Characters
Kikuchi Hankuro
A pure young samurai who has accompanied the shogun to Kyoto. When taken by his close friend to Gion, he falls in love with the courtesan Osome.
Osome
A courtesan in a pleasure house in Gion. She meets the kind Hankuro in her very first assignment and falls in love with him.
Sakata Ichinosuke
Hankuro’s fellow servant and close friend. He dates the courtesan Ohana. Because of his experience in the pleasure quarters, he dissuades Hankuro when the latter tries to sell his sword to free Osome.
Sakata Genzaburo
Ichinosuke’s younger brother. A short-tempered samurai, he is convinced that his brother’s dissolute behavior is due to Hankuro’s bad influence.
Ohana
A courtesan senior to Osome. She deals coolly with Genzaburo when he rushes to the restaurant to take away his brother Ichinosuke, her lover.
Yohei
Osome’s father. He sold Osome to the pleasure house but is concerned about her.
