Previous
Joy and Suffering
Find the Perfect Quote
LitCharts makes it easy to find quotes by
part,
character,
and theme. We assign a color and icon like this one
to each theme, making it easy to track which themes apply to each quote below.
Need another quote?
Need analysis on another quote?
Need analysis for a quote we don't cover?
Need analysis for a quote we don't cover?
Need analysis for a quote we don't cover?
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
A LitCharts expert can help.
Request it
Request it
Request analysis
Request analysis
Request analysis
Part 1: Kitchen Quotes
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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
Part 2: Full Moon Quotes
One night, screaming that he had been made a fool of he lunged at her with a knife. Eriko, wounded, grabbed a barbell off the bar—it was part of the club’s decor—with both hands and beat him to death. “There!” she said. “Self-defense, that makes us even.” Those were her last words.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The second part of Kitchen opens with Mikage learning—several months after the fact—that Eriko has been murdered by a stalker. The description of the murder, captured here, reflects how strong and empowered Eriko is. Even in the moment of her death, Eriko fights back. Eriko’s death functions in several ways. It drives forward Yoshimoto’s exploration of grief, which will shift to center here on Mikage and Yuichi’s grief over Eriko. It also highlights the very real threat of violence that the transgender community faces in Yoshimoto’s society and elsewhere. Lastly, it shows that although Eriko is murdered, her death does 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. Volupta
She, too, is a very precious child of mine.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
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
No matches.
