战国时代,琵琶湖附近的一个小山村里住着源十郎(森雅之饰)和妻子宫木(田中绢代饰),还有妹夫藤兵卫(小泽荣饰)、妹妹阿滨(水户光子)。他们以开小瓷窑、烧制瓷器为生,战乱中,源十郎想趁着战乱发一笔横财,而藤兵卫则想着成为一名武士,出人头地。 二人带着烧制好的上好瓷器离开家乡去市镇变卖,果然赚到一大笔钱,源十郎甚至碰上了一位美若天仙的贵族小姐若狭(京町子饰),雨云之欢,乐不思蜀。一天晚归的源十郎被一僧人告知是否遇见什么不干净的东西……。而藤兵卫也如愿以偿地成为了武士,撞大运碰上美事,好不威风,但他居然在寻欢之时遇见了妻子……,骇人的事实摆在了他们的面前。In the beginning of the springtime in the period of the Japanese Civil Wars of the Sixteenth Century in Lake Biwa in the Province of Omi, the family man farmer and craftsman Genjurô travels to Nagahama to sell his wares and makes a small fortune. His neighbor Tobei that is a fool man dreams on becoming a samurai, but he can not afford to buy the necessary outfit. The greedy Genjurô and Tobei work together manufacturing clay potteries, expecting to sell the pieces and enrich; however, their wives Miyage and Ohama are worried about the army of the cruel Shibata that is coming to their village and they warn their ambitious husbands. Their village is looted but the families flee and survive; Genjurô and Tobei decide to travel by boat with their wives and baby to sell the wares in a bigger town. When they meet another boat that was attacked by pirates, Genjurô decides to leave his wife and son on the bank of the river, promising to return in ten days. Genjurô, Tobei and Ohama raise a large amount but Tobei leaves his wife to buy the samurai outfit and seek fame and fortune. Meanwhile the female aristocratic Lady Wakasa and her servant ask Genjurô to bring her shopping to her fancy Kutsuki House. Sooner Genjurô and Tobei discover the price they have to pay for their ambition.