‘The Makanai: Cooking For The Maiko House’ Trailer: Hirokazu Kore-eda Serves As Showrunner For New Netflix Series Coming In January

We are mere weeks away from the US release of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s newest film, “Broker.” But we won’t have to wait long after that before we see the next project from the acclaimed filmmaker. He’s also the showrunner behind a new Netflix series, “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House.”

READ MORE: ‘Broker’: Human Trafficking, Murder & More Are Softened By The Warm, Empathetic Touch Of Hirokazu Kore-eda [Cannes]

As seen in the trailer for the series, “The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House” tells the story of two young women who are attempting to make it as maikos. However, when one of the two isn’t well-suited for the maiko work, she transitions into cooking where she excels and becomes an artist in her own right. 

In addition to his duties as showrunner, Kore-eda also directs part of the series alongside folks such as Megumi Tsuno, Hiroshi Okuyama, and Takuma Sato. The ensemble cast for the series is led by Nana Mori and Natsuki Deguchi. They’re joined by Aju Makita, Kairi Jyo, Momoko Fukuchi, Kotoko Wakayanagi, Kotona Minami, Lily Franky, Yukiya Kitamura, Toshinori Omi, Kanji Furutachi, Keiko Toda, Kayoko Shiraishi, Keiko Matsuzaka, Ai Hashimoto, Mayu Matsuoka, Arata Iura, and Takako Tokiwa.

“The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House” debuts on Netflix on January 12, 2023. You can watch the trailer below.

Here’s the synopsis:

Set in the geisha district of Kyoto, this series follows Sumire, a maiko (apprentice geisha) and Kiyo, a cook at the maiko house where they live, and tells a story of their daily lives through delicious food. Showrunner Hirokazu Kore-eda, producer Genki Kawamura and a star-studded cast including Nana Mori and Natsuki Deguchi team up for this drama adaptation of the mega-hit comic that has sold over 2.7 million copies!