Tsuneko is the eldest of three daughters of Takezō and Kimiko Kohashi. When her father dies while she is only in her early teens, Tsuneko takes on the role of the father of the family, which earns her the nickname "Toto-neechan" (literally "Father older sister"). She cares for and protects her family during WWII and the early postwar era, graduating from school and eventually working as an editor at a publishing house. She eventually starts her own magazine offering advice to housewives and consumers about life and raising a family. With the help of the talented editor Isaji Hanayama, the magazine becomes a huge hit. Refusing to accept advertising, it becomes a model for a new form of consumer journalism.
The story is loosely based on the life of Shizuku Ōhashi, who founded the magazine Kurashi no techō, and the editor Yasuji Hanamori.[3]
