Kikuji
Kikuji is the protagonist of the novel. Being much like his father, he has a quite indefinite nature. He is attracted to Yukiko, then to Mrs. Ota. After Mrs. Ota’s death, he falls in love with Fumiko. He seems to be attracted to Fumiko as a way of remembering her mother. But later he forgets about Mrs. Ota and he can think of no one with whom to compare Fumiko. But in the end of the novel he remains alone.
Chikako
Chikako is a teacher of the Tea Ceremony. She is also the former mistress of Kikuji’s father. She has a sexless appearance and a disfiguring birthmark on her left breast. Being mean and jealous of Mrs. Ota, she wants to arrange a marriage between Kikuji and Yukiko. Finally, she fails to do this. But seeing Kikuji’s hesitation between Fumiko and Yukiko, she lies to him by telling that these girls are married.
Mrs. Ota
Mrs. Ota was the mistress of Kikuji’s father in the last years of his life. She is an affectionate and gentle woman with a quite attractive appearance. Mrs. Ota meets Kikuji at the Tea Ceremony. As Kikuji is the spitting image of his father, Mrs. Ota loses her head and allows him to be his father in the nighttime of their lovemaking. But later she feels a sense of guilt and commits suicide.
Fumiko
Fumiko is Mrs. Ota’s daughter. She is a vulnerable girl with very sad eyes. Fumiko is attracted to Kikuji, though she feels bad for it. She disappears at the end of the novel. Probably she committed suicide.
Yukiko
Yukiko is the young woman with a kerchief with a thousand-crane pattern that Kikuji met when he was going to the temple. Being beautiful and graceful, she represents the good in the Tea Ceremony. Chikako wanted her to be Kikuji’s bride, but this idea had failed. Nevertheless, Kikuji was fascinated by her appearance and her performing of the Tea Ceremony. (“The hair seemed luminous. The light was really too bright for a tea cottage, but it made the girl’s youth glow. The tea napkin, as became a young girl, was red, and it impressed one less with its softness than with its freshness, as if the girl’s hands were bringing a red flower into bloom.”)
