In a Japan run by a government losing its grip on the power it has held for over 250 years, is there still a place for loyalty to a clan, or are the lives of individuals more important? This is the question that is explored in The Inn of Fallen Leaves, a question that still resonates today in many countries throughout the world. Chobei is a disillusioned samurai who, after being forced by his clan to perform atrocities, works as a yojimbo and handyman for a second-tier inn along the Nakasendo Highway. Akiyama is a samurai who wants to maintain the honor of remaining loyal to a clan that no longer wants him. A beautiful woman, Miyo, is attached to one man, but coveted by the other. When Japan is thrown into chaos after the assassination of its Regent, Cho's world transforms into a state of confusion and loss, resulting in a battle of wits and egos between the two men, with Miyo caught in the middle. Cho must pursue Akiyama in order to expose the actions of the samurai and his clan, and to find the woman he loves, but has lost.