The story of the 47 ronin is The national story of Japan and the key to understanding Nihon Kokoro, the japanese mind. Just as the United States has the legend of the Alamo, Japan has the story of the 47 Ronin. The popularity of the story comes from the fact that the heroes had become an ideal. They embody all that a Nihonjin, a Japanese person strives to be. It also illustrates the cultural chasm between the asian cultures and western cultures regarding duty, honor and death (the japanese consider seppuku a very honorable way to die).

The heroic warriors were offered a chance to live, but in a solemn and dramatic ceremony, each man, in turn, knelt down and ran his thumb over the blade of a razor sharp Katana (sword blade)in order to draw blood. One by one, they then impressed their thumbprint on a document swearing loyalty to the end to Asano, Lord of Ako. More than three hundred fifty men in all executed the blood oath, and forty-seven would avenge him. The Ronin were buried next to their Lord and his wife on the grounds of a buddhist temple, a site of ritual pilgramige to this day. A must read for anyone studying martial arts, this book is the key to understanding the spirit and the drive of the Japanese people.

 

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