Akō Incident

The Akō Incident began in 1701 after the daimyō Asano Naganori attacked the ceremonial official Kira Yoshinaka inside Edo Castle. Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered Asano to commit seppuku, confiscated the Akō domain and left Asano's retainers without a lord or position.

Ōishi Yoshio organised a group of former retainers who concealed their plans while waiting for Kira's guard to relax. In January 1703 they attacked Kira's Edo residence, killed him and carried his head to Asano's grave at Sengaku-ji. They surrendered to the authorities, and forty-six were later ordered to die by seppuku.

The incident became one of Japan's best-known narratives of loyalty and revenge because it placed the obligations of retainers in direct conflict with the shogunate's laws. It was repeatedly adapted as Chūshingura in theatre, print, film and fiction. This context supports John Allyn's 47 Ronin and other historical novels centred on the Akō vendetta.