Something that bugs me


This has bugged me for years but I never bothered to ask, and I don't remember how this was done in the book. The baron was the highest bidder for Sayuri's mizuage. Obviously, in order to get credit for having the highest sold mizuage, the price, would have to have been made public wouldn't it? Wouldn't the Baron know he should've gotten her?

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Seems like a huge plothole.

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Not really. IIRC, don't the bids come in by phone to Mameha?
She didn't have to disclose the price to anyone but Sayuri--but it's been a while since I watched the film.

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Exactly. It's like a silent auction. People make their bids and then the highest wins but it doesn't have to be public. It isn't like they are all bidding in the same room together. All bids as submitted and Mameha says who is the highest. Everyone would take her word for it because it's usually in the best interest to take the legit highest bid, so it's not like the Baron would run to Crab and ask how much he paid and compare notes.

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Consider the daffodil. And while you're doing that I'll be over here looking through your stuff.

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He would have never asked Crab anyway because of his contempt for the man.

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But everyone seemed to know Hatsumomo's price, as she became ""the talk of the hanumatchi" after she was sold.

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