In an isolated mountain hotspring, the wealthy sophisticate Shimamura meets the geisha Komako, who gives herself to him without regrets. Nonetheless, Komako finds herself falling for Shimamura, violating the geisha code of avoiding romantic entanglements. Their affair is built upon illusions, but neither can anticipate the outcome. First published serially in the late 1930s, this novel by Nobel Laureate Yasunari Kawabata evokes Japan at a pivotal moment when it was about to leave its past behind.

"Kawabata's novels are among the most affecting and original works of our time."—NYTBR