First Trip to Japan
Tokyo | Japan
11 Dec 2019 | Wed
Day 06 of 07
Sengakuji Temple – Graves of 47 Ronin
Sengakuji is an Sōtō Zen Buddhist temple located in the Takanawa neighborhood of Minato-ku. This temple became famous through the Akō incident of the forty-seven Rōnin in the 18th century. The tomb of Lord Asano Takumi-no-Kami Naganori is located here, who was forced to commit ritual suicide after he broke protocol and drew a sword in the Edo Castle.
His retainers – the forty-seven Rōnin led by Oishi Kuranosuke avenged his death, washed his opponent’s head in a water well, and presented it on the altar in front of his tomb. Afterward they were ordered by the Shōgun to commit ritual suicide and were also buried here next to their master. Their story became famous through the Kabuki epic “Chūshingura” and their graves became a popular destination for visitors looking to pay tribute to real-life legends.
I’ve included a picture of an information plaque that gives more information about this event (and a map of the graves).
I also found a web page provided by the National Association of Japan-America Societies (link below), that goes into more detail (older website – sorry for the distracting background):
For More About Sengakuji Temple – Graves of 47 Ronin:
http://www.us-japan.org/edomatsu/senkakuji/story.html