A quarrel inside Edo Castle ends with a retainer of the Mito house killing one of the shogunate's attendants.
The senior councilors immediately demand that the offender be surrendered for punishment. But Tokugawa Yorifusa, lord of Mito and a member of one of the Three Great Houses, refuses. Even a compromise allowing Mito to carry out the sentence itself is rejected.
What began as a minor incident now threatens to become a confrontation between the shogunate and Mito.
Senior councilor Abe Tadaaki searches desperately for a way to defend the authority of the government without driving Yorifusa into open resistance.
At home, his wife Asako tells him a story from the Japanese version of Aesop's fables: rather than accuse someone directly of a fault, it may be wiser to place a "mirror" before them and allow them to recognize it for themselves.
That simple idea gives Tadaaki another way forward.
"The Mirror" is a compact historical drama about political pride, diplomacy, self-knowledge, and the quiet intelligence that can prevent conflict.
Written by Shugoro Yamamoto. Narrated by Shichimi Shungorō. Produced and published by Marutake Shobo.
