In Rising Sun, the ancient and forgotten Kami return from the underworld, displeased with the current Shōgun. At the start of the Great New Year, they gather their sacred clans with a clear mission: reclaim the lands of Nippon and restore their honorable, spiritual traditions. Each clan, however, is bound by its own proud traditions to a unique vision for this great return and must wage a powerful diplomatic war across eight provinces. Alliances must be forged and broken, betrayal is inevitable, and honor rises and falls. Political mandates must be navigated, and devastating wars must be fought, won by expert skill and cunning negotiation. Only one clan will stand victorious at the coming of winter. You, as an honorable Shōgun, lead one of these great clans. Do you possess the strength of honor, virtue, and spirit, as well as the mastery of steel necessary to deliver on this ancient promise?

Rising Sun is a board game for 3 to 5 players set in legendary feudal Japan. Each player chooses a Clan and competes to lead theirs to victory by accumulating Victory Points over the course of the Seasons. Each Clan possesses a unique ability and differs in Seasonal Income, Starting Honor Rank, and Home Province. Over the course of the game, players will forge and break alliances, choose political actions, worship the gods, customize their clans, and position their figures around Japan. Honor is a palpable element in Rising Sun: having high Honor gives several advantages, while having low Honor may grant the allegiance of the darker elements of the world. Above all, Honor settles all disputes: whenever there is a tie, the tied player with the highest Honor wins. Players are encouraged to use diplomacy, negotiation, and even bribery to further their cause, but no deals are truly binding. Victory Points can be gained in several ways, from winning battles, to harvesting the right provinces, to playing to the Virtues accumulated by your Clan. The game is played over the course of 4 rounds or Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn), with Winter marking the end and final scoring. Each Season is divided into phases: Seasonal Setup, Tea Ceremony (for alliances), Political Phase (selecting mandates and positioning forces), War Phase, and Seasonal Cleanup. When Winter comes, peace falls over the land, and a new Emperor will rise under the power of the great Kami.