Chûshingura Prints
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In
1702, Lord Asano of Akô was provoked by Kira Kozukenosuke Yoshinaka into drawing his sword in the
shogun’s palace, for which he was forced to take his own life, and his estate
was confiscated. Forty-seven of Lord
Asano’s retainers, who were now rônin
(samurai without masters), planned,
and carried out a successful attack on Kira’s palace. Kira’s head was cut off with the same
dagger Lord Asano used to commit seppuku. (The term “hara-kiri”, although more common in English than “seppuku”, is considered in Japan to be
a vulgar and disrespectful description of an honorable act.) The 46 surviving rônin were forced to take their own lives. These events were made into the kabuki play, “Kanadehon Chûshingura”. |
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* “Robinson 1961” indicates listing in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson
(Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). ‡
“Robinson 1982” indicates listing in Kuniyoshi:
The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press,
Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately
published supplement. CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO MAIN
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