In the post-war Gion district of Kyoto, the geisha Miyoharu agrees to apprentice the sixteen-year-old Eiko, whose mother was a geisha who has just died. After a year of training, they must find a large sum of money before Eiko can debut. Miyoharu borrows the money from the tea-house owner, Okimi, who in turn obtains the money from the businessman Kusuda. Kusuda fancies Eiko himself and wants to give Miyoharu to Kanzaki in order to close a large business deal. However both geisha have minds of their own and, going against tradition, want to be able to say no to clients.
—Will Gilbert and Brian McInnis