Akō Incident – Within striking distance

Field Report: Akō Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (20 November 2016)

I’m not an admirer of the Forty-seven Rōnin. I’ve done a fair bit of research on this famous 18th-century tale of revenge, and my position as it currently stands is 1) the deed itself was not as honourable as we’re told, and 2) their target was not as guilty as he’s been made out toContinue reading “Field Report: Akō Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (20 November 2016)”

Field Report: In the footsteps of the 47 Rōnin at Sengaku-ji, Tōkyō, Japan (05 July 2015)

We will never know the full truth behind what drove Asano Naganori to unsheathe his sword within the confines of Edo Castle in 1701, and in so doing trigger the famous raid of the 47 Rōnin nearly two years later. We do know where this long and bloody tale ended: the serene precincts of Sengaku-jiContinue reading “Field Report: In the footsteps of the 47 Rōnin at Sengaku-ji, Tōkyō, Japan (05 July 2015)”