The tale of Yaji and Kita is one of misadventures and mishaps as they journey from Fuchu to the sacred shrine at Ise. These two companions, after squandering inherited wealth in the bustling city of Edo, find themselves embroiled in a series of comedic escapades. Their journey takes them through various towns where they encounter peculiar customs and colorful characters.

The Beginnings in Fuchu

Yajirobei, having come into a modest inheritance in his hometown of Fuchu, decides to head to Edo with his friend Kita, intent on enjoying life's pleasures. Unfortunately, their time in Edo is marked by extravagant spending and lavish indulgences, leaving them eventually destitute. This frivolous lifestyle soon leads to dire circumstances, with Yaji entering matrimony, only to lose his wife to illness, thus burdening him with debts he cannot settle, especially to the relentless rice merchant. Meanwhile, Kita, after a failed apprenticeship marred by financial misconduct, finds himself jobless and disgraced. Faced with these overwhelming challenges, the pair resolve to leave their troubles behind and embark on a pilgrimage to Ise.

Adventures Along the Way

Their journey is rife with unexpected encounters and blunders. In Odawara, they sample the local delicacy, uiro, and later face the trials of a unique bathing experience known as goemonburo. Unfamiliar with the metal bath heated by an open flame, they unwisely remove the protective wooden slats, opting instead to wear clogs, which leads to Kita accidentally damaging the bath. Such missteps are a recurring theme in their travels.

Deceptions and Trickery

Yaji, seeking female companionship at an inn, foolishly believes he has arranged for the maid to join him, only to be thwarted by Kita's mischievous interference. Kita convinces the maid of Yaji's supposed ailments, leaving Yaji humiliated and out of pocket. Another incident at a river crossing adds to their comedic misfortune, as Yaji deceives a blind traveler into ferrying him across, only for Kita to later find himself unceremoniously dumped into the water. That night, their paths cross again with the same blind travelers, resulting in Kita's charade being unraveled as he consumes their sake.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

As they approach Akasaka, Yaji grows wary and sends Kita ahead in search of lodgings. Yaji, stopping for a brief respite, hears tales of a shape-shifting fox and becomes paranoid. When he stumbles upon Kita smoking by the roadside, he suspects a cunning deception and attacks what he believes to be the fox in disguise. Only when a village dog pays no attention to Kita does Yaji realize his blunder.

Encounters in Iga Ueno

In Iga Ueno, their propensity for deceitful tales emerges again, as Yaji masquerades as the famed Jippensha Ikku, claiming to author the very story of their travels. This guise, however, quickly unravels, especially when faced with the challenge of eating konnyaku, an unfamiliar dish meant to be cooked over hot stones. Mistaking the stones for part of the meal, Yaji and Kita's ignorance is laid bare for all to see.

Unwelcome Meetings and Misunderstandings

Upon reaching Ise, the pair's past catches up with them in the form of Tarobei, the persistent rice dealer from Edo. Yet, they press on towards Kyoto and Osaka, where their journey continues to be punctuated by farcical blunders. On a boat along the Yodo River, Yaji's attempt at impersonating a renowned Edo actor falls flat, as even the locals recognize his lack of expertise. Their greatest folly occurs when they mistake a man's deceased wife's ashes for a culinary offering, much to their horror.

Their journey culminates in Osaka, where countless misadventures have left them wiser, if no less foolish. Yaji and Kita's odyssey is a humorous chronicle of folly and human error, revealing the amusing side of life's unpredictability.