Forty-Seven Rōnin. Legend As an Art

The legend of the 47 rōnin is inspired by true events. On 21 April 1701 (in the Edo period in Japanese historiography), daimyō Asano Naganori was insulted by the master of ceremonies at the court of the military ruler of Japan (shōgun) and attacked the offender during the annual ritual of exchanging new year's offerings. Shedding blood within the walls of the ruler's residence was a grave crime, so Asano Naganori was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide).

The samurai who had obeyed him became rōnin, 'wanderers in the stormy waves'. They could not accept the fact that their master's assailant was alive and escaped punishment. For nearly two years, former samurai were getting ready to revenge. On the night of 31 January 1703, the rōnin seized the estate of master of ceremonies Kira Yoshinaka and killed him, and then surrendered to the authorities and committed seppuku.

Gradually, the story turned into a folk legend and inspired Kabuki and Bunraku performances. Engravings of the rōnin used to be made specially for the shows. Those were both posters highlighting new plays, and souvenirs for performance attendees.