A Yakuza hetman is soon in custody accused of gunning down two gangsters. It is the job of Mike Conklin (Michael Douglas) and his partner Charlie Vincent (Andy Garcia) to escort him to Japan to face trial. The two New York detectives unknowingly hand over custody of their prisoner to the Yakuza who are posing as Japanese cops. Having followed a few ‘red herrings’ the duo are not having much luck with their hunt for the killer Sato (Yusaku Matsuda) so decide to enlist the help of Japanese cop Mas (Ken Takakura). Vincent and Conklin are left feeling frustrated at the slow, methodical approach and try to get the job done in their own way. When Vincent is found dead, Mas and Conklin are forced to work more closely and start to create a formidable partnership.