Towards the end of the Edo period, Danno Shozaburo receives an order from Nakane, the prime minister at the han. The order is to keep watch over Toda Akiya, who has been in confinement for killing a boy servant who had an affair with his concubine 7 years ago. Akiya is expected to commit hara-kiri within 3 years. In the meantime, Akiya works on an order from the previous daimyo to write the daimyo's family tree into a book. Soon, Danno Shozaburo becomes touched by Akiya, Toda Akiya 's wife Orie and his daughter Kaoru. Specifically, Danno Shozaburo is moved by Toda Akiya 's enthusiasm for making the daimyo's family tree book and Orie's love and trust for her husband and daughter. He finds it difficult to believe that Toda Akiya killed a boy servant. Danno Shozaburo decides to investigate the case which occurred 7 years ago. ~Based on the novel "Higurashi no Ki" by Hamuro Rin.