Pumpkin was a girl that Sayuri met when she was younger as Chiyo. She gave her the nickname of Pumpkin because she had a round face and stuck out her tounge like a pumpkin(she already has her name in the movie before Chiyo's arrival). Pumpkin aspired to be a graceful, beautiful geisha like Hatsumomo and convinces her to do the same(which she refuses at first). They used to attend classes together, until Chiyo made the mistake of running away, forcibly banning her from being a geisha. When she was in her teen years, Hatsumomo had become her older sister and she was given her geisha name of Hatsumiyo. The Hatsu part came from both her older sister and the great Tomihatsu. Unfortunately, Hatsumiyo ended up being a failed geisha name and everyone else kept calling her Pumpkin, much to her sister's dismay. She was also banned from ever speaking to Chiyo again when Hatsumomo learned that Mameha has become her older sister.Mother was originally going to adopt Pumpkin because of her popularity around Gion, which would've secured Hatsumomo's position and give her the upper hand in throwing her rival out permanently. However, the betting war for Sayuri's mizuage ended up being a success with 11,000 yen in the book(movie: Y15,000) and she was adopted instead, infuriating both Pumpkin and Hatsumomo. After her older sister was thrown out for causing the fire in the okiya(viciously attacking her friend in the book), she was the next one to leave the okiya because Mother felt she was a terrible investment unlike her former friend.As a result to being kicked out, Pumpkin subsequently ended up being homeless and she was bitter towards Sayuri for years. In order for her to survive during and after World War II ended, she had to work as a prostitute after the factory she was working in Osaka, exploded. In the book after Mother reopened the Nitta Okiya, she begged them to take her in since she won't survive for long. Auntie was more than willing to let her back in, but Mother vehemently refused since she was a poor investment. When Pumpkin met her former friend again, Sayuri noticed that she lost a lot of her baby fat on her round face and it revealed a haunting, but almost a striking resemblance to Hatsumomo's beauty.In Okinawa, Sayuri asked for one last favor out of her because she was going to have sex with the American Colonel, Derricks(Prime Minister Sato in the book) and asked her to bring in Nobu to catch them having sex so he hate her forever. Unfortunately, Pumpkin brings in the Chairman instead and angers Sayuri, because she wanted his friend there. When she demanded an explaination from her, Pumpkin vehemently revealed to her former friend that a long time ago, she stole her rightful home and her position as Mother's daughter away from her. She mentions that she did a lot of favors for Sayuri in the past, including the times she risked Hatsumomo's anger in making herself look bad just to protect her from further humiliation and how she appreciated her: by stealing from her what was very important to her. Pumpkin told Sayuri that she knew that she was in love with the Chairman all this time and brought him to see them have sex as revenge. She wanted him hate her instead so she'd be forced to pursue Nobu forever. She left Sayuri alone to think about it, finally seeking revenge for all the miserable years she put her though. Show less «