In the world of eighteenth-century Japan, during the famous Edo period, an orphaned ten-year-old Japanese girl named Noriko lives with her six adopted aunts in a geisha house, one that is a haven for homeless cats. As she grows up, she experiences the well-known arts and spiritual expression of that time period.

Offering a child's perspective, this guide presents an exploration of Japanese history and the culture of the Edo period. Learn about the rise of the samurai warriors and their leader, the shogun. The time period also witnessed the rise of Kabuki theater, Bunraku puppetry, ukiyo-e painting, the way of tea, and a unique form of poetry called haiku. These arts had a profound effect on Noriko, who practiced both the native religion of Shinto and Buddhism. Noriko become famous for her woodblock prints of cats and flowers and her haiku.

This narrative history invites young readers to get to know a new culture and gain knowledge of the wider world and its history.