Nobusuke is a Japanese trade official working in the Pacific States of America. As a member of the occupying bureaucracy, he expects deference from the local American population. He holds a deep interest in American artifacts and frequently uses the I Ching to inform his choices. He is attempting to facilitate a trade meeting involving a Swedish client to acquire plastics technology for the Japanese government.

Robert owns American Artistic Handcrafts, Inc., a San Francisco store specializing in Americana. He makes his living selling historical objects to the wealthy Japanese officials who occupy the West Coast. He acts with excessive politeness toward the Japanese to win their business, though he secretly harbors resentful and racist views toward them.

Frank is a metalworker who recently lost his job at the Wyndam-Matson Corporation. He is secretly Jewish and changed his last name from Fink to avoid persecution by the authorities. He uses the I Ching to make decisions and frequently thinks about his ex-wife while planning a new jewelry business.

Juliana is Frank's ex-wife and a judo instructor living in Canon City, Colorado, located in the politically neutral Rocky Mountain States. She feels aimless and agrees to travel with a trucker she just met. She finds solace in reading an illicit alternate history novel called The Grasshopper Lies Heavy.

Baynes arrives in San Francisco presenting himself as an important Swedish trade official. He claims to work for a plastics manufacturer and schedules a meeting with Nobusuke Tagomi. He appears tense about his schedule and insists on waiting for a third party to arrive from Japan before discussing business.

Joe is a young Italian truck driver who claims to have served with the Italian army in North Africa. He carries a copy of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy and defends the fascist ideals of the Axis powers. He offers to fund a road trip to Denver with Juliana, flashing a large stack of bills.

Ed is Frank's former foreman at the Wyndam-Matson Corporation. He recognizes Frank's skill in metalwork and proposes they leave the factory to start a jewelry business together. He acts as the salesman for their new enterprise, visiting stores to pitch their original goods.

Paul is a wealthy Japanese professional living in San Francisco. He maintains a polite, observant demeanor and shows interest in American culture. He invites Childan to his home, eventually challenging the merchant's assumptions about art and authenticity.

Betty is Paul's wife and a patron of American Artistic Handcrafts, Inc. Her presence makes Childan highly anxious, as he finds her slender and attractive. She shares her husband's interest in decorating their home with pieces of American history.

He is the owner of the Wyndam-Matson Corporation, a factory that secretly manufactures forged pre-war American artifacts. He profits heavily from the Japanese demand for Americana by supplying fake goods to intermediaries. He argues that historical authenticity is a subjective illusion.

Hawthorne is the elusive author of an illegal book detailing an alternate world where the Allies won the war. Rumors suggest he lives in a heavily fortified estate in Wyoming called the High Castle to protect himself from Axis assassins.

Hugo is the German Consul stationed in San Francisco. He manages German interests in the Pacific States of America while attempting to maintain diplomatic relations with his Japanese counterparts. He secretly reads The Grasshopper Lies Heavy during his work hours.

Kreuz is the chief of the Nazi secret police (Sicherheitsdienst) operating in the region. He tracks individuals traveling under assumed identities and plans aggressive policing operations that often bypass formal diplomatic channels.

Ray works as a wholesale intermediary in the forged antiques trade. He purchases counterfeit artifacts from the Wyndam-Matson Corporation and distributes them to merchants like Childan. He reacts aggressively when his merchandise is exposed as fake.

Shinjiro is an elderly Japanese man traveling to San Francisco. Baynes insists the trade meeting with the Japanese bureaucracy cannot begin until his arrival, claiming the man has a deep personal interest in rhododendrons.

She is a secretary working in Nobusuke Tagomi's office in San Francisco. She handles daily administrative tasks and correspondence for the trade official.

He is an American who works for the Imperial Japanese forces, referred to derogatorily as a "pinoc" due to his collaboration. He advises his superiors on American antiquities and tries to assimilate into Japanese culture.

Alex is a dedicated Nazi artist traveling on the same rocket flight as Baynes. He harbors strong prejudices and reacts poorly when his travel companion makes dark jokes about hiding a Jewish identity.

Rita is a young woman who shares a meal with the factory owner. She questions his cynical views on authenticity and expresses interest in the alternate history novel The Grasshopper Lies Heavy.

Caroline is Hawthorne Abendsen's wife. She manages communications for her reclusive husband and acts as a buffer between him and unexpected visitors.

He is the secretary to Freiherr Hugo Reiss, the German Consul in San Francisco. He updates his boss on local rumors and daily administrative matters.

Major Ito is a Japanese military man who originally introduced Robert Childan to the world of American antiquities through a traditional children's card game, sparking Childan's lucrative career.