This is about a family of aristocrats. It takes place shortly after WWII. The father in the family has died 10 years earlier, so we see the downfall of the family in the years after Naoji comes back from the war. He‘s a heroin addict that has cost the family their fortune. The mother and sister sell their things and home in Tokyo and move to the country. Unfortunate events occur, and there is no silver lining. A depressing account all around.