The days leading up to a toddler's second birthday are seen alternately from the child's point of view as well as that of his parents.
A young girl is rigorously trained in the feminine arts so that she can become a geisha. As she struggles through life, she learns to live not just as a woman but as a complete person.
At sixteen, due to illness, Tsuruko goes blind, and has no choice but to become a massage therapist. One day, stumbling on a staircase, she meets a businessman and falls in love with him.
