A collection of historic short stories, each associated with a karuta card. The stories revolve around the red-light district of Yoshiwara, in Edo.
1) Kimori
Okuma is a good-natured, sweet girl, but she is unable to find a husband due to her weight. One day, a samurai defends her from being publicly mocked. Is this samurai her chance to find happiness?
2) Kanrobai
After her father ritually commits suicide, Asagi finds herself in much reduced circumstances. Some of the girls who work with Asagi bully her, and the high-class airs she puts on don't help the situation. All she wants is a way to get back to the lifestyle to which she was accustomed, but all she has is mistreatment and the company of a strange man trapped under a barrel...
3) Maigoishi
Tama is a lost child, and she's taken in temporarily by a family who already has a son, Shirou. Tama can't wait to find her beloved father again. However, finding the place where she belongs may not be so simple for little Tama.
4) Akaishinyo
Seiichi is the only one left to protect his princess, Miya. He wants what's best for her, regardless of their feelings for one another. But can he really tell what that might be?
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