Sometimes following her dreams means breaking the rules.

NHK's famed Taiga drama series continues with the historical tale of Japanese heroine, Yae Niijima (1845-1932). Since Yae was from the Aizu Domain, which included the present-day Fukushima Prefecture, it is hoped that this tale of triumph over hardship will inspire the people of Fukushima during their earthquake and tsunami recovery effort, and keep the nation focused on supporting them.

"Rules are rules" is what Yae Yamamoto (later Niijima) often hears in childhood, and it echoes throughout her life. But some rules don't accommodate an independent-minded woman. Always a tomboy at heart, the young gunslinger, Yae, leads 500 other women in the fight to defend the Aizu Domain during the Boshin War. While their efforts are in vain, her drive for success is undiminished, and she goes on to lead an unusual life for a woman of her time.

Calling on an inner strength after the destruction of her beloved Aizu, she starts the next chapter of her life with study in Kyoto. While there, she realizes the importance of women's education, and she and her husband, the famous educator Jo Niijima, establish a Christian university.

Finally, Yae feels the call to serve once again during the first Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War where she works as a front-line nurse -- until then, an unheard-of role for Japanese women. As Yae dedicates her life to assisting others, she blossoms into a role model for modern women everywhere.