Takehiro and his beautiful wife Masago are attacked by a thief, Tajomaru. He rapes Masago in front of Takehiro, then kills him. He is arrested, sentenced and beheaded by the police. People tell themselves that Masago went to the lake and drowned herself. But Judge Morikawa, her brother, has his doubts and goes into the bamboo grove to find out the truth on the spot.