Bath House

Taiburo Itachi, the magistrate's stoic young bodyguard comands the respect of the townspeople of Ueno. Welcoming travelers from the mountain pass, the little town has everything to make anyone feel at home as they make their way to the capitol. Lord Hidake supports local businesses and funds improvements to sustain his grateful citizens. Others see the value of this prosperous little town and threaten to over take its management. A grand bathhouse seated at the edge of town with natural hot springs holds a coveted reputation of having the warmest company a weary traveler could ask for. Once over run with unsavory characters, rumors of the capable young samurai in the magistrates employ have drastically reduced crime and boosted tourism. With Lord Hidake's health is waning and with him being childless, he will be forced to name his successor. Between his timid nephew and the leader of a rival clan, the senor official must make his decision soon. Not much is known about the young samurai acting as his bodyguard before he stumbled into town one day but his skills are clearly battle forged. Coping with the trauma of the war, Taiburo is haunted by his comrades he failed to save as he lives day by day unsure if he wants to remain in one place. Passing his days accompanying the older man, Taiburo finds himself inside the lavish bathhouse. Waiting patiently for his lord, the handsome young samurai is taken by a foreign looking attendant, named Yumero. The pair begin a quick-witted friendship that slowly blossoms into something more. Can these men release the painful memories of the past in order to build something new together?