Less than 100km from Tokyo is a beautiful mountain town called Hakone. It is famous for its onsens (hot springs), Hakone Shrine and its red tori gate and the spectacular views across Lake Ashinoko of Mt Fuji.  In spring, the cherry blossoms fill the air with a soft gentle scent and in fall, the maples dazzle your eyes with the red, orange, brown leaves. In winter the stunning views of Fujisan provide a sense of tranquillity to the viewers. The Amazake Tea House on the Tokaido Road, is a place to take tea. Traditional ryokans (inns) line the quaint narrow streets. One such ryokan is run by the Yamaguchi family. This is their story.

The year was 1603 and Tokugawa Ieyasu had come to power. He created a government, moved the capital to Edo (Tokyo), and concentrated on developing the economy and culture. Social mobility was heavily restricted, and the formation of a four-tiered class system impacted on everyone.  Samurai warriors were at the top followed by farmers, artisans and then merchants. The Yamaguchi family became part of the merchant class. They were seen as having a very low status despite serving the samurai. As a part of the samurai class, a daimyo was given power to rule over a regional territory. Odawara controlled the Hakone region, and he pledged his allegiance to the shogun. After the battle of Sekigahara, the Tokugawa shogunate decidedto isolate Japan in order to create peace and stability, but did it?

Yamaguchi Keiko lived in Hakone with her grandfather Shuji and grandmother Momoko, as she had lost both parents in the battle of Sekigahara.  They ran the Yamaguchi Ryokan which had been in the family for many years. Travellers enjoyed the omotenashi (hospitality), the tatami floors, the comfortable futon bedding and the indoor/outdoor onsens. The family would offer kaiseki, which was multi-course breakfasts and dinners. Travellers would come and go, but it was the samurai who frequently stayed at the inn. They would stay at the inn to rest and use the onsens to soothe their weary bones. It also became a meeting place where information and secrets could be exchanged.

Yoritomo, Sakata, Yoshinaga and Hojo would stay at the Yamaguchi Ryokan frequently. There were times when they were at the inn together and times when only one enjoyed the Yamaguchi hospitality. They would always be greeted by Shuji and Momoko. Keiko would busy herself by making and serving tea, preparing the food for meals and making sure the onsens were ready for their guests. Despite her simple blue yukata that she wore, her dark black hair that was always swept up, her pale complexion, ruby lips and bright smile, enchanted the samurai. They always asked for her to be their carer when they stayed.

When Keiko took care of the samurai, she stayed silent unless spoken to. She would hear the interaction between the samurai and their friends and also between travellers. Keiko amassed a wealth of information without going outside the ryokan. She became the perfect person to find out information. Samurai Yoritomo became well aware of how valuable Keiko was and sort to use his power and position to make the most of the situation. He could see that Keiko’s grandparents were getting older and being young and unmarried, Keiko needed support. Yoritomo devised a plan that would be mutually beneficial.

Yoritomo propositioned Keiko and explained his plan. He asked Keiko to spy for him and in return he would provide security and money for the inn. Yoritomo also promised to bring travellers to stay at the inn so that the inn would make money. With the money, Keiko could hire helpers so the inn could run efficiently. Keiko looked at her grandparents and with great concern she reluctantly agreed to Yoritomo’s plan. Keiko became the eyes and ears for Yoritomo.

The shogun continued to install tight rules and regulations, and this made the people living in Hakone very unhappy. Odawara was disliked by the people as they thought of him as unfair and uncaring. He changed the tax rules so that he could get more money. It let the rich get richer and the poor became poorer. Samurai under Odawara witnessed the dissatisfaction and started to question his leadership abilities. The internal clan conflicts started to escalate. There was talk of taking over the position from Odawara, claiming more territory and going to battle. Sakata, Yoshinaga and Yoritomo could see what was happening and wanted to make a change. But who would work together and which one would take power?