contains the story Moonlight Shadow.
The parents of Mikage Sakurai died when she was very young, she grew up with her grandmother. Always feeling out of place, she dreams of having a home one day with the perfect kitchen. When her grandmother dies, she meets Yuichi - a young man her grandmother knew - and is invited to stay with him and his mother. She sleeps on the couch in this very casual and untraditional household - Yuichi's mother Eriko used to be his father before he transitioned and spends most of her time working as a club hostess. As no one seems to care about cooking or cleaning, Mikage enjoys using their beautiful kitchen to prepare meals. They have an unusual dynamic, but the three of them form strong bonds as a family before a tragedy strikes. The writing is deceptively simple and packs a lot of story into just 105 pages.
Moonlight Shadow tells the story of Satsuki, who recently lost her boyfriend in a tragic accident. On a late night jog, she meets a woman on a bridge who tells her to come back on a certain day at a certain time, something magical will happen. Contacting the boyfriend's brother, they reminisce and await the mysterious event. A wistful tragedy dealing with loss and love.
I first read Kitchen when it was published in English in 1993, Simply written and perhaps leaning towards the sentiment of teenage girls, it nevertheless has a resonance that holds up today. Her themes of loneliness and mourning, family and loss - written with clean lines, gentle and neat - and memorable characters make it a book that defies time. Though more understated, I would put it in the same category as other novels I would consider classics which caused a sensation when they were published, such as Slaves of New York, and Bright Lights Big City. Of the time but timeless. Banana continued her success with Goodbye Tsugumi, NP, and Asleep - all bestsellers.
1988 / Tradeback / 152 pages
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