| 47 Rōnin | |
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Other Names |
Forty-Seven Rōnin, Shijūshichishi (Forty-Seven Warriors), Forty-Seven Samurai |
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Active |
Edo period |
Origin[]
The story of the 47 rōnin, also known as the Akō incident or the Akō vendetta, is one of Japan’s most enduring legends, a real historical event that has taken on the weight and shape of myth over time, and is one of the most famous tales about rōnin (masterless/lordless samurai). It begins in the early 18th century, during the Tokugawa shogunate, a period of rigid social order, where honor and duty shaped the lives of the samurai.
In 1701, Asano Naganori, the young daimyō (feudal lord) of the Akō domain, was ordered to perform ceremonial duties at Edo Castle. He was placed under the tutelage of Kira Yoshinaka, a powerful court official who was tasked with teaching the lords about court etiquette. Kira, known for his arrogance and greed, reportedly treated Asano with disdain—perhaps because Asano failed to offer him lavish gifts or bribes, a custom that many other lords followed to earn Kira’s favor.
Tensions simmered until one day in April, Asano lost his temper and attacked Kira inside the castle with his dagger. Though Kira survived with only minor wounds, Asano had violated the strict laws forbidding violence within Edo Castle. He was immediately arrested and ordered to commit seppuku—ritual suicide—on the same day. His lands were confiscated, and his samurai became rōnin.
Among these rōnin was Ōishi Kuranosuke Yoshio, Asano’s chief counselor, who quietly began to plan revenge. But the path to vengeance was not direct. Knowing they were being watched by the shogunate’s spies, the rōnin disbanded and scattered, adopting lowly professions to conceal their true intentions. Ōishi himself moved to Kyoto and deliberately tarnished his own reputation—frequenting brothels, appearing drunk in public—to throw off suspicion.
For nearly two years, the rōnin waited, prepared, and watched. Finally, on a snowy night in December 1702, 47 of them gathered and marched to Kira’s mansion in Edo. They attacked with precision and discipline, fighting their way through Kira’s guards and finally capturing the old man. They offered him the chance to die with honor by committing seppuku, but he refused. So they beheaded him, placed the head in a bucket, and carried it across the city to Sengaku-ji, the temple where Asano was buried. There, they washed the head, laid it at their master’s grave, and turned themselves in.
The public was captivated. Many hailed the rōnin as heroes, men of ultimate loyalty and honor. But the law was clear: they had killed a man in defiance of the shogunate’s authority. After weeks of deliberation, the shōgun issued a decision that tried to balance justice with mercy. The 46 surviving rōnin (one had been sent away on a mission before the attack and was later pardoned by the shōgun) were ordered to commit seppuku, which they did with the same stoic dignity they had shown in life.
They were buried alongside Asano at Sengaku-ji Temple, where their graves can still be seen today. The story has been told and retold for over three centuries, through kabuki plays, novels, films, and especially in countless adaptations under the title Chūshingura ("The Treasury of Loyal Retainers"). To many Japanese, the 47 rōnin embody the ideals of bushidō—loyalty, sacrifice, and honor unto death.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of the 47 rōnin from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances include:
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Hagakure Kikigaki
- Illustrations of Japan (1822)
- Tales of Old Japan (1871)
- The 47 Ronins (Akō roshi) (1928)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Chūshingura (1907–1917)
- Chūkon giretsu: Jitsuroku Chūshingura (1928)
Public Domain Theatrical Appearances[]
- Kanadehon Chūshingura (1748)