Since her beloved son was killed in World War II, Bertha Jacoby (Rosalind Russell) has nursed a grudge against the entire country of Japan. But when her son-in-law (Ray Danton) is offered a diplomatic position in Tokyo, he and her daughter (Madlyn Rhue) suggest she come and live with them. On the ship, the widowed Bertha tentatively makes friends with the courtly widower Koichi Asano (Alec Guinness). As the relationship blossoms, her daughter and son-in-law deal with their own prejudices.