A long time ago, diplomatic relations between Japan and China were revived at the Japanese imperial court after a series of disputes. To celebrate this alliance, the Chinese emperor gifted his Japanese counterpart a sacred animal, a giant panda, as a symbol of peace. The Japanese emperor assigned his courtiers the challenging task of caring for the animal by cultivating its bamboo garden. They must cultivate the land, irrigate it, and, with the help of the imperial gardener, grow one of three species of bamboo. Players must contend with the insatiable hunger of the sacred animal, which is always in search of the tenderest and juiciest bamboo shoots. The player who grows the most bamboo, manages their plots effectively, and feeds the panda wins the game.