Forty-seven Ronin

The tale of the Forty-Seven Ronin (also known as the Forty-Seven Samurai, the Ak? vendetta, or in Japanese as the "ak? r?shi" (???? Ak? Masterless Samurai)?or the "genroku ak? jiken" (?????? Genroku Ak? Incident)) is a prototypical Japanese story. Described by one noted Japan scholar as the country's "national legend" http://www.columbia.edu/~hds2/chushinguranew/kanadehon/Index.htm, it recounts the most famous case involving the samurai code of honor, bushido, and vividly expresses a significant part of the traditional Japanese world-view.

The Forty-Seven Ronin in the Arts

As one might expect, the tragedy of the Forty-seven Ronin has been one of the most popular themes in Japanese art, and has lately even begun to make its way into Western art.

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Immediately following the event, there were mixed feelings among the intelligentsia about whether such vengeance had been appropriate -- many agreed that, given their master's last wishes, the forty-seven did the right thing, but were undecided about whether such a vengeful wish were proper. Over time, however, the story became a symbol of loyalty to one's master, and later, of loyalty to the Emperor. Once this happened, it flourished as a subject of drama, storytelling, and visual art.

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Plays

This incident immediately inspired a succession of kabuki and bunraku plays; the first, The Night Attack at Dawn by the Soga appeared only two weeks after they died. It was shut down by the authorities, but many others soon followed, initially especially in Osaka and Kyoto, further away from the capital. Some even took it as far as Manila, to spread the story to the rest of Asia.

Related Topics:
Kabuki - Bunraku - Soga - Osaka - Kyoto - Manila

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The most successful of them was a bunraku puppet play called Kanadehon Chushingura (now simply called Chushingura, or "Treasury of Loyal Retainers"), written in 1748 by Takeda Izumo and two associates; it was later adapted into a kabuki play, which is still one of Japan's most popular.

Related Topics:
Bunraku - Puppet - 1748 - Takeda Izumo

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In the play, to avoid the attention of the censors, the events are transferred into the distant past, to the 14th century reign of shogun Ashikaga Takauji. Asano became Enya Hangan Takasada, Kira became Ko no Moronao and ?ishi rather transparently became ?boshi Yuranosuke Yoshio; the names of the rest of the ronin were disguised to a varying degree. The play contains a number of plot twists which do not reflect the real story: Moronao tries to seduce Enya's wife, and one of the ronin died before the attack because of a conflict between family and warrior loyalty (another possible cause of the confusion between "forty-six" and "forty-seven").

Related Topics:
14th century - Shogun - Ashikaga Takauji

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Cinema and television

This play has been made into a movie at least six times, with the 1962 version most familiar to Western audiences, where Toshiro Mifune appears in a supporting role. Many Japanese television shows, including single programs, short series, single seasons, and even year-long series such as the 52-part 1971 television series Daichushingura starring Mifune in the role of ?ishi, and the more recent Taiga drama Genroku Ry?ran, recount the events of the Forty Seven Ronin. Among both films and television programs, some are quite faithful to the Chushingura while others incorporate unrelated material or alter details. In addition, gaiden dramatize events and characters not in the Chushingura.

Related Topics:
1962 - Toshiro Mifune - 1971 - Taiga drama - Gaiden

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A modern version of this play is being shown in Tuguegarao, with matinee idol Marvin Agustin as Kira and controversial actor Jomari Yllana as Asano.

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Woodblock prints

The Forty-seven Ronin are one of the most popular themes in woodblock prints, or ukiyo-e; the list of artists who have done prints portaying either the original events, or scenes from the play, or the actors, is a Who's Who list of woodblock artists. One book on subjects depicted in woodblock prints devotes no less than seven chapters to the history of the appearance of this theme in woodblocks.

Related Topics:
Woodblock prints - Ukiyo-e

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Among the artist who produced prints on this subject are Utamaro, Toyokuni, Hokusai, Kunisada and Hiroshige. However, probably the most famous woodblocks in this genre are those of Kuniyoshi, who produced at least eleven separate complete series on this subject, along with more than twenty triptychs.

Related Topics:
Utamaro - Toyokuni - Hokusai - Kunisada - Hiroshige - Kuniyoshi - Triptych

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In the West

The first retelling of this story (and still one of the best) appeared in 1871, where the historical version is recounted; it was the first story in the first modern Western book on Japan, after the opening of Japan during the Meiji Restoration. A translation of the play first appeared in 1876, and numerous versions have since come out.

Related Topics:
1871 - Meiji Restoration - 1876

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Jorge Luis Borges retold the story in his first short story collection, A Universal History of Infamy, under the title "The Uncivil Teacher of Etiquette, Kotsuke no Suke."

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The story of the Forty-seven Ronin makes an appearance in many modern works, most notably in John Frankenheimer's film Ronin. The History Bites episode "Samurai Goodfellas" blends the story with elements reminiscent of The Godfather.

Related Topics:
John Frankenheimer - Ronin - History Bites

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In an episode of The Simpsons, Homer and Bart are forced to perform in a kabuki play about the Forty-seven Ronin while imprisoned in Japan. Homer stated he wanted to be Oishi but was made to be Ori.

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In 2005 Beckett Comics Original Graphic Novels Ronin Hood of the 47 Samurai. A ficional the story set in the time of the Forty-seven Ronin, with a Robin Hood-like fictional character.

Related Topics:
Beckett Comics - Graphic Novels - Ronin Hood of the 47 Samurai - Forty-seven Ronin - Robin Hood - Fictional character

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