Hana Chirinu (aka Fallen Blossoms aka 花ちりぬ) (1938) (English Subtitles)

Notes from the subtitle translator (Czechnewwave):

Historical setting:
The Emperor Chomei in Kyoto is 'guarded' by troops loyal to the Tokugawa Shogun's government in Edo (Tokyo).
These troops include the Kyoto 'police' called the Shinsengumi and forces from the Aizu-clan. The Shogun's government have signed bitterly contested treaties allowing foreign ships access to Japan and these treaties are resisted by many clans, particularly Satsuma, Choshu and Tosa in western Japan who claim they are acting out of loyalty to the emperor and responding to his call to drive out the foreign barbarians. Both sides have troops in Kyoto and you can guess what happens! The specific incident happening outside the walls of the teahouse during
this film is called Kinmon no hen in Japanese = the Kinmon revolt.
There is reference throughout the film to this rearing threat of civil-war and the names, ideology and slogans of the groups.
The setting is a teahouse in the Kuruwa (the entertainment district) - the names of various teahouses (Yoshihana etc.) are frequently used.

Kabuki play:
There are a few references to and quotes from a Kabuki play about a celebrated bandit folk hero called Ishikawa Gozaemon who met a nasty end in Kyoto. His particular fate and its framing in that play adds a sad, ironic piquancy to the joking quotes made by the trainee geisha and to the whole outcome of the film. The Wikipedia page on him will give you enough detail to see why. Many if not most members of the audience, especially in Kyoto, would have known his tale and the resonance of his famous lines. It casts a shadow over the film from its first, early appearance.

Other notes:
There is a fascinating use of more recent events in the letter that Akira reads and the poem she twice speaks a line from as it were in that letter. The name of the poet Yanagiwara Byakuren has rich associations - of living through terrible situations and finally eloping, abandoning family and breaking the patriarchal social order, for the sake of a passionate love affair. The scandal would have been well known to many if not most of the audience in a great deal of lurid, tabloid media in frenzy, detail. The poem quoted by Akira is:

思ひきや月も流転のかげぞかしわがこし方に何をなげかむ
Omoiki ya tsuki mo ruten no kage zo ka waga koshikata ni nani wo nagekamu

It conveys something like: 'looking back on my life as I look at the beautiful moon and seeing that even it (the
moon) has a shadow, why should I regret my life even with all its vicissitudes?'. = Things may have been up and
down but I don't regret my life and I will go forward with it.

Akira twice uses the second half (beginning 'waga koshikata...') which is appropriate as it means: "I won't regret my life..". The poem was certainly well enough known for the cinema audience to be able to supply the unspoken run-up line about vicissitudes and shadows and know exactly what is implied.