James Bond is shattered by the murder of his wife at the hands of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and only the prospect of a particularly challenging mission can draw him out of his deep depression.

Determined to restore 007 to his former effectiveness, M sends Bond to Japan, where a criminal mastermind is using a poisonous garden inside a rocky island fortress to lure people to their deaths. Bond will have to infiltrate and destroy this mysterious "Castle of Death" in exchange for top secret Japanese intelligence.

When the mastermind behind the deadly plot proves to be an old and terrifying enemy, 007 will have to use all of his skills in a fight to the death.