is a 1998 film directed by

Kinji Fukasaku was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking," Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty yakuza films, typified by the ''Battles Without Honor ...

Plot

In 1958, the

Anti-Prostitution Law The (Law no. 118, May 24, 1956) is a law in Japan that aims to prevent prostitution, punish third parties involved in the trade and to protect and rehabilitate women involved in prostitution. It is also known as the 'Anti-Prostitution Law'. The l ...

is about to be implemented. A young

maiko A is an apprentice geisha in Kyoto and Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the or other traditional Japanese instruments for visitors during banquets and parties, known as . are usually aged between 17 to 20 years ...

named Tokiko works at Fujinoya Geisha House under Madam Satoe with the geisha Terucho, Kimiryo, and Somemaru. Over the course of her daily errands she witnesses Terucho becoming angry with Kimiryo for sleeping with one of her clients at the Momoyama Hotel and sees striking workers at Hinod Taxi being beaten by hired thugs. The tailor Mr. Yoshikawa, who has been Madam Satoe's patron for ten years, stop visiting her at the request of his wife and daughter. Mr. Yoshikawa's son and his friends visit the geisha house and are entertained by Terucho. They explain to her that Mrs. Yoshikawa is the heiress to her family's wealth and may cut him off but Terucho tells them that Mr. Yoshikawa should continue to pay Madam Satoe 200,000 yen each month if he really loves her. Tokiko visits her home and finds that her sister Fujiko has left school in order to work with her mother, while her unemployed brother Sadao simply drinks without searching for work or helping his family. Yamashita, who is working at the sawmill while on break from his school, visits. He and Tokiko eat rice cakes together in town while they discuss their respective futures. Mr. Yoshikawa's son visits Terucho again and they have sex. When Mr. Yoshikawa finds out, he slaps Terucho and severs ties completely with Madam Satoe. His son tells Terucho that it was part of his plan to get his Mr. Yoshikawa to leave Madam Satoe, then rapes her. She later tells him that she has filed a report with the police and is taking him to court, which his father fears will hurt his reputation because he is already engaged to someone. Michiko, a bar owner, borrows money from Madam Satoe to lend to the father of her young son Ichiro, but he disappears and returns to his hometown. Michiko does not know where it is, even though she has been his concubine for 15 years. The geisha madam Hanaman offers to help with the 5-million-yen expenses for Tokiko's new kimono and debut party as a maiko in exchange for half of the 3-million-yen fee from her first client and sponsor, the wealthy 78-year-old Mr. Tamura, before a patron is found later. Madam Satoe sells her body to a new patron in exchange for the remaining 1 million yen that she needs. Hanaman gives Tokiko the geisha name "Omocha", meaning "toy", and she makes her debut and keeps her appointment with Mr. Tamura.

Cast

Maki Miyamoto Maki may refer to: People *Mäki, a Finnish surname (includes a list of people with the name) *Maki (name), a Japanese given name and surname (includes a list of people with the name) Places *Maki, Ravar, Kerman Province, Iran *Maki, Rigan, Ke ...

as Tokiko a.k.a. Omocha * Junko Fuji as Satoe *

Kaho Minami is a Japanese actress of Korean descent active in film, television and commercials. Life and career Kaho Minami was born on January 20, 1964, in Amagasaki in Hyogo, Japan, and is of third-generation Korean descent. She graduated from Toho Ga ...

as Terucho * Mai Kitajima as Somemaru *

Masahiko Tsugawa , born Masahiko Katō (加藤雅彦 ''Katō Masahiko''; January 2, 1940 – August 4, 2018) was a Japanese actor and director. Career Tsugawa was born January 2, 1940, in Kyoto, Japan. After acting as a child, he made his major debut at the age o ...

as Yoshikawa *

Yumiko Nogawa (born August 30, 1944) is a Japanese actress born in Kyoto, Japan. She has starred in several movies, notably ''Gate of Flesh'' (1964), a Japanese erotic film, part of a trilogy of films she made with director Seijun Suzuki. Including '' Story of ...

as Michiko *

Mariko Okada is a Japanese stage and film actress who starred in films of directors Mikio Naruse, Yasujirō Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita and others. She was married to film director Yoshishige Yoshida. Biography Okada was born the daughter of silent film actor ...

as Hanaman * Takeshi Katō as Kitayama *

Noboru Mitani Noboru (written: , , , , in hiragana or katakana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, official in the government of Japan's Okinawa Prefecture *, former professional sumo wrestler and current politician fr ...

as Mikami * Naomasa Rokudaira as Kayama *

Takashi Sasano is a Japanese actor. Career Sasano has appeared in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's films ''Bright Future (film), Bright Future'' (2003) and ''Before We Vanish'' (2017). He also appeared in Amir Naderi's 2011 film ''Cut (2011 film), Cut''. Filmography Film ...

as Kosaka * Seizo Fukumoto as police detective

Credits

*Produced by: **Kinji Fukasaku - planner **Takashi Kasuga - producer **Noriko Koyanagi - producer **Masao Sato - planner **Izumi Toyoshima - producer *Art Direction:

Yoshinobu Nishioka was a Japanese jidaigeki production designer, art director, producer, and set decorater from Asuka, Nara Prefecture who won three Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction. Nishioka joined Daiei Kyoto film in 1948. H ...

*Assistant Director:

Kenta Fukasaku is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter. He is the son of film director Kinji Fukasaku and actress Sanae Nakahara. Biography He made his writing debut in the popular Japanese cult film '' Battle Royale'', which his father directed. He wrote th ...

*Sound Department: Maiku Samata * Gaffer: Kiyoto Ando

Release

The film was shown in competition at the 1998

Tokyo International Film Festival The is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biennially from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter. Along with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the ...

won the award for Best Actress at the festival.

References

External links

* 1998 films Films directed by Kinji Fukasaku Films about geisha Films set in 1958 Films set in Kyoto Toei Company films Films with screenplays by Kaneto Shindo Films scored by Masamichi Amano 1990s Japanese films {{1990s-Japan-film-stub