Masuji Ono is an artist from Japan who experienced the devastation of World War II. During his youth, he was involved in the "floating world" of entertainment and pleasure, but he also put his art in the service of the imperialist movement that led Japan to war. As an older man, he is struggling to come to terms with his actions, and his memories of the past provide moments of escape and redemption. Although he is condemned by society for his part in the war, Ono's journey reveals his humanity and shows how he is both a hero and a coward.

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