Manga about cook in Kyoto geisha lodge launched in 2016, inspired 2021 anime
This year's 26th issue of Shogakukan‘s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine revealed on Wednesday that Aiko Koyama‘s Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san (Makanai in the Maiko Lodge) manga will go on hiatus beginning with the magazine's next issue on June 1. The magazine will announce the manga's continuation at a later date.
The manga's story is set in Kyoto's “hanamachi” geisha quarter. Here, after geisha finish their work late at night, they spend the night resting at a lodge to prepare for the next day. The story centers on Kiyo, an Aomori native who works as a cook in a geisha lodge in Kyoto after finishing junior high school and leaving home. She also has a friend named Sumire who is a maikoor apprentice geisha.
Koyama launched the manga in Shogakukan‘s Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine in December 2016. Shogakukan published the manga's 19th compiled book volume on February 10. The manga won the Best Shōnen Manga award in the 65th Shogakukan Manga Awards in January 2020.
The manga inspired an anime adaptation titled Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House. The anime premiered on the NHK World channel with English subtitles in February 2021, and new episodes debut once a month. Crunchyroll is also streaming the anime.
The manga is inspiring a live-action series that will debut on Netflix worldwide this year.
Source: Weekly Shonen Sunday issue 26
