In the year 1701, the Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi had to receive in his castle three ambassadors from Emperor Higashiyama, who had come to present the Emperors New Year greetings, as was the custom. The Shogun organized a grand reception for them and appointed a great Lord or Daimyo from Ako castle master of ceremonies. The lord Asano Nagonari, not being familiar with court customs, declined the honour and only accepted in the end on the express condition that the great master of ceremonies of the time, an old man named Kira Yoshihisa, assisted him.
In those times, it was customary in Japan to give presents to officials whose service was requested. Asano subscribed to this practice and his gifts were a measure of the service expected. However, Kira was an extremely corrupt official. Rankled by the fact that the gifts he received were not proportionate to Asanos considerable wealth, he decided not to help him but did not tell him so. Asano managed as best he could. When the Shogun gave an official reception to bid the imperial envoys farewell, Asano should have been in the front line but as he did not know exactly where he ought to be, nor what he should do, he asked the advice of Kira who replied: You should have thought of that before, I have no time to explain now. And Kira went away with a very insulting remark Livid with rage, Asano drew his sword and wounded the old man in the face.
When Kira was taken away, the Shogun heard what had happened and was extremely angry. He had Asano arrested and sentenced him to commit suicide by disembowelment two days later. Asano wrote his farewell poem recalling his 36 years, scattered like petals, and then without hesitation disemboweled himself according to the rules of Seppuku, after which an assistant cut off his head, all his possessions were confiscated and overnight the 300 warriors who served Ako Castle were out of work, in other words Ronin.
They dispersed, but one Oishi Kuranosuke- could not accept what had happened. He reunited 47 Samurai and between them they decided to avenge their master. But the task was not an easy one as Kira suspected possible vengeance and had their every move watched. So, Oishi and his friends decided to give a false impression. They led a dissipated life, getting drunk and frequenting the Geisha, by all appearances’ seeming to have forgotten their masters memory.
Eventually the surveillance ceased and one snowy December night in the year 1702, they attacked Kiras home. He fled and hid whilst his warriors put up a brave fight. When found, he was decapitated and with his head wrapped in a white cloth, the Samurai went to the Sengakuji temple where there master was entombed. There, they solemnly laid Kiras head, together with the dagger which had cut it off, and a note claiming responsibility for their action.
When they gave themselves up, the people of Edo greeted them as heroes and the Shogun himself admired their courage and perseverance. But the law was the law. After several months deliberation, the 47 Ronin were ordered to commit ritual suicide which they did on 4th February 1703. Their tombs were dug alongside that of their master, Asano. One of them, whom Oishi had sent to inform Asanos family that their master had been avenged, did not kill himself. He was acquitted on the grounds that the trail was closed, and he lived to be 83. Even so, on his death, his tomb was put alongside that of his friends. These tombs are still much revered in Japan. Sticks of incense burn day and night on the tombstones. The story itself has been told thousands of times in every possible way and the Japanese
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