{"id":79864,"date":"2021-03-20T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=79864"},"modified":"2021-04-01T11:12:44","modified_gmt":"2021-04-01T02:12:44","slug":"history-ako-47-ronin-traditional-architecture-salt-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/history-ako-47-ronin-traditional-architecture-salt-making\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of Ako: 47 Ronin, Traditional Architecture, and the Art of Salt Making"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ako<\/strong> a smaller city in Japan that is perfect for a short stay if you are looking for an off-the-beaten-track destination<\/strong> away from the crowds of more popular tourist areas like Kyoto or Hiroshima. Although Ako may not be so well-known among foreign visitors, it has much to offer for those interested in Japanese history and culture<\/strong>. Not only is Ako a great place to admire traditional Japanese architecture<\/strong> and learn about old methods of salt production<\/strong>, but it was also the home domain of one of the most famous samurai groups in Japanese history, the 47 Ronin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Real-Life Events and History of the 47 Ronin of Ako<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The famous story of the 47 Ronin<\/strong> (ronin<\/em> \u6d6a\u4eba are masterless samurai), which is known by most Japanese under the name Chushingura (\u5fe0\u81e3\u8535)<\/strong>, is based on the real events of the Ako incident (\u8d64\u7a42\u4e8b\u4ef6)<\/strong>, that took place in the early 18th century. This incident inspired numerous plays, novels, and movies up to this day. It was even adapted by Hollywood in the 2013 film \u201c47 Ronin,\u201d starring Keanu Reeves<\/strong> together with internationally famous Japanese actors, such as Sanada Hiroyuki and Kikuchi Rinko<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pictures
Pictures of the 47 Ronin inside Banshu Ako Station.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In 1675, Asano Naganori <\/a>became the lord of Ako Domain when he was just 9 years old after his father’s death. As it was common for lords of smaller domains, he was appointed to temporary minor offices by the Tokugawa Shogunate<\/strong> several times. In 1701, he was appointed to serve as an official under Kira Yoshinaka to host the emissaries from the imperial court at Edo Castle<\/strong>. Yoshinaka was in charge of teaching him the correct court manners for this occasion, but he looked down on him and treated him quite harshly. The tension between the two men grew day by day. When Yoshinaka rudely insulted Naganori during their duty in Edo Castle, he couldn\u2019t take it anymore, drew his sword, and attacked Yoshinaka. However, he was only able to wound Yoshinaka\u2019s back and forehead before the guards separated them. Drawing one\u2019s sword inside the shogun<\/em>\u2019s castle and attacking a superior was a grave offense. As a punishment, Naganori had to commit seppuku<\/em>, ritual suicide<\/strong>, his castle and lands were all confiscated, and his retainers all became masterless ronin<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

47 of Naganori\u2019s most loyal retainers, under the leadership of Oishi Kuranosuke, swore an oath to avenge their master and kill Kira Yoshinaka, even though they knew that this was against the law. But Yoshinaka\u2019s residence was well-guarded, and he expected Oishi\u2019s men to attack him. So the 47 Ronin became monks and tradesman and pretended to live the life of normal commoners to make Yoshinaka believe that they were no threat. It is said that Oishi even went so far as to move to Kyoto, where he frequently visited the city’s red-light districts and got drunk almost every night. He sacrificed his whole reputation and honor as a samurai to clear himself of even the least suspicion that he could still be after avenging his lord. After almost two years, Yoshinaka finally let down his guard. On the night of December 14th, 1702, Oishi and his men attacked Yoshinaka\u2019s mansion in Edo. They found Yoshinaka, killed him, and placed his head before their lord\u2019s tomb to report the success of their revenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Statue
A statue of Oishi in front of the station.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The shogunate officials were in a quandary because the hearts of the people belonged to the 47 Ronin, and they had lived up to the samurai ideals by being loyal to their lord even after his death. But they broke the law and had to be punished. As a result, they were ordered to commit seppuku, as it was considered more honorable to take their own life instead of being executed. On the 4th of February, 1703, all of the ronin<\/em> committed ritual suicide, except for one who had run off immediately after they started their attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Traces of the 47 Ronin in Ako<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have known the story of the 47 Ronin for a long time, so I was quite excited to have the chance to visit some of the places connected to them in Ako. Although the Seto Inland Sea<\/strong> is known for many sunny days year-round, I somehow managed to visit on one of the few rainy days. But in no way did this take away from my excitement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ako Castle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I first went to the remains of Ako Castle<\/strong> in the center of the city. The castle was built in the mid-17th century upon the order of Asano Naganao, Naganori\u2019s grandfather. It took 13 years to complete the construction. Even though the 17th century was a time of relative peace under the strict rule of the Tokugawa, the castle was designed with its defensibility in mind by two knowledgeable military strategists. The way inside the castle is not a straight line, but circles around the concentrically arranged walls and through a number of gates facing in different directions. The goal was to make it as difficult as possible for an attacker to make their way in and give the defenders more time to attack them with guns and arrows through shooting slits in the walls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The castle\u2019s location, with the Chikusagawa River <\/strong>to the east and the Seto Inland Sea to the south, made it even easier to defend. The castle was destroyed after the samurai rule ended in the 19th century<\/strong>, but parts of it have been restored, and the castle has been designated as a national historic site<\/strong> in 1971. Most of the inner areas have been transformed into a public park with beautiful gardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Walls<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Oishi Shrine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Located on the grounds of Ako Castle is also Oishi Shrine (\u5927\u77f3\u795e\u793e)<\/strong>, which is dedicated to the 47 Ronin and their leader Oishi Kuranosuke. People come here to pay respect to their heroic deeds and to pray for being granted at least some of their determination so that they can realize their own personal ambitions. Many school children write their wishes on votive plaques<\/strong> and offer them to the shrine in the hopes of passing their next examination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n