Taking place in Tokyo throughout August and September of 1923 (or Showa 12), the story explores the stark juxtapositions of the city - a mix of antiquity and modernity, poverty and affluence, and virtues and vices. In its boundaries, both horse-drawn carts and automobile engines can be heard, along with the sounds of guns and swords, as well as the presence of nobility and businessmen. A wealthy woman falls for a handsome young man named Taka, who, alongside his sibling, is associated with the Yakuza - the criminal underworld of Tokyo. As the love triangle develops, the lady's beautiful maid, Sara, also becomes entangled, leading to a growing conflict that will inevitably end in passion, dishonor, and tragedy. Meanwhile, as the storyline progresses and time passes, a looming disaster hangs over the city: the ominous date of September 1, 1923, at 11:58, when the Great Kanto Earthquake and resulting tsunami devastated Tokyo, causing the loss of nearly 100,000 individuals - one of the most terrible tragedies in human history.