In mid-19th-century Japan, geisha O-Shin (Nagiko Tono) works alongside tough-minded veteran Kikuno (Misa Shimizu). O-Shin falls in love with samurai Fusanosuke (Hidetaka Yoshioka) after hiding him from a man he injured in a fight. Though geisha are not supposed to become emotionally involved with their clients, O-Shin decides to defy tradition and marry Fusanosuke. When he abandons her, heartbroken O-Shin becomes involved with another samurai, Ryosuke (Masatoshi Nagase).