It was the end of spring. The sky over the imperial capital was faintly hazy, and in the twilight streets, the electric lights were beginning to flicker on, one after another. Along the main avenue of Ginza, young people in Western dress came and went, and imported goods lined the department store show windows. Crowds formed in front of the motion picture hall, and the faint sound of a phonograph could be heard in the distance. The times were changing. Old values and new ideas mingled together, and everyone seemed somehow restless. In the heart of the imperial capital stood a newly built hotel. Tonight, in that building modeled after Western architecture, a charity banquet was being held, inviting figures from the financial world, the peerage, and the cultural elite. Glittering chandeliers. Polished marble floors. The scent of perfume and cigars. Everyone wore smiles while appraising one another's titles and assets. Amid that bustle, a single man stood before the glass window.