Mikage Sakurai Character Analysis in Kitchen

The protagonist and narrator of Kitchen, whose mother and father died when she was very young. Mikage was raised by her grandmother, who died a few days before the story begins. The story thus revolves around Mikage’s visceral experiences of grief—in the first half of the story, she grieves her grandmother, and in the second half of the story, Mikage grieves Eriko, who forms a motherly bond with Mikage when she and her son Yuichi take Mikage in. Mikage has lived in the shadow of death her whole life and battles a deep sense of loneliness and isolation throughout the story, though she knows the only thing she can do is keep on going. Yoshimoto symbolizes Mikage’s pain with metaphors of darkness throughout the novel, while light represents Mikage’s joy. Mikage is obsessed with kitchens and finds them extremely comforting in her darkest moments. Just as Eriko once advised her, Mikage finds that her experiences with suffering enable her to have a profound understanding of the joy that cooking fills her with. Over the course of the story, Mikage develops a bond with Yuichi that evolves into romantic love. They understand each other because they have both experienced profound loss in their lives. Nonetheless, Mikage is afraid to pursue a relationship with Yuichi because she doesn’t know if they can build a life together from the dark place of their collective experiences with bereavement. At the story’s climax, Mikage impulsively tracks Yuichi down by breaking into an inn he is hiding away in to bring him some delicious fried pork, which revives him and pulls him out of his dark state of mind. Heartened by Mikage’s visit, Yuichi returns to Tokyo instead of running away, while Mikage makes peace with the necessity of suffering and joy in life and is finally able to embrace her love for Yuichi.

Mikage Sakurai Quotes in Kitchen

The Kitchen quotes below are all either spoken by Mikage Sakurai or refer to Mikage Sakurai. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

When he saw my grandmother’s picture on the altar, again his tears fell like rain. My first thought when I saw that was that my love for my own grandmother was nothing compared to this boy’s, whoever he was. He looked that sad.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Yuichi Tanabe, Mikage’s Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 7

Explanation and Analysis:

When the story begins, Mikage Sakurai is bereft with grief and unable to function as she grieves her grandmother’s recent passing. It turns out that Yuichi Tanabe, a boy from her university, is grieving the old woman’s death too. In this passage, Mikage recalls how heartbroken Yuichi was when Mikage’s grandmother died. It turns out that Yuichi worked in a flower shop in the neighborhood that Mikage’s grandmother frequented several times a week. Eventually, they became close and, as Mikage notes here, Yuichi clearly loved her grandmother deeply, even though they were not related. In writing that it seems Yuichi’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitat

Usually, the first time I go to a house, face to face with people I barely know, I feel an immense loneliness.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Yuichi Tanabe, Eriko Tanabe

Page Number and Citation: 10

Explanation and Analysis:

Early in the story, Mikage, who is grieving her grandmother, arrives at Yuichi and Eriko Tanabe’s house for dinner. Despite barely knowing them, they have offered to take her in while she grieves her grandmother so that she won’t be alone. Yoshimoto alludes here to a theme that many of her contemporaries address in their writing. In the 1980s, a new generation of Japanese writers emerged that looked specifically at the lives of urban youths in their cultural environment. Many, like Yoshimoto does in this passage and throughout Kitchen, address alienation in urban environments. Despite living side by side with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae vol

This was his mother? Dumbfounded I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Hair that rustled like silk to her shoulders; the deep sparkle of her long, narrow eyes; well-formed lips, a nose with a high, straight bridge—the whole of her face gave off a marvelous light that seemed to vibrate with life force.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Yuichi Tanabe, Eriko Tanabe

Related Symbols: Light

Page Number and Citation: 11

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage has just arrived for dinner at the Tanabes’ apartment, and Yuichi’s mother comes breezing in on a break from work. As Yoshimoto’s detailed description shows, Mikage is mesmerized because Eriko is so beautiful. At this stage in the story, the reader does not yet know that Eriko is a transgender woman. Yoshimoto thus immediately introduces the character of Eriko as a mother, as a woman, and as a beautiful, deeply feminine woman before anything else is known about her. In this way, Yoshimoto clearly establishes Eriko’s status as a woman upfront, asserting a claim that will be reiterated throughout Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explica

Yes, but. Could you call someone who looked like that ‘Dad?’

Related Characters: Yuichi Tanabe (speaker), Eriko Tanabe , Mikage Sakurai

Page Number and Citation: 13

Explanation and Analysis:

Eriko has just breezed in and out of the apartment after being described as a dazzlingly beautiful woman. Here, Yoshimoto informs the reader that Eriko is a transgender woman through the voice of Yuichi, who explains that Eriko was Yuichi’s biological father, though she has since transitioned gender. As this quote shows, Yuichi is clearly much more comfortable calling Eriko his mother than his father, reinforcing Yoshimoto’s view that transgender womanhood is legitimate and worthy of recognition and respect. Mikage responds to Yuichi’s question by saying that he makes perfect sense, which is another moment that allows Yoshimoto to normalize Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident exp

You’re a good kid, too.

Related Characters: Eriko Tanabe (speaker), Mikage Sakurai, Yuichi Tanabe

Page Number and Citation: 15

Explanation and Analysis:

Eriko has just been discussing her son Yuichi’s emotional reticence but concludes that Yuichi is a “good kid.” Turning to Mikage—who has since moved in with the Tanabes and is having one of her regular heart-to-heart talks with Eriko—Eriko tells her that she, too, is a “good kid.” The repetition of this phrase aligns Mikage with Yuichi in Eriko’s eyes, and renders explicit Eriko’s view that Mikage is like a daughter to her, even though they are not related by blood or marriage. The evolving emotional bond between Eriko and Mikage—nurtured by frequent chats like this and genuine care and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provi

We would spend a little time together before bed, sometimes drinking coffee, sometimes green tea, eating cake and watching TV.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Mikage’s Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 20

Explanation and Analysis:

Early in the story, Mikage fondly recalls typical evenings with her grandmother who raised her. Mikage’s poignant recollection of a deceptively simple daily ritual shows that the bond of family between two people evolves by such means: daily nurturing and day-to-day care. For Yoshimoto, Mikage’s grandmother’s simple act of welcoming Mikage home every evening and having a cup of tea or coffee with Mikage illustrates the kind of companionship that, over time, fosters a bond of parental love. This is indeed how the bond between Mikage, Eriko, and Yuichi grows so strong, as they talk, cook, and live like family, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Ev

Little by little, light and air came into my heart.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Eriko Tanabe , Yuichi Tanabe, Mikage’s Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 21

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage has been living with the Tanabes for a few months and she has fallen into an easy rhythm of simple daily activities: working, cooking, cleaning, watching TV. As time passes, Mikage finds that her spirits are beginning to lift, her grief is becoming more bearable, and she is gradually growing happier. This rhythm of living day to day by doing ordinary things is what Yoshimoto argues will help a person overcome their grief. Bereavement feels insurmountable, yet often, just managing to get by and doing simple things every day—be it eating a meal or cleaning the kitchen—is what will Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt

I loved the Tanabes’ sofa as much as I loved their kitchen. I came to crave sleeping on it […] I slept like a baby. There wasn’t anything more I wanted: I was happy.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Mikage’s Grandmother , Eriko Tanabe , Yuichi Tanabe

Related Symbols: Kitchens

Page Number and Citation: 22

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage has been living with the Tanabes for a few months and reflects on the sofa she sleeps on, which, fittingly, is in the kitchen—a space she feels uniquely connected to and comforted by. Beyond that, the sofa itself is large, soft, and comforting. When she first arrived at the Tanabes it proved a welcome break from the hard kitchen floor she’d been sleeping on at her grandmother’s place in an attempt to cure her insomnia. Yoshimoto alludes here to another central claim in her exploration of grief. For Yoshimoto, grief is as physical an experience as it is a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo mi

When I opened the door, I shuddered. It was like coming back to a stranger’s house. Cold and dark, not a sigh to be heard. Everything there, which should have been so familiar, seemed to be turning away from me […] there was only one thing to do—humming a tune, I began to scrub the refrigerator.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Mikage’s Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 22

Explanation and Analysis:

After a few months away, Mikage returns to her grandmother’s apartment to start clearing it out. In this passage, Yoshimoto uses the metaphor of darkness to represent Mikage’s suffering. The disorienting pain of Mikage’s grandmother’s death is symbolized by the cold, dark, unfamiliar feeling apartment. This passage exemplifies a central feature of Yoshimoto’s advice for coping with grief: very often, the best thing to do when grappling with profound grief is to complete the immediate task ahead. Mikage knows she must clean the apartment, so that’s exactly what she does. The act of cleaning the kitchen—a space that, for Yoshimoto Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam c

It was like watching Bewitched.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Eriko Tanabe , Yuichi Tanabe

Page Number and Citation: 31

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage is living with the Tanabes and marvels here at their ability to just plug along as normal, despite Mikage’s strange interjection into their lives as the grieving young woman living on their sofa. Yoshimoto uses the metaphor of the American television show Bewitched—which centers on the life of a witch who’s attempting to live as a suburban housewife—to capture the juxtaposition of the strange and the everyday that the Tanabes take on the chin without a second thought. The metaphor is also a trademark of sorts for Yoshimoto, who often uses metaphors from pop culture in her writing, giving Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non.

It was like being falling-down-drunk. My body was independent of me. Before I knew it, tears were flooding out.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Mikage’s Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 35

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage has just finished clearing out her grandmother’s apartment and is feeling a bit worn down. As she trundles back to the Tanabes on a crowded bus, she sees a grandmother soothing her grandchild and is shocked to realize she’s crying. Unable to stop, Mikage stumbles off the bus and finds herself sobbing uncontrollably. Yoshimoto’s exploration of the processes of grief focuses here on the sensation of disassociation from the body. Several times in the story, when a character is grieving, they experience a sensation of disconnection in which the body takes over to process—or perhaps even release—some of the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Opt

Looking up, I saw white steam rising, in the dark, out of a brightly lit window overhead. I listened. From inside came the sound of happy voices at work, soup boiling, knives and pots and pans clanging. It was a kitchen. I was puzzled, smiling about how I had just gone from the darkest despair to feeling wonderful. I stood up, smoothed down my skirt, and started back for the Tanabes’.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Mikage’s Grandmother , Eriko Tanabe , Yuichi Tanabe

Related Symbols: Kitchens

Page Number and Citation: 34-35

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage has just stumbled off a bus after clearing out her grandmother’s apartment because she realizes she’s crying and can’t stop. Bent over in an alley, she succumbs to the experience and lets herself have a long, full cry over her grandmother’s death for the first time. Immediately after, she sees a kitchen window and starts to feel better. Yoshimoto here uses two of her central symbols in the story to capture Mikage’s feelings: light in the dark, and kitchens. Mikage is distraught with grief. Unsurprisingly, once she lets it out and has a proper cry, she starts to feel Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit

Yes. But if a person hasn’t ever experienced true despair, she grows old never knowing how to evaluate where she is in life; never understanding what joy really is.

Related Characters: Eriko Tanabe (speaker), Mikage Sakurai

Page Number and Citation: 41

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Mikage is having one of her regular heart-to-hearts with Eriko, which comprise the regular emotional nurturing that helps Eriko and Mikage develop a bond of family. Through Eriko’s voice, Yoshimoto imparts one of her central philosophies and guiding motifs of the story. Eriko explains that some people have easy, happy, comfortable lives. Other people, however are almost broken by the suffering they experience. Eriko, who is comforting Mikage in her grief, tells her not to despair for enduring the pain of death and suffering, because her pain—as difficult as it is—is also a gift. It will give Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aper

She, too, is a very precious child of mine.

Related Characters: Eriko Tanabe (speaker), Mikage Sakurai, Yuichi Tanabe

Page Number and Citation: 53

Explanation and Analysis:

Shortly after learning that Eriko was murdered several months ago, Mikage is at Yuichi’s place reading Eriko’s will. In it, Eriko advises Yuichi to lean on Mikage for support, and describes Mikage as her “precious child.” The will—which reads as a manifesto of sorts for several of the story’s core arguments—asserts that Eriko loved Mikage as a daughter. Yoshimoto here legitimizes Mikage’s status as Eriko’s family. Despite the fact that they were not related by blood or marriage, Eriko and Mikage formed a parent-child bond through Eriko’s consistent nurturing, emotional support, and day-to-day contact with Mikage. It’s these things, for Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at.

For an instant I had a vision of Eriko’s smiling face, and my heart turned over. I felt an urge to get moving. It looked to me like the kitchen had not been used in quite a while. It was somewhat dirty and dark. I began to clean. I scrubbed the sink with scouring powder, wiped off the burners, washed the dishes, sharpened the knives. I washed and bleached all the dish towels and while watching them go round and round in the dryer I realized that I had become calmer.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Eriko Tanabe

Related Symbols: Kitchens

Page Number and Citation: 56

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Mikage is on the sofa at Yuichi’s apartment, feeling distraught after learning about Eriko’s tragic death. The pain of Eriko’s memory is crippling, but once again, Mikage gets up and decides to do something—anything—so she sets out to clean the kitchen, which looks a little dingy. As Mikage methodically cleans the kitchen, her mood begins to lift. Kitchens, which symbolize the daily rhythm of living, are exactly what Mikage needs at this juncture. Yoshimoto asserts throughout the story that very often when a person feels suffocated by their grief, the best thing to do is to complete Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident exped

They had been taught, probably by caring parents, not to exceed the boundaries of their happiness regardless of what they were doing. […] What I mean by “their happiness” is living a life untouched as much as possible by the knowledge that we are really, all of us, alone. That’s not a bad thing. […] But—that one summer of bliss. In that kitchen […] Having known such joy, there was no going back.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Mikage’s Grandmother , Mikage’s Boss / Cooking Teacher

Page Number and Citation: 59

Explanation and Analysis:

Here, Mikage has moved out of the Tanabes’ and is working as a cooking teacher’s assistant, having discovered a passion for cooking while she lived with the Tanabes, using it as a way to process her grief over her grandmother’s death. Reflecting on why she got the job despite having such little experience, Mikage acknowledges that it’s because her encounters with pain have enabled her to latch on to her encounters with joy with a fierceness that no complacently happy person can. Mikage cooks as if she’s cooking for her life, and it shows. Mikage has manifested Eriko’s prediction. Eriko Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia.

Nothing, nothing at all has any flavor for me know.

Related Characters: Yuichi Tanabe (speaker), Eriko Tanabe , Mikage Sakurai

Page Number and Citation: 76

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Mikage is having tea with Yuichi shortly after they reconnected over Eriko’s death. Mikage is attempting to comfort Yuichi and bring him back to life a bit. Yuichi, struggling in his deep grief, exclaims with despair that nothing tastes of anything. Yoshimoto rounds out her exploration of the physical effects of grief with Yuichi’s statement here. Elsewhere in the story, Mikage’s experiences of grief make her feel disconnected from her senses. At times she feels like she can’t see and other times she’s blank, unable to process any sensory input. Yuichi, too, feels as if he has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit.

I realized that the world did not exist for my benefit. It followed that the ratio of pleasant to unpleasant things around me would not change. It wasn’t up to me. It was clear that the best thing to do was to adopt a sort of muddled cheerfulness.

Related Characters: Eriko Tanabe (speaker), Yuichi’s Biological Mother , Mikage Sakurai

Page Number and Citation: 81

Explanation and Analysis:

Yoshimoto often speaks through Eriko—the central matriarch of the story—to impart her core philosophies in the story. Here, Mikage is poignantly recalling a conversation she had with Eriko when Eriko was still alive. Eriko has just been describing her wife’s death. When Yuichi’s biological mother was dying of cancer, she asked Eriko to take away the plant in her room to save it from the atmosphere of death, but the plant—a pineapple—withered anyway. Eriko uses this example to explain an important realization to Mikage, which is captured in this quote. Life is full of both pain and joy. Nobody can Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus co

But right now there’s this katsudon. Go ahead, eat it.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Yuichi Tanabe

Page Number and Citation: 99

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage has just traveled through the night in a taxi with some delicious takeout food which she bought for Yuichi on a whim. Yuichi is struggling in his grief and ran away to an inn with the intention of leaving Tokyo forever. Mikage, sensing that their relationship is at a critical juncture, impulsively sprang into action, managed to break into the inn, and convinces Yuichi to eat something, hoping it will ease his troubled mind and knock some sense into him. Here, Yoshimoto subverts a traditional patriarchal narrative by inverting it. Whereas a conventional story might have a damsel in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates.

Will you tear a telephone book in half for me?

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Yuichi Tanabe

Page Number and Citation: 101

Explanation and Analysis:

Mikage, having tracked a grieving Yuichi down, has just confronted Yuichi about her feelings for him. Mikage thinks Yuichi shouldn’t run away, but embrace a relationship with her as she wants to go through life with him, whatever it throws at them. Yuichi sheepishly admits that he was running away because he felt emasculated by his grief, and was afraid of Mikage seeing him as unmanly. Mikage immediately dismisses this by quipping back with this question, suggesting a comically absurd show of masculinity might put Yuichi more at ease. Continuing her subversion of patriarchal values, Yoshimoto shows, through Mikage and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostr

The endless sea was shrouded in darkness. I could see the shadowy forms of gigantic, rugged crags against which the waves were crashing. While watching them I felt a strange, sweet sadness. In the biting air I told myself, there will be so much pleasure, so much suffering. With or without Yuichi. The beacon of a faraway lighthouse revolved. It turned its light toward me, then turned away, forming a pathway of light on the waves. Nodding to myself, my nose dripping, I returned to my room.

Related Characters: Mikage Sakurai (speaker), Yuichi Tanabe, Eriko Tanabe

Page Number and Citation: 104

Explanation and Analysis:

The story is drawing to a close, and Mikage has just returned to Izu after reviving Yuichi with some delicious takeout pork. Mikage is walking along the seashore at night and realizes that she is somehow at peace. Throughout the story, Mikage has been struggling with the thought that adulthood is really just the acknowledgment that life is full of pain and all a person can do is endure it. Earlier in the story, Eriko advised Mikage that life contains a balance of joy and pain, and it was Eriko’s acceptance of both that allowed her to make peace with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Com

Mikage Sakurai Character Timeline in Kitchen

The timeline below shows where the character Mikage Sakurai appears in Kitchen. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Mikage Sakurai’s favorite place is the kitchen. She thinks lived-in kitchens, with “vegetable droppings,” tea towels,... (full context)

Mikage was raised by her grandmother, as her own mother and father died young. Her grandfather... (full context)

One day, the doorbell rings. It’s Yuichi Tanabe, who goes to Mikage’s university. Mikage doesn’t know Yuichi well, though it seems he knew her grandmother, as he... (full context)

Later, Mikage walks in to Yuichi’s place, noticing an enormous sofa in the middle of the kitchen.... (full context)

All of a sudden, a woman bursts in who is so beautiful that Mikage gasps. Her name is Eriko, and she’s Yuichi’s mother. Eriko has silky hair, long legs,... (full context)

Yuichi goes to bed. Mikage showers and settles into the “delectable” sofa, surrounded by plants, knowing that she’ll sleep well.... (full context)

Mikage wakes to the sound of Eriko bustling around cheerfully in the kitchen as light streams... (full context)

Eriko says that Mikage reminds her of Yuichi’s old dog, which is probably why Yuichi feels close to Mikage.... (full context)

Months pass, and Mikage slips into an easy rhythm of working at her part-time job, cooking for Eriko and... (full context)

All of a sudden, the telephone rings. It’s Mikage’s ex-boyfriend, Sotaro, who’s called to check in as he just heard about Mikage’s grandmother. They... (full context)

Mikage and Sotaro walk home through the park. Mikage points out Yuichi’s apartment and Sotaro teases... (full context)

That evening, Yuichi walks in carrying a new word processor and suggests Mikage send out change-of-address cards. Mikage asks if her living there is causing problems but Yuichi... (full context)

Just as Mikage is thinking she should move out soon, Eriko bursts in with a new juicer. Mikage... (full context)

The next day, Mikage sluggishly visits her old apartment to wrap things up. She drinks tea with the landlord... (full context)

Mikage leaves the apartment at dusk with the last of her things. It’s chilly and her... (full context)

A grandmother on the bus cheerfully points out the blimp to soothe her sulking granddaughter. Mikage is jealous: she’ll never see her grandmother again. Mikage concentrates on the blimp, and is... (full context)

Mikage walks into the apartment, climbs into the sofa, and sleeps soundly after her cry. She... (full context)

Suddenly, Mikage wakes up. She goes into the kitchen thinking about her strange dream, which is fresh... (full context)

Mikage is amazed, and feels that the shared dream is a miracle and utterly natural all... (full context)

One evening, as Eriko waters the plants, she imparts her outlook on life to Mikage. Eriko thinks that taking care of someone helps you understand your own shortcomings, and even... (full context)

...he was stabbing her in the nightclub, Eriko beat him to death with a barbell. Mikage, who had already moved out, doesn’t hear the news until months later when Yuichi finally... (full context)

Mikage frantically tries to recall the last time she saw Eriko. Was it the day Mikage... (full context)

Mikage tries to throw together an overnight bag, but all she does is run around opening... (full context)

Mikage rings Yuichi’s doorbell, feeling hopeless. When he answers the door, she can’t help but smile.... (full context)

Mikage looks Yuichi deep in the eyes and finds herself saying that for some reason the... (full context)

Yuichi hands Eriko’s will to Mikage, and goes to bed. It’s a cheerful letter joking about the silliness of a will... (full context)

Mikage is wearing Eriko’s sweater and her heart lurches as she thinks of the smell of... (full context)

Mikage and Yuichi sleep into the afternoon. As they sit next to each other watching TV,... (full context)

Mikage looks up at the ceiling. When Mikage’s grandmother died, she thought things couldn’t get worse.... (full context)

Over the summer, Mikage had learned to cook. Mikage cooked so much that Eriko and Yuichi had thought Mikage... (full context)

Yuichi arrives with the car full of shopping bags and cajoles Mikage into helping him carry up all the things he’s bought. To distract Mikage, Yuichi points... (full context)

As Mikage cooks an enormous feast of stew, salad, pie, vegetables, and all sorts of things, she... (full context)

Yuichi asks Mikage to move back in. Mikage asks if Yuichi means as a lover or a friend.... (full context)

Mikage wakes up to the telephone ringing. She answers and the other person hangs up. It... (full context)

Mikage starts work with her coworkers Nori and Kuri, who are sweet, affluent, well-trained, polite young... (full context)

That evening, Mikage is cooking curry at Yuichi’s when he walks in. Somehow, she can’t meet his eyes.... (full context)

Yuichi opens the door for Mikage and they joke about how Eriko insisted on having the car door opened for her,... (full context)

Mikage recalls a bittersweet memory. Eriko was watering the plants, looking “thrillingly beautiful” in the light.... (full context)

Mikage is packing. Suddenly Chika—Eriko’s coworker at the club (who wears drag but isn’t explicitly female)—calls,... (full context)

The next day, Mikage goes to Izu with her colleagues, feeling relieved but guilty about a break from the... (full context)

Spotting a light, Mikage enters a near-empty eatery with relief, and orders a hearty meal of fried pork in... (full context)

Mikage asks Yuichi when he’ll be back, and he lies, saying soon. Mikage knows he will... (full context)

Mikage finds herself in the street, holding a steaming box of fried pork, wondering what to... (full context)

Mikage approaches the inn, which is locked. She finds a payphone and calls, but there’s no... (full context)

Laying in a puddle on the roof, Mikage looks up at the glowing moon and realizes everyone’s in the same position: we all... (full context)

Yuichi is stunned as he opens the window, and rubs his eyes. Mikage says she came to deliver some pork, because she had some and it didn’t seem... (full context)

Mikage’s chest is heavy in the “tomblike” atmosphere, and she wants to cry. Suddenly Yuichi notices... (full context)

Yuichi and Mikage joke around and the mood feels easier. Mikage tells Yuichi that she doesn’t want to... (full context)

Mikage wakes up at her inn to a raging, windy snowstorm outside the window. Looking out,... (full context)

Mikage Sakurai Character Analysis

Mikage Sakurai Quotes in Kitchen

Part 1: Kitchen Quotes

Part 2: Full Moon Quotes

Mikage Sakurai Character Timeline in Kitchen