Forty-seven rōnin
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The revenge of the forty-seven rōnin, also known as the Akō incident or Akō vendetta, was a historical event in Japan in which a band of rōnin avenged the death of their former master on 31 January 17
Revenge of the Loyal Samurai of Akō by Yasuda Raishū (ja) (Homma Museum of Art), with iconography borrowed from the Adoration of the Shepherds
Memorial stone marking the site of the Matsu no Ōrōka (Great Corridor of Pines) in Edo Castle, where Asano attacked Kira
Ukiyo-e showing Ōishi signaling an attack by beating a drum. By Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.
The rōnin attack the principal gate of Kira's mansion
Seppuku
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Seppuku, also called harakiri, is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honor, but was also practiced by other Japanese peop
Forty-seven rōnin
…Soga Brothers and the Igagoe vendetta. The story tells of a group of samurai after their daimyō (feudal lord) Asano Naganori was compelled to perform seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a powerful court official (kōke) named Kira Yoshinaka, after the court official insulted him. After waiting and planning…
Staged seppuku with ritual attire and kaishakunin assistant, 1897
Samurai about to perform seppuku
A tantō prepared for seppuku
The wife of Onodera Junai, one of the forty-seven rōnin, prepares for her suicide; note the legs tied together, a feature of female seppuku to ensure a decent posture in death