The FortySeven Ronin

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The Forty-Seven Ronin

• The Japanese Samurai

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The Shogun

• The word "shogun" is a title that was granted by
  the Emperor to the country's top military
  commander. During the Heian period (794-1185) the
  members of the military gradually became more
  powerful than the court officials, and eventually
  they took control of the whole government. The
  shoguns also imposed a strict class system, with
  the samurai (warriors) at the top, followed by
  farmers, artisans, and merchants. Under the
  shoguns were lords with the title of daimyo, each
  of whom ruled a part of Japan. The daimyo were
  masters of the samurai.

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The Samurai Way

• "The Way of the Samurai is found in death. When
  it comes to death, there is only the quick choice
  of death. We all want to live. And in large part
  we make our logic according to what we like. But
  not having attained our aim and continuing to
  live is cowardice. This is a thin dangerous line.
  To die without gaining one's aim IS a dog's death
  and fanaticism. But there is no shame in this.
  This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai.
  If by setting one's heart right every morning and
  evening, one is able to live as though his body
  were already dead, he gains freedom in the Way.
  His whole life will be without blame, and he will
  succeed in his calling." - Hagakure

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Battle

• Fate is in Heaven, the armor is on the breast,
  success is with the legs. Go to the battlefield
  firmly confident of victory, and you will come
  home with no wounds whatever. Engage in combat
  fully determined to die and you will be alive
  wish to survive in the battle and you will surely
  meet death. When you leave the house determined
  not to see it again you will come home safely
  when you have any thought of returning you will
  not return. You may not be in the wrong to think
  that the world is always subject to change, but
  the warrior must not entertain this way of
  thinking, for his fate is always determined.
• Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)1

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Samurai Gear

• the basic clothing item in a samurai's 'everyday'
  wardrobe was the kimono, which for men normally
  consisted of an outer and inner layer. Heavier
  kimonos were worn in the winter, while lighter
  examples (those made of finer silk, for instance)
  were worn in the summer.
• Beneath the kimono, a loincloth (fundoshi) was
  worn, of which there were two varieties. One was
  essentially a wrap that, for lack of a better
  description, resembled a diaper (familiar to
  anyone who has witnessed or seen footage of some
  of modern Japan's more esoteric festivals) the
  other type (more often worn under armor) was a
  long piece of material worn down the front of the
  body
• Footwear generally consisted of sandals (waraji)
  and wooden clogs

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Samurai Names

• During the course of his life, the samurai could
  expect to be known by a series of names.
  Sometimes confounding to the historian, this
  tradition occasionally produced a myriad number
  of tags for a single well-known samurai. Each
  name carried with it a certain significance, as
  we will see in the following, brief overview of
  this topic. As the samurai of the 15th to 16th
  Century provide us with the best-documented
  examples, these will be drawn on for cases in
  point. Taken generally, these customs may be
  assumed to have been historically universal (with
  the exception, of course, of Christian names).
• They had both CHILD NAMES and ADULT NAMES. Adult
  names were given to a Samurai at a Coming of Age
  Ceremony. Samurai also had Religious names that
  reflected their faith.

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Samurai Family Crest
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Samurai Family Crests
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The Ronin

• The Ronin was a Samurai without a master.
• Insert clip from movie Ronin here telling about
  the Ronin.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Asano Naganori, daimyo of Ako, age 35. Over his
  kimono he is wearing kami-shimo, the formal
  combination of a jacket with stiffened shoulders
  and extremely long hakama, or trousers, known as
  naga-bakama. These trousers, which encased the
  feet in a long trailing length of silk, were only
  worn on the most formal occasions. They were a
  sign of status, since one could only move
  carefully in them, and it was necessary to hold
  the fabric up with the hands when walking.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Kira Yoshinaka, the villain of the story. He was
  a retainer in the household of the Shogun, and
  served as the Shogun's master of ceremonies. His
  hat indicates his high rank.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Oishi Kuranosuke, age 45. He served as Lord
  Asano's chief retainer and steward, and became
  the leader of the vendetta against Kira. He is
  admired not only for his loyalty, but also for
  his intelligence, perseverence, and dignity.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Oishi Chikara, age 16. Oishi's eldest son and the
  youngest of the forty-seven ronin. Like his
  father, he is armed with two swords and a spear.
  Hanging from the spear is a helmet with a
  firefighter's cloth attached.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Ohtaka Gengo, age 32. He is one of the most
  popular characters in the tale of the forty-seven
  ronin. He was a master of spear-fighting, and a
  student of haiku poetry. His face is a popular
  motif on kites.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Horibe Yahyoe, age 77. The oldest of the 47
  ronin. His son also was part of the band of
  conspiracy. Although most of the ronin were in
  their twenties and thirties, there were men in
  all age groups.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Horibe Yasubei, age 34. He was the leader of the
  group in Edo (Tokyo) that watched Lord Kira's
  activities and reported back to Oishi. He is
  often portrayed as a dashing and hot-headed young
  man.

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The Forty Seven Ronin Characters

• Yoshida Chuzaemon, age 64. Second in command to
  Oishi. Along with Chikara, he led the men who
  attacked the back gate of the mansion, while
  Oishi commanded the frontal assault.