Overview
Isshin Tasuke, a friend of Ōkubo Hikozōemon, the esteemed public arbitrator of the realm, saved the maid Onatsu from punishment after she accidentally broke a plate gifted by Lord Ieyasu. Tired of the strict samurai service, Tasuke moved to the Genbei tenements and opened a fish shop. This tenement housed various characters, including the landlord's daughter Osen who had a crush on Tasuke, the midwife Okan, the blind masseur Oyone and her husband, the carpenter-loving couple Yoshigorō and Ohama, the rōnin Takeuchi Yogoemon, and the siblings Ochika and Shin'nosuke who cared for their sick mother.
| Actor | Age then | Age now | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 44 | May 19, 1998 (86) | |
 | 47 | October 26, 1981 (73) | |
 | 23 | September 3, 1987 (55) | |
 | 25 | 95 | |
| 29 | 98 | |
 | 25 | 95 | |
 | 58 | July 25, 1974 (77) | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
 | 22 | 92 |