Study Guide

Memoirs of a Geisha Characters

By Arthur Golden

First things first: last name first. In Japanese culture, the family name goes before the given...

Every geisha wants to be her, and every man wants to be with her. Fate may often be cruel to...

Hatsumomo is the head geisha in charge of the Nitta okiya, and she makes sure everyone knows it....

Oh, the Chairman! He's the object of Sayuri's love, a man who is nice to her as a...

Nobu can mean "trust," "prolong or stretch," or one of the most famous Japanese restaurants in...

Pumpkin is Sayuri's childhood friend, and by "friend" we mean "person who doesn't treat her like...

Mother, Auntie, and Granny remind us of the three fates. Not only do geisha end up in the okiya...

If the fate of the two Sakamoto sisters is like a coin, Satsu and Chiyo are on opposite...

A man bidding tons of cash for a teenage girl's virginity is creepy enough, but in case you think...

It seems like anyone who would pay to be a geisha's mate is a jerk. Dr. Crab. Nobu. The Chairman....

If it weren't for Mr. Tanaka, the fish salesman, Chiyo would never have become a geisha. He is...

Sayuri tells us that, as Chiyo, "Inside this tipsy house I lived something of a lopsided life"...

There are a few other players in Sayuri's life we should mention. Arashino is a kimono maker who...