大正元年的某个冬夜,落魄的太田胜造(緒形拳 饰)和艺妓丰竹吕鹤(池上季実子 饰)私奔,结果遭到艺妓馆黑帮的追杀。吕鹤弥留之际,将尚在襁褓中的女儿托付给胜造。二十年后,胜造成为一名艺妓的中介人,他的女儿房子(池上季実子 饰)亭亭玉立,相貌出众。胜造将房子送入阳晖楼,拜托老板娘——同时也是吕鹤当年的情敌——阿袖(倍賞美津子 饰)担当房子的师傅。经过一番艰苦训练,更名为桃若的房子最终成为阳晖楼的一道招牌。 另一方面,盘桓与大阪的黑帮稻宗一家图谋入侵胜造所在的高知。恩情、亲情、爱情,与江湖恩仇搅和在一起,上演了一出出言语无法道尽的人间悲喜剧…… 本片根据宫尾登美子同名小说改编。1933. 20 years before, Katsuzo was in love with a geisha who gave him a daughter. They tried to run away together but they were caught and the woman was killed under his eyes. Now he is a zegen aka a pimp who sells girls to the Yokiro, the biggest geisha house in Southern Japan, run by Osode who used to be his mistress. His daughter who was raised by the Geisha House is now a Great Geisha under the name Momowaka. And his girlfriend, Tamako, wants to become a geisha. Momowaka falls in love, one of Osaka's yakuza clans wants to take control of the Yokiro.