Kitchen (novel)

Kitchen
First edition (Japanese)
AuthorBanana Yoshimoto
Original titleキッチン
TranslatorMegan Backus
Illustrator
  • Xue Jia He
  • Hyun Gyoo Kim
Cover artistSoonyoung Kwon
LanguageJapanese
GenreFiction
PublisherMK
Publication date
1988
Publication placeJapan
Published in English
1993
Media typeHardcover
Pages226
ISBN4-8288-2252-6
OCLC25676042
895.6/35 20
LC ClassPL865.O7138 K5813 1993
Preceded byNone 
Followed byEnglish: NP (novel) 

Kitchen (キッチン) is a novel written by Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto (吉本ばなな) in 1988 and translated into English in 1993 by Megan Backus.

Although one may notice a certain Western influence in Yoshimoto's style, Kitchen is still critically recognized as an example of contemporary Japanese literature; The Independent, The Times, and The New Yorker have all reviewed the novel favorably.

Most editions also include a novella entitled Moonlight Shadow, which is also a tragedy dealing with loss and love.

There have been two films made of the story, a Japanese movie in 1989 and a more widely released version produced in Hong Kong by Yim Ho in 1997.