I would like to cover historical events here at Japanese Tales, I have chosen as my first article (Historical Events) probably one of the most famous samurai tale – The Forty-Seven Ronin.
It’s a tale that was popular and the belief in Bushido was still strong at the time and still resonates through time to modern Japan.
Introduction
I think before we get into the story, Bushido – (Way of the warrior) might sound a strange concept to a western audience. Among the demands of Bushido were loyalty to one’s master and fearlessness in the face of death. In the story, the 47 Ronin are compelled to follow the code to regain honor for their family (clan) and themselves as samurai. A Ronin is a masterless samurai this is a great disgrace to not serve your Lord. Seppuku (ritual suicide) was part of this code and thought of as an honorable death.
At the time of this incident in 1701, it was a time when the samurai class was struggling to make sense of itself, warriors with no wars, a social class without a function.
Background
In 1701, the Emperor Higashiyama sent imperial envoys from his seat in Kyoto to the Shoguns (Military leader) court at Edo (Tokyo).
A high shogunate official, Kira Yoshinaka, served as masters of ceremonies for the visit. Two Daimyos (Feudal Lord), Asano Naganori of Ako and Kamei Korechika of Tsuwano, were to be given instructions in the necessary court etiquette.
From the start, Kira verbally abused and made fun of the two Daimyos. Initially, Asano took this stoically, it was Kamei who became enraged and wanted to kill Kira for the insults. It was Asano who defused the situation and calmed Kamei.
Kamei’s retainers seeing the possible danger paid Kira a large sum of money, Kira started to treat Kamei better. Unfortunately, the insults and abuse of Asano increased may be due to Asano failing to follow in his fellow Daimyos steps.
The pressure continued to grow until Asano finally snapped when Kira called him a “country bumpkin without manners”, Asano drew his sword and attacked Kira, he suffered a slight wound to his head. However, an attack on a shogunate official on the grounds of Edo Castle was forbidden.
Asano was ordered to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) after his death his lands and goods were seized, his family disgraced and his retainers were made Ronin (leaderless).
The news reached Oishi Yoshio, Asano’s principal counselor, who took charge and moved the Asano family to safety, before surrendering the castle to the government. Asano had over three hundred men and of these forty-seven of them including their leader Oishi swore vengeance against Kira, even though vengeance had been prohibited in this case. They swore a secret oath to avenge their master by killing Kira.
The Plan
Even though it was prohibited to take revenge on him Kira was cautious and was well guarded and had his residence fortified. The Ako Ronin could see that they would have to bide their time until Kira thought he was safe from Asano’s former men.
The Ronin dispersed all over the country and became tradesmen, monks, merchants or laborers. Oishi moved to Kyoto and started to go to brothels and get drunk in taverns and behave in a very unlike samurai way. A samurai from satsuma recognized the drunk Oishi lying in the street, he was disgusted and kicked him in the face.
Oishi divorced his wife and sent her and his children away to protect them. His oldest son stayed with him. All the time Kira’s spies were watching Oishi and his men make sure there was no plan for revenge.
Hearing about what Oishi and his men were doing Kira gradually let his guard down.
The Attack
The Ronin started to gather in Edo (Tokyo), one of them had even married the daughter of the builder of Kira’s residence to get the plans, others came with arms.
On 14th December 1702, the forty-seven Ronin met at Honjo near Edo. One young Ronin was sent to go to Ako to tell their people their tale. Oishi had four men scale the fence tie up the watchman in the porter’s lodge. Then he sent messengers to all the neighboring houses, to explain they were at Kira’s for revenge (katakiuchi) and that they were in no danger.
A drum sounded to signal the start of the attack, in the snowstorm they split into two groups and attacked with swords and bows. The first group led by Oishi attacked the front gate; the other, led by his son, Oishi Chikara attacked the back gate.
After a fierce fight Kira’s retainers surrendered, sixteen of them laid dead and twenty-two wounded, including his grandson. All forty-six Ronin survived, but there was no sign of Kira.
The Death of Kira
The Ronin were beginning to panic, there was no sign of Kira, Oishi checked Kira’s bed and noticed it was still warm, so the search was reinvigorated. Eventually, Kira was found in a shed full of coal. A whistle was sounded and the Ronin gathered around him, he refused to say who he was, but the scar on his head from Asano’s attack proved it was Kira.
As he was a high ranking official, Oishi gave Kira the option of seppuku (ritual suicide). Kira was speechless and trembling, so Oishi orders the Ronin to seize Kira and Oishi kills Kira by cutting off his head. The dagger he used had some significance it was the dagger Asano had committed seppuku with.
The aftermath
With Kira’s head, it was a ten-kilometer march across the city to their Lords grave in Sengaku-Ji temple. The forty-six Ronin caused quite a stir as they traveled across the city, people came out to greet them and praised them for their act of revenge.
Once they arrived at the temple, they washed and cleaned Kira’s head in a well and placed the head and dagger on Asano’s tomb. With their act of revenge complete, they waited for their arrest
While the bakufu (military government) decided what to do with the forty-six Ronin, they were split up into four groups and housed by daimyo families- the Hosokawa, Mari, Midzuno, and Matsudaira families (clans).
The Ronin had become national heroes for following the way of the warrior (Bushido). Many hoped they would be granted a pardon for killing Kira, but on 4th February 1703, the forty-six Ronin was ordered to commit seppuku, a more honorable death than execution.
The Ronin were buried with their master at Sengkuji Temple. Their graves became a site of pilgrimage. It is told that one of the first people to visit was the samurai from Satsuma (who abused Oishi in Kyoto). He apologized and then killed himself.
The Forty-Seventh Ronin, who returned to Ako to tell the Tale of the revenge, was reportedly pardoned by the Shogun and lived to the age of eighty-seven, and then was buried with his fellow Ronin.
The clothes and arms they wore are still preserved in the temple, along with the drum and whistle.
The resurrection of The Asano Clan
Revenge for their master was part of the reason they took the action they did, but there had been a second goal, to re-establish the Asano’s so giving their fellow samurai their master back, so they could renounce their Ronin status.
Asano Daigaku Nagahiro, Naganori’s younger brother and heir, was allowed by the Tokugawa Shogunate to re-establish his name, and a tenth of the original territory was returned.
Criticism
I thought long and hard if I should include this section, but I feel it’s always good to get many perceptions.
The revenge of the forty-seven Ronin continued to be debated throughout the Edo era. One view was that Oishi and his men made a mistake waiting for nearly two years until they acted, Kira could have died during this time (he was in his 60’s). This was the view of Yamamoto Tsunetomo (author of Hagakure), if Kira had died during their planning stage, they would have stayed as Ronin, but also showing lack of loyalty to Lord Asano, so would have to live in disgrace for the rest of their life’s.
Scholar Sato Naotake (1650-1719) criticized the Ronin for taking action at all, as the shogun’s decision to order Asano to commit suicide and the decree of no revenge, should have ended the matter. He also agreed with Tsunetomo’s view that the Ronin should have committed suicide at Sengakuji Temple once their plan was completed. By waiting to be captured it could be seen that they hoped for a lighter sentence, so to continue to live, this could be seen as shameful in Bushido.
Popular Culture
The story of the Forty-Seven Ronin has been adapted into countless Kabuki plays, puppet shows, an opera, woodblock prints, and films and TV shows.
The forty-seven Ronin symbolize the good aspects of Bushido for modern audiences.
