 But the historically false conceit that certain Taira clan generals survived and remain in hiding is central to the plot, and the "kitsune" (fox-spirit) character Genkurō is of course also invented.In addition, though "jidaimono" almost always take place in the distant past, they often were intended to make reference to contemporary events.For much of the Edo period, the depiction of contemporary events, in particular, depictions of the "shōguns" and criticism of the Tokugawa shogunate, were strictly banned.