The 47 Ronin | The Edo Period Episode 7

in the last episode we witnessed the coming of a new type of Tokugawa Shogun one which was not overburdened with the responsibility of structuring the new bakufu but instead could remain stationary in its security this was that of Tokugawa Yuna and although his time as Shogun would perhaps be far less important and influential than that of his forefathers he still was to play a key role in the aftermath of the Great Fire of Mei as through his lead leadership Edo would be rebuilt and transformed resembling much of the modern city of Tokyo we know today yet now we will move Beyond Yuna to the rule of his brother and successor Tokugawa tsunayoshi whom under him Japan would experience one of the most significant disturbances throughout the entire Edo period eventually resulting in a true cultural phenomenon the AKO incident the Revenge of the 47 been ruing [Music] [Music] Shogun Tokugawa Yuna has unfortunately gone down as a bit of a forgotten or underappreciated leader of the Edo bakufu with a much quieter rain and smaller list of accomplishments he never really had a chance to stand out not to mention the fact that his rule is squished between that of far more significant Shogun his rign would last for Just Around 29 years which interestingly is the longest yet of any Tokugawa Shogun and which Spann a time in which Japan continued to slowly change and evolve within the new era of Peace if anything the only major concern for iuna as his Reign dragged on was the need for an air to which he had none three of his sons and one of his daughters had all died in utero thus as his own health eventually began to decline a brief Panic emerged over the matter of succession various Regents and other high ranking officials began to offer their own suggestions regarding a course of action with one interesting example being that of Sakai tarako who proposed that the son of Emperor Gosai should be the one to succeed Yuna this idea hearkens back to the Kamakura bakufu which in 1252 saw munaka the son of Emperor goaga be appointed appointed as the new Shogun however to take matters out of the hands of the Tokugawa like the Hojo Regency had done with the Kamakura bakufu was not a concept that would ever gain much traction and instead a far more simple solution was already apparent to Simply appoint yuna's brother tuna Yoshi now some might have had a few nightmares back to the Onin war in which Shogun Ashi kagay yoshim Masa had named his brother as his Heir until a real Heir did later appear causing rival families to pledge themselves to opposing sides throwing Japan into a storm of violence and Chaos luckily this time however no miraculous air emerged and instead when iuna passed away in 1680 his brother Tokugawa tunay Yoshi rightfully became the fifth Shogun of the Edo bakufu without any disruption tsunayoshi appeared to have a far more interesting personality than his brother EET tsuna he kept his Council close and conducted himself in a manner befitting of what he believed a Shogun should be even impressing foreign dignitaries such as a visiting German doctor by the name of Engelbert Kima who was greatly impressed by tunay Yoshi's demeanor yet tsunayoshi was also known to have a strict attitude and perhaps even little patience as he is recorded to have had outbursts at unruly vassals while attempting to settle their disputes it's clear that sunay Yoshi perhaps had his own vision of how he believed the government should function and even more broadly how Japan should function at a time when the most pressing matter for the bakufu was settling Petty squabbles throughout the domains and keeping order among the shifting warrior class tsunayoshi adopted a mindset that he should come down hard on unruly Dao cutting them no slack and through his Stern judgment he was recorded to have confiscated up to 1.4 Million koku worth of land during his Reign however he also had another vision for Japanese Society one which would lead to perhaps one of the strangest yet most interesting series of laws the shogunate would ever adopt these being the shui aim nor or law prohibiting cruelty to animals or living things as The Story Goes and this is perhaps just a story and nothing more but nevertheless it is said that when tunay Yoshi's only son died in infancy a Buddhist priest suggested that since tsunayoshi was born in the year of the dog he must have committed some great offense against dogs in a previous life in order for his son to suffer such a fate this prompted sunay Yoshi to embark on a wide campaign of issuing various laws aimed at protecting not only the lives of dogs but soon enough many other living things some have estimated that the count of laws issued as part of this movement numbered as high as 135 extending to dogs cats birds other animals insects and even orphan children it was now law that people needed to treat all living creatures kindly even down to the tiniest bug and if anyone was caught doing so much as swatting a fly they could face punishment as severe as execution now it is debated how much these laws actually affected the general public and evidence suggests that perhaps some 69 people may have received such punishment yet historians have continued to weigh in on the matter with some claiming the larger effects felt by this strict atmosphere have been exaggerated regardless we can still paint this particular time as perhaps tense for most people and yet another way the government was reaching far into the everyday lives of its citizens and many have come to paint these laws in a manner that shows growing contempt against the bakufu a building rage that would eventually pop with an event that would come to be heard about Nationwide one which can be seen as an organized Act of Defiance against the bakufu and one which would go down in Legend This was the AKO incident an act of Revenge carried out by a certain 47 roning now although the incident itself occurred in January of 1703 the real cause of this ordeal actually began over a year earlier in the spring of 1701 it was here Lord asano naganori within the shogunal palace in Edo drew his his shortsword and attacked Kira yoshinaka slashing him across his face and shoulder but failing to kill him naganori was quickly detained and explained that he held a personal grudge against yoshinaka one which no doubt had been festering for some time yoshinaka was a Master of Ceremonies and had been ordered to instruct naganori and others on reception etiquette for the annual reception of Imperial Messengers in Edo something about yoshinaka demeanor and attitude towards naganori must have insulted him and feeling he could take no more of it drew his blade in a fit of rage had naganori waited to attack yoshinaka at a different place or time the whole incident might have gone far differently but being that they were within Edo Castle the matter was viewed as severe as it could possibly be naganori calmly stated that he had no ill intention against the Shogun or bakufu itself and that his only regret was that he was not successful in killing oaka as he had intended regardless after an all too Swift investigation naganori was viewed as the main perpetrator Shogun toku gawat tunay Yoshi was Furious that naganori had ruined what would have otherwise been an auspicious time and thus naganori was ordered to commit seppuku that day which he accepted without complaint as the proper punishment for his actions while on the other hand yoshinaka who had not drawn his own blade was actually commended for showing great restraint by the end of the day naganori was prepared to end his life what follows is a description of the event from the writings of Inspector okado din Pacho who had been present throughout much of the day's events as he seated himself naganori said I have a request to make of the marshals I take it that you kept my long sword in your custody I'd like my second to use that sword and afterward keep it as my gift the governor who heard the request asked assistant Marshals and Deputy inspectors general what do you think of this we should do as requested we said nagano's long sword was indeed in our custody and we at once arranged to have it brought to us naganori then requested an inkstone box and paper we gave them to him while his sword was being brought naganori pulled the inkstone Box toward him slowly rubbed the ink stick against the stone took up the brush and wrote kazori the wind seems to lure away the cherry blossoms as well but I how shall I deal with what remains of spring with this asano naganori went on to commit his ritual of seppuku now although his own personal punishment had been carried out unfortunately a wider punishment would still be sought after the shogunate moved to confiscate AKO domain from the asano family and bar nagano's brother from succeeding him as the Clan's head they were intent on snuffing out nagano's family and domain for his actions this not only impacted members of the asano family but more broadly hundreds of Samurai ashigaru and other servants who would now be left without employment obviously outrage arose within AKO domain as the many individuals under the asano contemplated what to do it was not long before shogunate forces were upon them in aims of confiscating the land thus the as retainers debated over several Paths of how they could respond one option was certainly just to peacefully surrender the castle and domain and go without trouble yet others felt it would be more noble to stand their ground resist the bakufu and fight to the death some simply felt they should all demonstrate their Defiance by committing seku in mass and then of course there were others who felt that if nothing else that Revenge should be sought against Kira yoshinaka in aims of avenging their lord in the end the domain would be surrendered peacefully to the bakufu but secretly with the intent that many were still going to seek Vengeance on their own what emerged was a league of both former asano Samarai and ashigaru largely led by Oishi yoshio also known as kuros these men went into hiding drifting into their new lives searching for other forms of employment yet the plot continued as plans were made to to eventually make a coordinated strike against the yoshinaka at its peak the group numbered as high as perhaps 120 individuals yet in time the number was slowly whittel down to 47 finally in early 1703 after months of meticulous plotting they converged on Kira yoshinaka residence in Edo armed with Spears swords and Bows they assaulted the compound from multiple directions taking any guards completely by surprise on the top of a Pike they attached a declaration stating that their actions were righteous and inevitable in the name of their deceased Lord a panic arose throughout the corridors and those inside tried to figure out what was happening only to then be caught by the attackers The Garrison of Kira Defenders would soon catch on and put up a brave fight as they clashed beneath the Moonlight yet they were ultimately unprepared for the tenacity of the asano assault yoshinaka would eventually attempt to flee yet he would not make it far before he was found it is believed he may have been recogn ized due to the scar he still carried on his forehead where naganori had struck him and thus he was quickly decapitated with his head being placed at top of spear with their mission complete the attackers left the premises they brought the head of yoshinaka to the grave of their lord asano naganori at sengakuji Temple and displayed it they showed their Lord that Revenge had been accomplished and that their loyalty transcended his death following this they formally surrendered themselves to the bakufu to await whatever punishment would be doled out it was here the Baku Fu looked at the entire matter with new eyes perhaps they were too hasty in their original deliberation and perhaps yoshinaka was somewhat to blame for the attack he suffered from naganori back in 1701 and it certainly can be said that these brave warriors had carried out their actions with the noblest and loyalest of intentions in the end Shogun Tokugawa tsunayoshi decided that although these men should be punished that they should be allowed to commit seppuku rather than being executed thus they were given what can be seen as an honorable way to die keeping their dignity intact 46 of the original 47 Ronin would end up committing seppuku with their remains being buried next to their lord at sengakuji the story of the 47th Ronin terasaka kimon is a bit more of a mystery although he signed his name as part of the Declaration against kid yoshinaka he seemed to have dis appeared on the night of the attack it's unclear if he was even part of the attack at all yet theorists have speculated that he may have left the group following their successful killing of yoshinaka due to the fact that his own status was lower than that of his comrades being actually an ashigaru this may have been done so that the 46 Ronin who turned themselves into the authorities may be seen less harshly by not only the bakufu but also the general populace if it was clear that they were all Duty bound Samurai and not lower ranking Fighters yet this is only an IDE idea news of the entire incident almost immediately spread throughout the country and the story was very quickly adapted into many plays and other dramas that the government tried tirelessly to ban the most famous of which and one that is still very popular today known as chushingura the treasury of the loyal retainers besides this in the aftermath of what would be remembered as the AKO incident the sons of the 47 would either be pardoned or allowed to take up Buddhist vows and later asan naganori brother would even be released and allowed to reestablish himself albeit with a far reduced stipend as for the Kira yoshinaka adopted son who was present during the night of the attack was stripped of his land Holdings due to the fact that he fled rather than fight to the death to protect his father he would die several years later from wounds he suffered that night as for yoshinaka actual son he had been adopted into the UGI but ended up retiring early the Kira name would forever be sullied and yoshinaka himself would forever be characterized as a great villain thanks in large part to the many dramatizations of the story which emerged painting him in an awful light whether he truly deserved it or not many have come to attribute the popularity of the story throughout the people of the Edo period as a result of the increased tension of the times in an age where the government's reach was felt more and more within everyday life the actions of the 47 ronian are believed to have been seen as a massive Triumph against the bakufu despite the fact fact that the 47 themselves then turned themselves in as soon as their Vendetta was complete people championed them as Righteous Samurai whose Noble actions even if unlawful should be honored and commended and for this their legacy lived on yet while Common People celebrated the 47 ronian opinions about their actions varied among other Samurai and especially Confucian Scholars sat naotaka a Confucian scholar commented on the confusing nature of the situation and the bakufu's handling of it stating the logic of the order is clear that the Shogun did not subject the men to a punishment reserved for felons but that allowed them to dismal themselves was an expression of shogunate compassion and they should have considered themselves fortunate he later continues some even say that the government's decision was right that the determination of the 46 men was righteous but if the government's decision was right how can those men also be righteous he also commented on the cause of the entire incident with the attack from asano naganori in 1701 worse the way that naganori struck at yoshinaka was such a hasty immature cowardly deed he drew his short sword behind yoshinaka who was discussing something with kajikawa Yobe and slashed at him as he tried to run away but the wounds were too shallow to bring death to the man and he himself was captured by kajikawa with no courage and no skill naganori is merely a fellow to be laughed at it's quite fitting that he should have been condemned to death and and his castle and other properties confiscated lastly he also calls into question the motives of the 47 Ronin themselves still if after they carried out their killing single-mindedly preoccupied as they were with the thought of their deceased Lord's Fury if after that they had reflected on the crime of having gone against the shogunate's will and committed suicide at sangaku Temple while they wouldn't have acted in accordance with the law they would have at least deserved our pity instead they reported their act to Inspector General soku saying that they would await a shogunate order also in the letter they provided they said that they respected shogunate Authority and to sangoku himself the first thing they said was that they respected shogunate Authority what could these things have meant other than a scheme to win praise escape death and gain employment what they did was not what those prepared to die would do the same sentiment can even be found in the now famous hagakure written by Yamamoto tun Tomo as he too criticizes the actions of the 47 Ronin by stating now when Lord asano LED his night attack on the Mansion of Lord Kira it was a mistake for him not to commit seppuku immediately at sengakuji Temple he also delayed for a very long time in taking his revenge for his Lord's death if in the meantime Lord Kuda had died of illness it would have been a matter of the deepest regret but while more philosophical Minds such as these debated the entire matter on various levels simpler Samurai offered their own thoughts as well as one Anonymous Samurai wrote though I don't understand logic and other profundities that come from learning if you look at it from the standpoint of the normal resolve of a samurai today there isn't much you can't understand about it about what happened to asano and because of his actions people argue it was a quirrel no it wasn't it was a Vendetta no it wasn't but aside from such Arguments for a samurai to avenge his Lord is quite natural a samurai who can't is a coward he later continues I would kill someone who's the enemy of my master or father anytime I wouldn't even bother being cautious and wear body protection or carry shooting equipment I can't speak for towns folk but why is it that unmistakable Samurai are dithering so if they really thought that avenging one's master or father was such a big deal what's the point of working for their masters as they do all this strikes me as funny beyond the incident itself what is truly fascinating about the entire ordeal was how it was perceived in an when Samurai were becoming bureaucrats and losing their Warrior identity the reaction to such a violent incident is certainly telling of how much Japanese society and in particular the warrior class had changed over the prior Century coming far from the brutal killers and opportunists of Ages past to now simply questioning the nature and conduct of a Revenge plot there is perhaps no more defining moment during the Edo period which shows how much this era of Peace had changed the samurai as for tokuga gawat tsunayoshi his handling of the matter is often viewed with respect to this day yet we may judge his ruling as maybe even uncharacteristic for him as someone who has been characterized for making quick if not rash decisions often driven by emotions his logical handling of the 46 ronian who turned themselves into authorities is perhaps unique he didn't write them off right away as criminals deserving execution or even torture but instead allowed them to die with dignity and although his decision may not seem as significant as the decisions made by plenty of the other great Tokugawa Shogun throughout the duration of the Edo period it's still is one that carries with it an incredible lasting impact in the next episode we move deeper into the Edo period as we come to see the rise of the next two Shogun the gentle Tokugawa yobu and the young Tokugawa yugu both of whom enjoying the age of Peace yet both passing before ever truly realizing their potential thank you for watching and don't forget to like subscribe and ring that notification Bell if you enjoyed this video and found it to be most informative