After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the American occupying forces led by Gen. Douglas MacArthur must decide whether to execute Emperor Hirohito as a war criminal.

The American military occupational force under the command of General Douglas MacArthur (Tommy Lee Jones) search for war criminals in post-World War II Japan. Of particular interest is whether or not the Emperor Hirohito sanctioned the attack on Pearl Harbor. The investigation into the man believed to be a deity by his own people is given to General Bonner Fellers (Matthew Fox) who also conducts a personal inquest to discover if the Japanese student Aya Shimada (Eriko Hatsune) he fell in love with while in college has survived the carnage of war.