Claude Maki

Abandoned by the brotherhood of his yakuza clan, tough guy Yamamoto (Beat Takeshi) is forced to leave Tokyo. He goes to Los Angeles in search of Ken (Claude Maki), his younger half-brother. Alone and with a new identity, Yamamoto finds himself frustrated by foreign surroundings, especially since he doesn't speak the language.

In the mid-19th century, Okiku lives in a tenement row house in the sprawling city of Edo. There, she cares for her father, Genbei, a former samurai, whom she supports by teaching children in a temple school. Yasuke and his newly recruited partner, Chuji, regularly visit the tenement to collect the human manure from the outhouse the tenants share. Okiku takes a special interest in Chuji.