Mimi Yamamoto

Mimi Yamamoto
Information
Full name	Mimi Yamamoto
Joined
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Title
Biographical
Nickname
Born
Hometown
Family	Hideyoshi - sister Rioko Kishi - daughter John Kishi - son-in-law Claudia Kishi - granddaughter Janine Kishi-granddaughter
Romances
School
Grade
Affiliations
Miscellaneous
Final Appearance
Portrayed by

L "Mimi" Yamamoto is the grandmother of Claudia Kishi and Janine Kishi, the mother of Rioko Kishi, and the mother-in-law of John Kishi. She died in Claudia and the Sad Goodbye. During The Baby-Sitters Club series, Mimi lived with her daughter and the rest of the Kishi family on Bradford Court in Stoneybrook.

Personality

Mimi is described as quiet, patient, polite in demeanor. She has a gently rolling accent.

Biography

Mimi grew up in Japan with her older sister, parents, and her paternal grandfather. She came to the US when she was thirty-two-years-old sometime after World War II. She began living with the Kishis after her husband died and Janine was just born in Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls.

She had a special relationship with Claudia and called her "My Claudia." Claudia often felt that Mimi was the only person in her family who understood her. It is revealed in Claudia and the Great Search that Claudia physically resembles a young Mimi. Mimi was apparently the only member of the Kishi family to appreciate Claudia's artistic talent, and once calmed told off Claudia's first-grade teacher for failing to appreciate a metaphorical self-portrait Claudia had created in The Baby-Sitters Remember.

Before she died in Claudia and the Sad Good-bye, Mimi had written her own obituary and started to label objects except for jewelry with the names of people who should inherit them. Claudia gets her jewelry, which she won't wear but will always keep.

She started to watch Wheel of Fortune daytime reruns when recovering from her stroke, previously considering it to be trash. She then got hooked on watching the show .

On Claudia's eighth birthday, Mimi dressed up in a kimono and took the family to a Japanese restaurant which turned out to be closed. Instead, they went to a sleazy pizza joint where Mimi had her first slice of pizza. She taught Mary Anne how to knit. Mary Anne invited her a first-grade tea party once before.

One time Mimi had decided to follow the ambulance when it pulled out in front of her at the grocery store. It was going to Peaches house since she had fallen down the stairs. She never followed on again.

Mimi was pulling up to an intersection and she slowed down, peered at the stoplight and glanced at Rioko and asked her what color the light was. This was when they realized that she shouldn't drive anymore.

In Kristy's Book, Kristy's first story is about a time when Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, and Claudia started a snowpeople making business for the neighbors. They raise money to get Mimi a nice birthday present. Everyone donated something to the present for her. Ms. Johnson gave them ten dollars. She mentions that Mimi checked on her everyday when she had the flu last winter. Kristy, Mary Anne, and Claudia got her a wool scarf. She wore that scarf every winter after she got it.

Health Problems

In Claudia and Mean Janine, she had a stroke one night in July and stayed in the hospital for a long time. Dr. Marcus was one of Mimi's doctors. She recovered well; a physical therapist helped her walk and talk. She limped and couldn't use her right hand because of the stroke. Her speech was difficult.

Likes

Mimi at Claudia's sixth birthday party.

• Mimi enjoyed knitting and crafting and taught Mary Anne Spier how to knit.
• While recovering from her stroke, Mimi became a fan of the TV Show Wheel of Fortune, which she had previously considered trash.
• Sewing
• Making Japanese tea
• Cooking
• Helping Claudia with art or school work

Trivia

• Mary Anne seems to be the babysitter that she is next closest to (the first being Claudia).
• She was known for making a "special tea" which she offered to family members and friends, particularly when they were tense or emotionally distraught.
• In Claudia and the Friendship Feud, Mimi once knitted Claudia a red sweater.
• Her gravestone has a small bouquet of wildflowers on it and a picture of a crane etched into the simple headstone. She is buried in Stoneybrook Cemetery.
• Mimi sometimes tries to teach Japanese to Claudia in Mallory and the Trouble with Twins.
• She has not owned a car in years as mentioned in Claudia and the Sad Good-bye.
• She makes the perfect waffles according to Claudia in Claudia and Mean Janine.
• She's right handed in Claudia and Mean Janine.
• In The Baby-sitters Remember, Elizabeth Thomas asked her to stop by when Kristy baby-sat David Michael for the first time to make sure everything was okay.
• In Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation Mary Anne writes a letter to Mary Anne in chapter 18, she addresses to Mrs. L Yamamnoto indicating that her name starts with an L.
• In Kristy's Book, Kristy narrates that Mimi's birthday was coming up. It had snowed in the chapter, indicating that her birthday is in the winter.
• Her favorite color is blue as noted in Mary Anne's Book.

In the graphic novels

Mimi also appears in the graphic novel adaptions of The Baby-Sitters Club books.

Media Portrayals

TV Series (1990)

Mimi is portrayed by Hisayo Asai, however, she only appears in "The Baby-sitters Remember" during a flashback.

Netflix Series

Mimi is portrayed by Takayo Fischer in this series. After she has her stroke she starts having memories of living in Manzanar (a World War II Japanese-American internment camp in California) when she was a child. This differs from the books where she's mentioned having a happy childhood in Japan and being close to her sister. In this series, her full name is Makiko Yamamoto and her age is 83.

Gallery

#26 Claudia and the Sad Good-bye

Mimi at Claudia's sixth birthday party

Claudia as a newborn with Mimi and Rioko Kishi

Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne in kindergarten with Mimi

Mary Anne's invitation to Mimi for the first grade tea party

Both Richard Spier and Mimi show up to the Mother's Day tea party as Mary Anne's guest

The Kishi family portrait from the 1991 BSC calendar.