Toshio Oki
Toshio Oki is one of the main characters in the book. He is an old man in his fifties and traditionally Japanese by nature. After he got married at an age of thirty, and had an affair early in his marriage. Not only did he cheat on his newly wed wife but the girl he had an affair with was also 15 at the time. After the affair ends and he leaves the girl Otoko Ueno, he goes on to write about the experience which becomes his best work, and spurs him into fame.
Otoko Ueno
Otoko Ueno is the 15-year-old girl that was Toshio Oki’s mistress. Twenty-four years later she is now a traditional Japanese artist living in Kyoto with her prodigy. Even though She has in this future moved on from the traumatizing experience of being abandoned after the affair. It still lingers on her mind daily. The affair led her to a mental breakdown and also resulted in her having a stillborn baby, which explains why she mentally has not gotten any closure from these events.
Keiko Sakami
Keiko Sakami is a 20-year-old virgin phonetic disciple. She lives together with her brother, though her parents don’t live with them. She has lightly colored skin and small breasts. Her beauty is described as “scary” though she carries a pleasant and happy expression.
