Kasei Yakyoku  

Nightsong of Splendor, 華星夜曲, Starlight Nocturne, Gasei Yakyoku

The narrative unfolds in old Tokyo during August-September 1923, a period marked by stark contrasts between tradition and modernity, wealth and poverty, virtue and vice. In this cityscape, horse-drawn carriages coexist with motorcars, samurai swords clash with pistols, lords rub shoulders with businessmen. A wealthy woman from an upper-class family becomes smitten with Taka, a handsome young man who, along with his younger brother, may or may not have unwittingly allied themselves with Tokyo's criminal underworld (Yakuza). Sara, the lady's loyal maidservant, also encounters him, leading to an intense conflict that ultimately culminates in tragedy, passion, and shame. As time progresses and days pass, the story builds towards a chilling climax - September 1, 1923, at precisely 11:58 AM, when Tokyo was struck by the Great Kanto Earthquake and tsunami, one of history's deadliest natural disasters, claiming nearly 100,000 lives.