Penniless Japanese immigrants in New York. Hiro arrives seeking his fortune as a singer-songwriter. He moves into a cramped flat on the Lower East Side with Akira, a high-school friend, and with Ken, a stick-wielding tough guy who dreams of running a dojo. Ken gets Hiro a job delivering fast food to pay the rent. Hiro's path crosses that of the lovely Akiko, and Ken rescues a young woman in a neighboring flat when a gang boss sends punks to beat her up. These currents cross during a long night when Hiro is to take Akiko to a musical and Akira overdoses on drugs. What to do with the body? Steve McQueen has the answer.