A Brief History
On January 30, 1703, 47 Japanese samurai avenged the forced suicide of their feudal lord.
Digging Deeper
Digging deeper, we find that the Japanese code of Bushido was an Eastern code of honor similar to the old European code of chivalry.
Samurai who became leaderless were called Ronin (a term made memorable by Robert DiNiro in the 1998 movie Ronin, set in modern times) and were bound by honor to avenge the death of their lord and leader.
The 47 Ronin at the center of this incident were left leaderless when their lord was forced to commit suicide after having assaulted a powerful court official in a fit of anger after having been insulted by him. These 47 Ronin plotted for 2 years before finally carrying out their honorable obligation.
On January 30, 1703, the assault finally took place on the official’s estate. When the official refused to die by seppuku, a ritual suicide, he was beheaded, and the honor of the 47 Ronin was upheld. One of the Ronin was tasked with spreading the word of the successful vengeance in their home territory, and the remaining 46 turned themselves in to answer for the murder of the official. Their plan included committing seppuku, which they were allowed to do after being sentenced to death. The wife of one of the 47 ronin committed the female version of seppuku to follow her husband in death. The young Ronin messenger sent to notify their Lord’s home territory was spared and did not die until 1747.
The Japanese public almost immediately took the story of such fierce loyalty and sense of honor to heart, and in the many years since, this incident has been commemorated in numerous plays, stories, television specials, movies and even puppet shows!
Critics note that this tale of Bushido has been exaggerated and warped to present a false picture of feudal life, with the intention being to inspire a fatalistic and fanatic fighting spirit in the Japanese military during World War II.
Still, as is true with most legends, the romantic interpretation is the most popular, and the general feeling is still one of veneration for these 47 Ronin.
In 2013, 47 Ronin, a movie loosely based on this incident and starring Keanu Reeves, was released. Only time will tell if the sequel to this movie will be named 48 Ronin!
Question for students (and subscribers): When, if ever, is revenge justified? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For more information on the 47 Ronin, please see…
Allyn, John and Stephen Turnbull. 47 Ronin. Tuttle Publishing, 2012.
The featured image in this article, the rōnin attacking the principal gate of Kira’s mansion by Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason: This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or less.
You can also watch a video version of this article on YouTube:
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="1107 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=1107">122 Comments
I am interested to know how much of the new movie with Keanu Reeves is actually based on the events that happened. The Ronin were fearless warriors dedicated to their beliefs and rituals. It makes sense that their story was used to inspire the fearless and ruthless Japanese that fought in World War II.
This story shows the dedication of the Japanese people to their leaders. I am very interested to see if the new movie shows the similarity to the real story.
This is a really interesting story. I didn’t know that leaderless Samurai were called Ronin. This article makes me want to watch the Keanu Reeves movie about it. I heard it was pretty terrible. I am curious though to see how accurate it is compared to history.
This is a very interesting article. It is crazy to see how far society has changed from back then. If you look back, everything looks so foreign and so strange compared to how everything is today.
This was a very interesting article. I’ve heard of the movie and would like to see it sometime and see how accurate it is to what actually happened.
Never herd of this, but sounds like it would be an interesting movie to watch.
This was really interesting! I have never heard of this and am going to have to look into it more!
Japanese beliefs and rituals are interesting. I don’t know how much is true or fiction for the mere romance of it all. If there is any merit to this story it is does show their culture as having a devotion that is unstoppable and worth dying for. I would be interested to know to what extent it is true.
Wow, the Ronin were committed to their leader if this information is accurate. It does reflect what I have heard of Japanese culture.
I have never heard of this. I might hae to watch it.
The Japanese are nothing if not loyal.
I have to have respect for any person/culture who follows a code like this. It is an awesome code to have in one’s life. Honor and loyalty are fantastic qualities to have.
Japanese always keep their word which makes them some of the most respected people to this day. It’s incredible they kept their word. Can’t wait to see the movie!
i have never heard of this but this caught my attention makes me want to look into it more
This article just reinforces my belief that samurais are awesome.
Wow this is really interesting. I’d like to watch the movie and learn more about it!
Such a culture shock, this was very interesting.
Very interesting indeed. It is good to learn about things we have never had access to. The Samura
Warriors have always been intriguing to me. I don’t think I ever read about them being forced to commit suicide before though.
awesome
Very interesting. Had no idea about any of this. It is nice to learn about other legends in different cultures
very interesting
Feudal Japanese History always has fascinated me. The order and the traditions, and also the spiritual rituals captivate my interest. I would like to see 47 Ronin. Not expecting accuracy but entertainment value. I also suggest the graphic novel Ronin by Frank Miller. The story of Ronins in the story is historically accurate.
I always loved watching ninja movies with all of the Japanese weapons. very cool and smart engineering skills.
Anything Japanese always interests me, especially our classmate Ju-Di Daiochan (Judy L) haha =P
after reading this I kind of want to see the movie
I’ve never heard of the movie but it sounds good. Also that is an immense amount of honor/loyalty that you don’t see or really even hear of anymore.
They must have a ton of dedication in order to commit themselves to seppuku if they fail one of their tasks. I think I would rather be beheaded though instead of performing seppuku because I would not be able to take my own life.
i have done 8 years of various martial arts and i know the how the sense of honor and determination play in to them but even if we failed we would never consider seppuku their determination is very respectful
I find learning about the Samurai very interesting because I think many militaries around the world back then used there fighting tactics with the sword to teach there soldiers.
I understand that the whole idea of seppuku is supposed to be honorable and a kind of ritual, but I personally do not agree with it. It glorifies suicide to be something to be looked up to, which I think it should not. Even if it a large group of people who are aiming to pay respect to someone, I still feel as if it is not the right thing to do.
I doubt they took your feelings into consideration.
Willingly committing suicide seems a little intense, no matter what the motivation is. These Ronin must have been pretty into what they were doing. It kind of took over their whole lives.
This was actually something that i was very familiar with because of Dr. Purdy’s Japanese history class
Keanu Reeves is a terrible actor.
Being forced to commit suicide is an odd sentence to be given.
Interesting story that blurs the lines between defending someone’s honor and just plain murder. I always think that it is interesting to hear more of the context of these stories that we hear about in pop culture. I mean, I don’t know that for me it would have been the most honorable thing to do, but they were probably respected for both their choice to avenge the death of their leader and their choice to take their own lives.
I was not aware that Samurai who had lost their leader took this role and were called Ronin. It is cool that once they lost their leader they had to honor him and avenge his death.
Why are white men starring in a movie about Japanese?
I’m not sure what I think about this, a man forced to commit suicide and then 47 Ronin (47 other men) with such loyalty they plot for 2 years for vengeance. Crazy.
A ritual suicide?….Interesting…
Never heard of ritual suicide.. Wonder if they would consider this murder nowadays?
I completely understand their need to live and die by this code of honor. That was the oath they took… so… it was the only way! — DAVID WARDLE
I have much admiration for the samurai and the way they lived. They were warriors from the cradle to the grave.
Honestly, there’s too many samurai themed movies that have a white american as the main role.
didn’t a recent movie come out called 47 rhonin? Within the past year or so.
I want to see this movie!
Forced suicide seems… like not a suicide? I don’t know. I guess it technically is, but not of your own wanting.
The Japanese would rather die than be captured because they see it as dishonorable. Even if that means suicide in some way.
Interesting how they were forced to commit suicide..
honorable to one society is somewhat baffaling to another
The way that the Japanese would rather commit suicide than be dishonored has always seemed insane to me but to each their own, I suppose.
Forced suicide sounds more like murder to me.
Best samurai movie I have seen- 13 Assassins.
Oh man, that movie was amazing.
I am sure someone has probably mentioned that the movie “47 Ronin” starring Keanu Reeves is the modern adaptation of this story. From what I’ve read, the movie is fairly accurate (except for a couple of scenes that makes you wonder of the director might have been indulging in some illegal activities of some sort!!!)
You have to wonder , even with this “code of conduct”, the type of leadership that would inspire this type of loyalty.
This seems to be like a cult, if the leader dies you must seek revenge and defend them at all cost.
Samurai way of life is honor and if they are dishonored they take that as being worthless and the only way save their Families’ honor to preform seppuku. It is a harsh sentence but it is how they lived their lives.
The Samurai is a neat little group of people. The way they can move those swords is very fascinating. But yes you have to protect your leader and kill who ever kills or goes after them.
This sounds more suicidal to me. I don’t at all think this was a forced death.
Interesting to see such denotation and loyalty from a group of people but it does seem a bit extreme. “if Johnny jumped off of the cliff, would you too? WHY YES MOM!”
You have to commend them for loyalty
They are definitely very loyal, to end your own life because the rest of the group is doing it too, well there isn’t any better devotion then that in my opinion.
Despite being rather extreme, their actions were based on their uncompromising values. Their loyalty and commitment is second to none.
I find it fascinating that the Ronin were aware that they would probably face great consequences for carrying out there revenge but they still put their loyalty to their leader above their own lives.
very loyal warriors, similar to the Japanese in ww2 who would refuse to be captured.
Forced suicide is more like a murder than anything else. Never give up I guess
This type of extremism can be seen today with suicide bombers. This is cult like and shouldn’t be revered.
Their loyalty is off the charts, but I can’t say I would do what they did.
I’ll never understand how people can be this dedicated to one mindset and prefer suicide over any sort of defeat.
the code of conduct does take place, and is understandable, but forced suicide is nothing to lead to
Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem
Forced suicide isn’t really suicide, it’s murder.
These actions were very extremist based on their set of values. Give them credit, I don’t know if I could have done it.
Forced suicide is an interesting topic, since it strongly resembles murder. It is hard to imagine having to obey a code of chivalry like theirs; however, the loyalty of these men is commendable.
I always new that loyalty and honor was a huge aspect of Japanese life, but ritually suicide and a two year avenge plot is a different level of loyalty and honesty. Although the actions of everyone involved in this story are extreme, there really is something honorable about them.
I would consider forced suicide to be murder rather than suicide. I am surprised he actually carried out the act even though he knew the consequences it entailed.
I think that there is something to be said about the Bushido code of the Samurai. I think that it makes sense that a story such as this would inspire the soldiers of the Japanese army in later wars, in particular the one mentioned, World War II, and how strongly they believed in the honor of dying for loyalty. This story gives us a lot of insight into Japanese culture and gives us a deeper understanding into their military code.
You would think that the Ronin practices would have been put to an end after the many murders/suicides that occurred. It is, however, somewhat admirable the amount of loyalty that these samurais had.
This seems to be forced murder rather than a forced suicide. The Ronin were very loyal to the leader and not many individuals would take their own life like that for someone else. The movie 47 Ronin was one of the worst films produced in the past years. Not by my judgement but from what the box office says it lost $175 million from the movie. That loss is a large amount to lose.
It is really interesting to look at this incident from the point of view that it was hyped up in order effect the way people viewed the Japanese in World War II. Whether or not the story is true it is no doubt a story of great bravery.
This incident seems prime for a movie portrayal as well as countless plays. The loyalty of the 47 Ronin is admirable. The fact that they planned for two years before avenging the death of their leader shows the commitment to their lord and their code.
Loyalty is a quality that admire in people so this “story of fierce loyalty” is one that I really like! I do not think that forced suicide is possible. I agree with previous people that have commented that is sounds more like a murder.
Loyalty seems to be a large part of Japanese culture. We see this in the portrayal of the Ronin. Loyalty is a characteristic we see through history, and we see it abundantly in the United States in those in the military who fight for our country. Interesting fact: The movie “47 Ronin” in the U.S. took a huge loss in their box office.
If the people wanted him to commit suicide I question why they did not make him commit suicide that day. Was there really a purpose for it to drag on for two years? At least he got what was coming to him for assaulting a court official.
i find it interesting the acts people will commit in the name of honor. Murder seems to be an act associated with the avenging of ones honor. Honor killings in muslim countries is what came to mind when I read this article. Honor killing is when a family member kills a woman who has dishonored her family through some indecent act. sometimes, this indecent act can be that the woman was raped against her will. I do not believe there is anything “honorable” about hiding behind this term in order to commit murder.
The whole concept of loyalty, especially in the Japanese culture, has always interested me. For someone to commit suicide in the name of their leader is unbelievable to me. That means they value their leader – a single person – more than their own lives. Whether good or bad, it is quite the radical idea. I personally disagree with it, but I give them credit for honoring the code they were bound to.
I’m a big guy on loyalty and something like that is honorable, I know the Japanese culture is all about honor and loyalty so you have to tip your hat to them.
For two years these 47 men must have been consumed by thoughts of their plan to get revenge. Two years is a long time to plan, especially when you know after it happens you will shortly commit suicide yourself. This is what shocked me the most. That 47 men would avenge their powerful leader just to then turn themselves in and commit suicide.
I am certain that after two years of plotting and no action many people believed the death of the leader was never going to be avenged. People had to be excited when the word was spread that honor had finally been upheld, and Japanese code was still intact.
I think it is cool that those 47 men were that loyal to their lord. It is amazing that after two years they still carried out their honorable obligation.
I find it interesting to see what people do as acts of loyalty and honor. These samurais were extremely loyal to the point where it seems to be almost admirable. It is interesting to see that this has been commemorated in plays, stories, television specials, movies, and puppet shows,
Loyalty and honor is a big thing in Japanese culture. Very admirable for these 47 men to stay that committed
I think the act of the 47 Ronin was out of loyalty and mainly respect for their culture. They fulfilled their obligation after 2 years and this shows dedication to their lord and land.
Although this is a tremendous demonstration of loyalty, I believe there is no nobility in taking human life – whether it is your own or someone else’s.
Interesting that these soldiers waited 2 years to plan and execute this horrible act, and in turn to turn themselves in and later commit suicide themselves. It goes to show how much the code of Bushido played in these soldiers lives and how serious they took it.
I saw many similar occurrences in the Japanese culture throughout all my history classes. They are truly loyal to their word and faith.
I remember learning about this here in JCU in “Modern East Asian History” with Dr. Purdy. Regardless of how true this story is, its morals of honor and loyalty continue in the Japanese culture to this day. I can see how stories of Bushido were used to promote nationalism during WWII.
The Japanese are absolutely very fierce fighters and due stand by a strict code of honor that rarely gets deviated from. They are also extremely loyal to each other when push come to shove they always have each others backs.
This is amazing. The fact that 47 men still stood in his corner for 2 years after his death, says a lot. Most men would have just tried to find another leader.
These 47 men have true hearts for there leader. Even though he died they were still inspired by his spirit. Quite loyal!
It amazes me how Japanese culture was focused so much on honor. It definitely makes for some stories that I find awesome and crazy at the same time.
Japanese culture is so amazing. I love the loyalty and honor that their culture is based around.
The loyalty these men have is really amazing. Being a samurai must have been such an honor.
Japanese culture is so interesting one , we get a lot of things from them , 2 being a samurai is like being a soldier in the use with such dignity and respect comes with it.
Living in this time period wold have been awesome if you were a samurai beause of how highly people thought of you but I would not have wanted to live in this time period. The beheading of people seems like it became the only solution to punishing someone.
Loyalty and honor are two things that I feel a lot of people lack nowadays.
i don’t understand how do you have a forced suicide? isn’t that just murder?
the Japanese culture its very interesting when it come to honor
The Japanese were and still are to this day loyal people who have a great amount of respect for their leaders.
Is a forced suicide on a certain level a degree of murder? I believe in today’s society it is seen that way but what about back then??
I don’t know much about the Japanese culture, but I do know that there is loyalty and sense of honor to heart which is very interesting.
I only know a little bit about Japanese culture because of my interest in World War 2. Honor and loyalty was most important to them for centuries and they would give their own lives for it.
I understand avenging a leader forced to commit suicide over something honorable but it seems like this leader just assaulted a man out of anger. What about that is honorable?
I never seen that movie with Keanu Reeves “47 Ronin” I’ll have to rent it sometime.
why didn’t one of them just step up and take command. restoring honor and dispelling acts of anger or rage. that would seem like the honorable thing to do. why didn’t they have a better chain of command?
These men that avenged their leader were very loyal.
I would have been a bit upset if I were once of the 46 that was going to die and I learn that the messenger that was sent back to the Lord’s home was allowed to live. I guess it’s the story of don’t shoot the messenger.
Killing yourself after being sentenced to death in today’s culture would be viewed as cowardly but in the Japanese culture it is viewed as loyalty and honorable, very interesting.
Ive always found the Japanese culture so interesting and to see that they really lived their lives fully off of honor is something amazing to read about.
It’s interesting that Japanese culture is all about honor, even if it means death to maintain it.
The Japanese culture has always fascinated me and I think it is crazy how much discipline and honor they have for their country.