The Path of the 47 Ronin at the Ako Oishi Shrine.

Like many, my knowledge of the 47 Ronin comes mainly from Hollywood, and that Master of History, Keanu Reeves! Not surprisingly the actual events are quite different from the Hollywood versions, the Japanese Kabuki plays, and the Buinraku puppet shows, which all portray different versions of the myth that has been created around them.

The many near contemporary wood block prints also show a fictionalized account portraying them as heroes of Samurai values.

I was not surprised upon reading the “Osprey Raid 23” account of the 47 Ronin that the actual events were quite different and demonstrated that learned scholars cannot always agree. As an aside my Classics Professor, Godfrey Tanner, once said to me “when learned scholars differ one cannot afford to be dogmatic”. I profess to only sometimes being learned, often I “differ”, but I am nearly always dogmatic!

Basically the story goes that in 1701, the emperor Higashiyama sent imperial envoys from his seat at Kyoto to the shogun’s court at Edo (Tokyo). A high shogunate official, Kira Yoshinaka, served as master of ceremonies for the visit. Two young daimyos, Asano Naganori of Ako and Kamei Sama of Tsumano, were in the capital performing their alternate attendance duties, so the shogunate gave them the task of looking after the emperor’s envoys.

Kira was assigned to train the daimyo in court etiquette. Asano and Kamei offered gifts to Kira, but the official considered them totally inadequate and was furious. He began to treat the two daimyos with contempt.

Kamei was so angry about the humiliating treatment he wanted to kill Kira, but Asano preached patience. Fearful for their lord, Kamei’s retainers secretly paid Kira a large sum of money, and the official began to treat Kamei better. He continued to torment Asano, however, until the young daimyo could not endure it.

When Kira called Asano a “country bumpkin without manners” in the main hall, Asano drew his sword and attacked the official. Kira suffered only a shallow wound to his head, but shogunate law strictly forbade anyone from drawing a sword within Edo castle and he was sentenced to commit sepukku.

After Asano’s death, the shogunate confiscated his domain, leaving his family impoverished and his samurai reduced to the status of ronin.

The counter argument to this is that Kira was doing his duty in making sure the Emperor’s envoys were treated with the correct etiquette and dignity and was correct in bringing the “country yokels” into line.

The Samurai of the Ako domain now had no work. Being disgraced because of their lord’s actions, they couldn’t find another lord to serve. Because they hadn’t revenged their lord’s death they were often treated harshly or looked down upon by other samurai. An anecdote mentions that one day Oishi, who would later be the leader of the ronin, was once drunk and fell over on the side of a street in Kyoto. He was insulted for his fall from grace, his lack of courage at avenging his master, and was spat on.

The are various versions of this with some saying that he divorced his wife so that no harm would come to her and played the part of a drunk as a ruse to make Kira fall into a a false sense of security. This may well be true as the preparations prior to the attack were extra-ordinary and included one Ronin marrying the daughter of the architect of Kira’s mansion just so that they could gain access to the floor plans.

During this time, some of the other ronin had also taken up roles as workmen and merchants and gained access to Kira’s house, studying the layout of the place.

I was also surprised that all of the diamyo were required to have a residence adjacent to Edo castle and these formed an additional buffer against any attack on the castle itself. The mansions were very close together and were surrounded by barracks which complicated any secret attack.

Nearly two years after the death of their lord, only 47 of the original 300 ronin gathered in Edo to set their plan in motion.

I will not go into the detail of the attack (buy the book) but this included bringing ladders to climb the perimeter walls and to place archers on the roof of the mansion, and securing the barracks door with clamps so they only had to deal with the guards on duty. They eventually found Kira hiding in the charcoal store, and once he was identified was requested to commit sepukku. When he refused, Oishi was forced to kill him with the same weapon that Asano Naganori used himself following his sentence.

During the trial there was much argument about the legality of their actions, with some arguing that it was a prime example of samurai virtue. Many others disagreed, as a samurai should avenge their master right after his death, with some even arguing it was cowardly to meticulously plan revenge, because waiting could also mean that if Kira died before any attack the Ronin’s delay would have denied their master of his revenge. There appeared to be little doubt about the illegality of their actions because the appropriate processes for a revenge killing were not followed. Hence the main argument was which should take precedence the law or Bushido values.

The shogunate didn’t really know what to do at this point; murder was against their imposed regulations but the ronin had acted as a samurai should by avenging their lord’s death. In the end, 46 of them were sentenced to honourably commit seppuku instead of being executed as criminals.

The arguments are complex and the three hundred and twenty years that have elapsed have only added to both the uncertainty of events and the myth.

The Kabuki plays also portray Kira as a coward and a tyrant, in contrast to the virtuous Ronin who demonstrate true Bushido virtues. Given the Kabuki plays are very similar to the morality plays of the middle ages this is not surprising.

The Sengakuji Temple

The Sengakuji Temple’s Buddhist credentials are by far overwhelmed by its fame as the resting place of the 47 Ronin.

The tomb of Asano Naganori

It was to here at Sengakuji Temple, where their master Asano Naganori is buried, that the 47 Ronin brought the head of Kira Yoshinaka, and turned themselves in. It was also here at Sengakuji Temple that the ronin were buried after also meeting the same fate as their master.

Sengakuji Temple

The well inside the Sengakuji Temple where Kira’s head was washed by the Ronin.

The graveyard of the 47 Ronin

I found the book an excellent read but it has unfortunately shattered the aura of Hollywood………….. they can actually get things wrong! Who would have thought?