Themes
A feeling that was expressed when Mikage’s grandma dies
What is Loneliness/Solitude?
The substances that Mikage works with whenever in the kitchen
What is Food?
This woman is the author of The Kitchen.
Who is Banana Yoshimoto?
This is a staple of the vegetarian diet
What is Tofu?
The story opens on this location and shares its title.
What is a Kitchen?
A feeling shared by the two primary characters of the story
What is Grief?
This is the area of Yuichi’s house where Mikage rests.
What is the Big Sofa?
This person slaps Yuichi for letting Mikage stay at his house
Who is Yuichi’s Ex?
This drink repeatedly shows up in the story
What is tea?
These are ceremonies that create the shared experiences of the two main characters
What are Funerals?
A social construct that a character in the story changed.
What is Gender?
This is a symbol of life used throughout the story
What are Plants?
This person teaches Mikage how to cook.
Who is Sensei?
This is the meal Yuichi has after Eriko’s funeral/death
What is Deep Fried Pork?
This location closes the story and leaves a bitter aftertaste of confrontation.
What are Train Platforms?
Mikage’s love of the kitchen through Sensei
What is Learning/Education?
This represents the loneliness of Mikage
What is Darkness?
This character functions as both parents of Yuichi
Who is Eriko?
These are the first foods we see cooked in the story
What is cucumber salad and soupy rice with eggs?
This appears in dreams had by the protagonist and acts as a guiding light.
What is the Lighthouse?
Mikage and Yuichi could have shown this but never really expressed it to each other in the story.
What is Love?
This represents joy that could still be left in life if darkness is fallen
What is the Moon?
This pair of characters both have homonyms as names.
Who are Nori and Kuri?
This is a fruit that is represented as good luck in the story
What is Pineapple?
This is the location where an important character is murdered.
What is a Bar?