Chushingura
The story of the 47 Ronin is familiar to every student of Japanese history, but most accounts, slide over the events of the seven weeks following the attack on Kira's mansion. This may help explain why the Ronin were punished for practicing what the system preached and even depended on.
The attack was the most exciting news to hit the country in a long time and brought immediate acclaim and admiration. More than 60 years had passed since the last rumble of war, and the incident seemed like a great battle. Oishi and the Ronin took on the aspects of a victorious general and his army. Hosokawa, the Daimyo, under who Oishi and 16 others were held, awaiting disposition of their case, gave instructions that his retainers should watch every word and deed of the 17 as model samurai.
The Shogun, Tsunayoshi, wanted to reward the men, in spite of the summary way that he had treated their lord two years before. He also wished it to appear that he was bowing to the will of the people in doing so. He ordered the counsel (Hyojoso) to take their time and study the case carefully. These counselors (Bugyo) were the men in the highest executive positions of the central government. These bugyo presented individual written statements, signed and sealed, to the 15 Elders. All statements agreed that the Ronin should be held up as examples and rewarded, not punished. Some of the statements even criticized Kira's son for not having committed seppuku after the deed, and for not coming to his father's aid at the time. Pro-ronin views were held, and given, unofficially by many leading scholars and philosophers including Nobuatsu Hayashi, the highest professor of Confucian learning and by Muro Kyoso who had the courage to publish a book championing their cause, in spite of the possibility of political recrimination, should the case be decided wrong.
The Ronin were undoubtedly legally wrong, and yet, their actions were in accord with the official moral pronouncements of the government. Asano's case had been dealt with, from deed to death, in under 12 hours. Now the whole nation was on tender hooks as the council argued the same points for weeks, without reaching any decision. As time passed, the case was considered more and more on its legal. points, and less on the sentimental aspects. A leader of this strong view was Ogyu Sorai, a famous Confucian scholar retained by Daimyo Yanagisawa, Chief Minister of the Shogun's Cabinet. He said that, although their loyalty and bravery were commendable, there had still been a serious crime committed. They had, under the very nose of the Shogun, fought a small civil war, not a personal fight or casual brawl. It was systematically planned, complete with battle plans, high command, intelligence operations, supply lines and bases of operation. They were a band of trained soldiers, formed into a secret army, who waged a brief campaign, complete with a regular array of weapons and tools from a supply depot in Edo. They used war drums, whistles, code language, ladders, battering mallets and uniforms, as well as armor, swords, spears and bows.
Such an act could not be condoned regardless of the nobility of motive. Furthermore, if the Ronin were released and honored as heroes, would not the relatives of Kira feel honor bound to hunt down and kill every one of the 47? This is especially true of Uesugi, his third son, adopted out to become Daimyo of Yonezawa, whose clan had provided the guards that made such a poor showing at Kira's mansion. All the relatives of the late Asano, including Daimyo Asano of Hiroshima would feel obliged to protect the Ronin. A feud between two such powerful lords could conceivably start a civil war that could shake or even bring down the Tokugawa Shogunate.
The Shogun then took a nearly unprecedented step, and personally sought the views of the Lord Abbot of Kwanei Temple at Ueno. The Abbot was an Imperial Prince and the Emperor's personal delegate. He also was a hostage in case of an Imperial plot against the Shogunate, but that did not lower his position. It was a rare procedure, in which the Shogun almost certainly hoped his own highest ministers would be over- ridden. The Abbot, however, said that it would be more merciful to let them die martyrs to their loyal cause. Now that they had attained their hearts desire, they would be anxious to join their Lord in the other world. If they were allowed to live, some of them might serve two masters and, being human, become spoiled by the adulation and commit unseemly acts and compromise the spotless character they would otherwise leave unsullied to posterity.
On the 4th of February 1703, representatives of the Shogun carried the word to the Ronin that would be kindly permitted to die by their own hand to repent the crime of having disturbed the peace and order of the capitol.
The daimyos Hosokawa, Matsudaira, Mari, and Midzuno stalled until dusk hoping that it had been a "save face" order, soon to be followed by a pardon, which never came.
As soon as the results became known, there was a wave of indignation. Satirical verse and angry epithets, vilifying the government and officials who did nothing to save the Ronin were scribbled on walls and fences. The instruction board at Nihonbashi was torn up again and again until the first article, on loyalty and filial piety, was watered down to "Parents and children should love one another".
Within two weeks the first Kabuki play about the incident was on the stage, and it has been a dramatic standard ever since, especially in the famous play "Chushingura" which has given its name to the event on which it was based.
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