Set against the backdrop of 1799 Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor, 'The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet' is a vivid exploration of a time where Japan was a nation closed off to the outside world. The story revolves around Jacob de Zoet, a diligent Dutch clerk who arrives on the foreign trade post of Dejima with the intention of amassing a fortune to marry his betrothed in Holland. However, Jacob's plans are derailed when he encounters Orito Aibagawa, a samurai's daughter and a midwife, who captivates him and draws him into a world where boundaries between morality, desire, and ambition become indistinct. A tale of forbidden love, cultural clashes, and the consequences of broken promises unfolds, illustrating how personal fates can be swept up by the great currents of history.