A group of Japanese scientists goes to a small isolated village in the Thai mountains. A legend tells that the place is cursed, but also that a mysterious jewel would have been placed a long time ago in a sanctuary. After a long expedition, they finally discover a temple, located not far from a huge waterfall ... from which emerges a gigantic crocodile, the guardian of the treasure.

Genji, the son of the emperor, is the talk of the Kyoto nobility for his charm and good looks, yet he cannot stop himself from pursuing an unobtainable object of desire: his father's young and beautiful bride. Following the tragic consequences of his obsession, Genji wanders from one affair to another, always seeking some sort of completion to his life.