Keiko
Keiko is an older daughter of the protagonist. Unlike her younger sister, Keiko is pure Japanese in heritage; Keiko and her younger sister are no close at all. Later on, Keiko commits suicide.
Niki
Niki is a younger daughter of the protagonist. The protagonist describes her as an “affectionate child”, and indeed she is. Niki tries to do her best to reassure her mother that she is “not responsible for Keiko’s death”.
Etsuko Sheringham
Etsuko Sheringham is the protagonist of the story. Her second husband is an Englishman, so she agrees to move to a different country, believing that England is a better place for her little girls to grow. A reader meets her for the first time when she is a middle-aged woman with only one daughter left.
Sachiko
Sachiko is a friend of the protagonist and an antagonist of the story. She is an awful mother, who often neglects interests of her daughter and may even be cruel. In spite of the fact that Sachiko loves her daughter, decisions she makes don’t improve nor her kid’s life, neither her emotional state.
Mariko
Mariko is Sachiko’s daughter. There is a striking resemblance between Mariko’s and Keiko’s fates. Their mothers want and eventually take – at least one of them - their children from Japan.
Mrs.Fujiwara
Mrs. Fujiwara is an owner of a noodle shop and a close friend of Etsuko’s mother.
Ogata-San
Ogata-San is a father of Etsuko’s first husband (Jiro).
Frank
Frank is an American soldier who is involved in amorous affairs with Sachiko. He promises her to take her to America but buys alcohol with all the money Sachiko saves and gives him.
Mrs. Waters
Mrs Waters is the piano teacher of Keiko and Niki. Etsuko describes her as "a very limited pianist" but Mrs Waters was extremely kind and affectionate so Etsuko "never had the hear to replace her."
Shigeo Matsuda
Shigeo Matsuda is a former student of Ogata-San. Later on he writes an article which criticizes the education in Japan which upsets Ogata-San greatly.
David
David is Niki’s boyfriend. He and Niki live in London.
Yasuko Kawada
Yasuko Kawada is a cousin of Sachiko.
Jiro
Jiro is the protagonist's first husband. He is not very affectionate because he is a busy man and is always exhausted after work. He loves reading newspapers.
