Rentaro Mikuni won five Best Actor awards for his role as Rikyu, an old Buddhist priest who teaches the art of the Japanese tea ceremony to a Shogun in the 16th century. Rikyu finds the ceremony both spiritual and centering, while Lord Toyotomi enjoys its prestige and power. But the men's differences become a problem when Toyotomi unifies Japan, becomes its ruler and desires to conquer Korea and China -- an idea Rikyu vehemently opposes.