Character Analysis
There are a few other players in Sayuri's life we should mention. Arashino is a kimono maker who must sew parachutes during World War II, showing us how the war affects every aspect of Japanese life. He lets Sayuri stay at his estate and doesn't even try to sleep with her. Since he's a nice man, we don't know much else about him. The book only seems to focus on creepy men.
Speaking of creepy men, there's Bekku, the man whose job it is to dress geisha and recruit young girls to the lifestyle. He's like a pimp with a sense of style.
Uchida is an artist with an attitude problem. He's a jerk, but he paints a nice picture of Sayuri.
General Tottori is Sayuri's danna, and he helps the okiya through the war until he's arrested.
Finally, the Minister is a man Sayuri uses for sex, so that Nobu will catch her and forget about her.
There are also creepy women whom we can't forget, too. Like a woman without a name—Chiyo calls her Mrs. Fidget—who sticks her finger into Chiyo's bathing suit area to see if she's a virgin.
And Yoko, the woman who answers the phone at the okiya and tells Hatsumomo all of Sayuri's whereabouts. If someone is trying to break up a group, it's always Yoko.