In a small town, the locals are struggling with burdensome land taxes and compulsory labor. Among them, Juzaburo Kokutaya (played by Sadao Abe) and eight others are concerned about the town’s future. To address this, they devise a strategy to rescue their community. Their plan involves lending substantial sums to the han (a historical term for a warrior’s estate) and annually sharing the interest with the townspeople. However, if their scheme is discovered, it could cost them their lives.