Masako Nijo

Soemon, the master of Gidayū-style madcap performances, has gathered the entire tenement block again tonight and is tormenting everyone with his terrible Gidayū singing.

Katsuko, daughter of a prestigious inn owner, is urged into an arranged marriage with Keisuke, the nephew of a powerful businessman. She refuses, believing she already loves a man she once briefly met on a train. Unbeknownst to her, that man is Keisuke himself. A mix-up with photos leads to misunderstandings, but on the eve of his departure for America, the truth comes to light, and the two reunite just in time.

Set during Japan's Bakumatsu period, the film follows Fukuzawa Yukichi, a poor samurai's son who defies societal norms to study Dutch and English. Despite facing opposition from his family and nationalist factions, he founds Keio University, becoming a key figure in Japan's modernization amid political turmoil.