Japan, a country loved by all and yearned to visit, a land captivating with its vibrant colors and breathtaking scenery, yet concealing a darker side perhaps unimaginable. In a remote Tokyo neighborhood, a woman discovers her fiancé's body, murdered with the pointed end of an umbrella. The killer then abandons the weapon and flees. Inspector Takeshi Nishida is puzzled. Why would a murderer leave behind the incriminating tool that could lead to their capture at the crime scene? Suspicion fills the inspector, who trusts no one. The umbrella is sent for fingerprinting, and he awaits the results. Several fingerprints arrive, belonging to different individuals, most with no connection to the victim. But the one fingerprint that truly baffles and frightens him is that of someone who couldn't possibly have been there, and certainly couldn't have committed the crime—the Emperor's. Nishida embarks on a journey through Tokyo, tracking down everyone who has carried that umbrella, to uncover the killer and to find out how the emperor's fingerprint ended up on it, taking us with him on an exciting and enjoyable journey through the streets of Japan and its people's strange customs.