Chūshingura is a major historical event from the Edo period that exemplifies the strong sense of loyalty characteristic of the Japanese people, and it is frequently portrayed in kabuki plays and films. Chūō Ward and its surrounding areas are dotted with many sites related to this incident, such as the Edo residence of Asano, castle owner of the Ako Domain and the Kira residence in Honjo, which we will visit during our cycling tour.
Outline of incident
Senior retainers such as Oishi Kuranosuke and other former samurai of the Ako domain, dissatisfied with this unjust ruling, planned a revenge mission. The 47 Ronin of Ako endured a life of hardship for one year and ten months while biding their time. On December 14, 1702, they stormed the Kira residence in Honjo and killed Kira Kozukenosuke.
In 1701, Asano Takumi-no-kami (aged 35), lord of the Ako Domain (Hyogo Prefecture), was appointed to host an imperial envoy. However, after he was embarassed by his advisor, Kira Yoshinaka, in the Pine Corridor of Edo Castle, he was sentenced to death, harakiri(suicide by his own knife). Subsequently, the Asano family’s residence in Edo was confiscated, and the Asano family of the Ako Domain was extinguished.
The rōnin presented Kira’s head at Sengakuji Temple, where their lord was buried, and the following year, they committed harakiri by order of the shogunate.
Memorial stone of Yasube Horibe
Yasubei Horibe was native of the Shibata Domain (Niigata Prefecture). After his father, a rōnin, passed away, he moved to Edo to devote himself to swordsmanship training, eventually earning reputation as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of the Horiuchi Dojo. In 1694, he rushed to Takadanobaba to assist Sugano Rokurozaemon in duel, cutting down several opponents. Yabee Horibe adopted him as his son after hearing the incident, and he participated in the army to the Kira residence.
Memorial stand of Shinroku at Tsukiji Honganji temple
Memorial tower of Shinroku stands within the grounds of Honganji Temple.
Shinroku, 23 years old asked Oishi Kuranosuke to allow him to join the alliance after hearing that his father and older brother had joined the Alliance of revenge army. At raid to Kira residence, he was assigned to the rear gate unit. After fulfilling his mission and on his way back from the Kira residence in Matsuzaka-cho, Honjo, to Sengakuji Temple in Takanawa, he tied gold coins to the lance he carried and, along with a letter requesting prayers for his soul, threw it over the wall of Tsukiji Honganji Temple.
Estate of Kira at Honjyo
The snow that had been falling until the previous day had stopped, and the moon shone brightly over the surroundings.
The Ako rōnin stormed in simultaneously through the front and rear gates, then searched for Kira Kozukenosuke in groups of three. Just before dawn, they finally dragged Kira Kozukenosuke out of his hiding place in a storage shed, and their mission of vengeance was accomplished.
The upper photo shows the “Head-Washing Well,” which is said to be where the severed head of Kira Kozukenosuke was washed.
Takanawa Sengakuji temple
After carrying out their attack, the 47 Ronin departed from the Kira residence in Honjo, passed by the Asano family’s Edo mansion—which had been confiscated by the shogunate—and the Tsukiji Hongan-ji Temple, and arrived at Sennyū-ji Temple in Takanawa. The graves at Sennyū-ji Temple shown in the video below are where Oishi Kuranosuke and the other 46 ronin were buried after committing harakiri.
