The book has patriotic themes that would more commonly be associated with the Japanese right wing but has been popular with the mass market.
The story begins on August 15, 1945, the day Japan loses World War II.
Set in 1945–47, the protagonist, Tetsuzo Kunioka, is an owner of a company that sells oil.
It was narrated by Masahiko Ueyanagi, an announcer for Nippon Broadcasting System.
[1] In 2014, it was adapted into a ten-volume manga series by Souichi Sumoto that was serialized in Evening and published by Kodansha.