| 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. |
