1 | Niki | | Etsuko's daughter. |
| Keiko | | Niki's sister. Deceased. |
| Sachiko | | Etsuko's friend. |
| Etsuko | | Narrator and Protagonist. |
| Mariko | | Sachiko's daughter. |
2 | Mrs. | Fujiwara | A noodle shop owner. Sachiko's boss. |
| Kazuo | Fujiwara | Mrs. Fujiwara's son. |
| Ogata | | Etsuko's father-in-law. A former principal. |
| Jiro | | Etsuko's husband. Aka: Jim. |
| Shigeo | Matsuda | Jiro's friend who became a communist. A journalist. |
| Dr. | Endo | Ogata's friend. |
| Gary | Cooper | An actor. |
3 | Frank | | Sachiko's lover. |
| Mrs. | Waters | Keiko and Niki's piano teacher. |
4 | Mac | Arthur | A U.S. General. |
| Hanada | | Jiro's friend and colleague. |
| Yoshida | | A Japanese politician. |
5 | Michiko | | Kazuo's lover. |
| Isiad | | Kazuo's friend. |
| Nakamura | | Mrs. Fujiwara's fling. |
| Atsu | | Mariko's cat. |
| Mee-Chan | | Mariko's cat. |
| Suji-Chan | | Mariko's lost kitten. |
6 | Cathy | Morrison | Niki's childhood friend. |
| Marilyn | Morrison | Niki's childhood friend. |
| Dr. | Ferguson | Niki's doctor. |
7 | Mrs. | Eujiwara | Etsuko's friend who lost her family in the war. |
| Akira | | The son of the woman that Etsuko and Sachiko met. |
8 | Kikuko | | Jiro's sister. |
9 | Suichi | | Mrs. Fujiwara's son. |
| Miss | Suzuki | Suichi's former teacher. |