The Geisha

The account is set in a geisha house called Yokiro. The house stands in western Japan. In the first half of the twentieth century it was the best known such place. At its height more than two hundred geisha worked there. Seen from outside it is a splendid establishment. Inside there is constant struggle. Reckonings run within the family. There is tension between the women and the men as well. Relations with the yakuza are a matter of their own. Momokawa was sold to the house at twelve. Over the years she became its leading geisha. But her attachments make her life harder. Ken Ogata and Kimiko Ikegami take the leads in Hideo Gosha’s Japanese film of 1983.