Story of The 47 Ronin

This narrative revolves around the legendary tale of the 47 Ronin. It depicts a story of sacrifice, honor, and unwavering loyalty. The events take place in the year 1701, focusing on Asano Naganori, a Japanese lord chosen by the shogun to entertain emissaries from the imperial family.Asano, however, is ignorant of court etiquette. "I wouldn't know how to entertain people of such high class," he says.

The shogun instructs Kira Yoshinaka to tutor Asano on these matters as he is an expert. Kira, however, is not the easiest man to get along with and is not a very good mentor to Asano. He constantly taunts him for not knowing much about the matters of the extremely upper class, even though he is a lord, and even asks Asano for money.

Initially, Asano ignores all of this and still treats Kira respectfully. However, every man has his breaking point, and these tensions only grow as it becomes clear to Asano that Kira has no respect for him. Kira constantly tries to embarrass and belittle him at every opportunity. Eventually, in the audience hall of the shogun's palace, Kira insults Asano so savagely that Asano can no longer restrain himself. He draws his dagger and slashes Kira's face, wounding him. They are then quickly separated by guards.

This attack within the shogun's palace is a grave offense. Any kind of violence, even drawing the sword, is completely forbidden in the Edo Castle. Due to Asano's actions, the shogun orders him to kill himself by seppuku. Asano is then handed a knife and kills himself in order to retain his honor. Seppuku is the honorable method of taking one's own life, practiced by the men of the sa

Asano's lands are to be confiscated after his death. His family is to fall into ruin, his name would be disgraced, and his loyal samurai would be made into ronin, which means leaderless warriors. The news quickly reaches Asano's castle, and his samurai are enraged beyond belief. 300 men, 47 of them, especially their leader Oishi, refuse to allow their lord to go unavenged, even though they know that acting on their revenge would lead to their death. The 47 Ronin band together and swear a secret oath to avenge their lord by killing Kira, the man responsible for the death of their master.

Kira, however, is now well-guarded, and his residence has been reinforced to prevent an attack. The ronin know they will have to lay low in order to decrease suspicion from the shogunate authorities. The 47 Ronin disperse and become tradesmen and monks. Oishi, the leader of the ronin, makes his way to Kyoto and spends his days in taverns and brothels, as if the last thing on his mind is revenge. Oishi is now in a sunken place, but in the back of his mind, it is all for a purpose. The oath still has to be fulfilled. Knowing that Kira has a network of spies and that he is being watched, Oishi carries on drinking himself into oblivion. His behavior is soon reported to Kira, who becomes convinced that he is now safe from the ronin, as it has now been a year and a half. Kira laughs at the disgraced ronin, and he and his retainers talk among each other, calling them useless drunkards who lack all honor.

One day, Oishi is returning home. He is so drunk that he falls down into the street and goes to sleep. Everyone nearby laughs at the drunkard. A samurai sees Oishi in the street and is so infuriated that he would behave like this, that he kicks him in the face and then spits on him. Oishi has still not forgotten the oath. He divorces his wife of 20 years so no harm will come to her or his children when the ronin take their revenge. He then sends her away out of harm's reach. Oishi gives his eldest son, Chikara, the choice to stay and fight or leave, and Chikara chooses to remain loyal to the oath his father and fallen master. The time had come. The faithful ronin gather together, and their roles as workmen and tradesmen give them access to Kira's estate. They become familiar with the layout of the estate. One warrior goes as far as to marry the daughter of the builder of Kira's house to obtain the house's design plans. Every detail is reported to Oishi.

The warriors gather armor and weapons, and they now prepare for the attack. On the 14th of December, 1702, the warriors prepare for their assault. It is a cold morning, and the snowfall is harsh. The ronin split up into two groups. Onegroup, led by Oishi, attacks the main gate of Kira's mansion, while the other group secures the surrounding area to prevent any interference. The attack is swift and brutal. The ronin overpower Kira's guards and make their way into the mansion.

Kira is caught off guard and tries to flee, but the ronin pursue him relentlessly. They finally corner him in a room, and Oishi confronts him face to face. Oishi announces that they are the loyal retainers of Lord Asano, and they have come to avenge his unjust death. Kira pleads for his life, offering to pay a ransom, but the ronin refuse to listen. They believe that Kira's death is the only way to restore their honor and fulfill their duty to their fallen lord.

With a single stroke of his sword, Oishi decapitates Kira, ending his life and fulfilling their oath. The ronin then take Kira's head and carry it to Sengakuji Temple in Tokyo, where the grave of their master, Lord Asano, is located. They place the head on the grave as a symbol of their accomplishment and deep loyalty.

The news of the 47 Ronin's revenge quickly spreads throughout Japan, and the people are deeply moved by their unwavering loyalty and sacrifice. The shogunate initially plans to punish the ronin for their actions, as they had violated the law by taking justice into their own hands. However, the overwhelming public support for the ronin and their noble cause leads the shogunate to reconsider.

In the end, the shogun decides to honor the bravery and loyalty of the 47 Ronin. Instead of executing them, he allows them to commit seppuku, the same honorable suicide that their master, Lord Asano, had performed. The ronin accept their fate willingly, knowing that they have fulfilled their duty and avenged their lord.

The story of the 47 Ronin has since become one of the most celebrated tales in Japanese history. It is seen as a symbol of honor, loyalty, and the samurai code of bushido. The loyalty and sacrifice of the 47 Ronin continue to inspire people to this day, reminding them of the importance of staying true to their principles and fulfilling their obligations, even in the face of great adversity. Here are the names of faithful, honourable Ronin:

Ōishi Kuranosuke Yoshio/Yoshitaka

Ōishi Chikara Yoshikane

Hara Sōemon Mototoki

Kataoka Gengoemon Takafusa

Horibe Yahei Kanamaru/Akizane

Horibe Yasubei Taketsune

Yoshida Chūzaemon Kanesuke

Yoshida Sawaemon Kanesada

Chikamatsu Kanroku Yukishige

Mase Kyūdayū Masaaki

Mase Magokurō Masatoki

Akabane Genzō Shigekata

Ushioda Matanojō Takanori

Tominomori Sukeemon Masayori

Fuwa Kazuemon Masatane

Okano Kin'emon Kanehide

Onodera Jūnai Hidekazu

Onodera Kōemon Hidetomi

Kimura Okaemon Sadayuki

Okuda Magodayū Shigemori

Okuda Sadaemon Yukitaka

Hayami Tōzaemon Mitsutaka

Yada Gorōemon Suketake

Ōishi Sezaemon Nobukiyo

Isogai Jūrōzaemon Masahisa

Hazama Kihei Mitsunobu

Hazama Jūjirō Mitsuoki

Hazama Shinrokurō Mitsukaze

Nakamura Kansuke Masatoki

Senba Saburobei Mitsutada

Sugaya Hannojō Masatoshi

Muramatsu Kihei Hidenao

Muramatsu Sandayū Takanao

Kurahashi Densuke Takeyuki

Okajima Yasoemon Tsuneshige

Ōtaka Gengo Tadao/Tadatake

Yatō Emoshichi Norikane

Katsuta Shinzaemon Taketaka

Takebayashi Tadashichi Takashige

Maebara Isuke Munefusa

Kaiga Yazaemon Tomonobu

Sugino Jūheiji Tsugifusa

Kanzaki Yogorō Noriyasu

Mimura Jirōzaemon Kanetsune

Yakokawa Kanbei Munetoshi

Kayano Wasuke Tsunenari

Terasaka Kichiemon Nobuyuki