Biographies of Loyal and Righteous Samurai (The Faithful Samurai) (Utagawa Kuniyoshi) (Volume 2)

In 1702, Lord Asano of Ako 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 Ronin were forced to take their own lives. These events were made into the play, Kanadehon Chushingura. The prints in this series represent the characters in the story, with some of the names changed.