On January 30, 1703, 47 Japanese samurai avenged the forced suicide of their feudal lord.
Digging Deeper
Digging deeper, we find the Japanese code of Bushido, an Eastern code of honor similar to the old European code of chivalry.
Samurai who became leaderless were called Ronin (a role 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.
Read Full Article »