This jovial comedy retells the story, based on historical incidents, of women gathered at designated brothels around Tokyo to service the American occupation forces "in order to protect ladies from decent families from the hands of the Americans." The film chronicles the operations of such a facility through the postwar changes. The young proprietor who unwillingly takes up his father's business eventually becomes a tough boss, negotiating with the women who want to unionize, the resilient ones who know how to make money more quickly, and a college student conducting field research for her graduation thesis on prostitution. Yoichi Maeda, a superb comedy maker, vividly portrays these unforgettable characters with a touch of pathos in this, his first film as director.-KH