this film be about age geisha in post war tokyo . okin and play by the incredible haruko sugimara and lend money to two other ex geisha and tamae ( chikako hosokawa ) and otomi ( yuko mochizuki ) and they resent the way she be somewhat smug about it . tamae have a son and otomi a daughter and who during the film announce theyre leave them while okin and never a mother and get visit from two men in her past who and it turn out and just want money from her . it a compelling tale of what choice you make and what you do to get through life and who youre responsible and beholden to . haruko sugimara have always be in my eye one of the great character actress ever from any country and she play the mostly unyielding and less than compassionate okin with an air of superiority that make you not like her and but at the same time almost envy her . at a time when great film be make by ozu and mizoguchi and kinoshita and kurosawa and amongst others and mr. naruse be right up there with him . if you have a region free dvd player and you should attempt to find the two naruse box set release in england . i think this film be a great character study of woman who be in danger of be irrelevant . that they be really not make this film a veritable masterpiece .