OOKU – The Palace –

It was the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867), the economy was in the midst of a downturn, andthe people of Japan were forced to live a life of frugality, thrift, and hard work. The disparitybetween the people of Japan and those of other countries is widening, and the people are anxiouslyawaiting the arrival of the Shogun who will improve the economy and make the country and itspeople wealthy. Under such circumstances, Rinko was forced to enter into a political marriage withthe 10th shogun, Ieharu Tokugawa, and traveled from Kyoto to the Ooku, the inner palace behindthe Honmaru of Edo Castle, where she found nearly 1,000 women serving the shogun. The fiercebattle to win the favor of a single Shogun was about to begin. Meanwhile, someone is plotting toplunge the inner chambers and the Edo shogunate into a whirlpool of confusion.