Japanese family names precede given names.
Sugawara
Akitada ~ Clerk in the Ministry of Justice
Seimei
~ Family retainer of the Sugawaras and Akitada's secretary
Tora
~ A former highwayman, now Akitada's servant
Hirata
~ Professor of law
Tamako
~ His daughter
Oe
~ Professor of Chinese literature
Ono
~ Assistant to Oe
Takahashi
~ Professor of mathematics
Tanabe
~ Professor of Confucian studies
Nishioka
~ Assistant to Tanabe
Fujiwara
~ Professor of history
Sato
~ Professor of music
Sesshin
~ Buddhist monk; president of the university
Ishikawa
~ Graduate student
Lord
Minamoto ~ Student
Nagai
~ Student
Okura
~ A former student
Lord
Sakanoue ~ Lord Minamoto's guardian
Kobe
~ Captain of the Metropolitan Police
Omaki
~ A musician in the Willow Quarter
Mrs. Hishiya
~ Her stepmother
Auntie
~ The manageress of the Willow wine house
Madame
Sasaki ~ A talented performer
Kurata
~ A merchant and customer of the Willow
Hitomaro
~ An unemployed swordsman
Genba
~ A former wrestler
Lords
Yanagida, Abe, Ono and Shinoda ~ Prince Yoakira's friends
Kinsue
~ Prince Yoakira's servant
Umakai
~ A beggar