«Growing Up» in Japanese with a Parallel Translation

The story follows the lives of teenagers growing up in the poor neighbourhood of Yoshiwara, which was known as the red-light district of Tokyo during the Meiji era. The central characters are Midori, a young girl from a geisha family, and Nobu, the son of a Buddhist priest. Although they become friends, their future fates are predetermined: Midori is preparing to become a geisha, while Nobu must follow in his father's path.