Description

The sixth print appearing in Volume 1 of Gishi taikan, edited by Fukumoto Nichinan.

As written in the commentary accompanying the print, "The wife of Asano Naganori (later Yōsen-in) stood in the genkan as he was escorted to the castle. From this point on, Naganori was busy serving the imperial envoys for several days at the Chiyoda Palace, but he could not help feeling a little depressed and unhappy."[1]  Before he left, his wife tried to soothe him by saying, "I hope you will return home soon so that I may enjoy hearing the story of today."[2] The commentary goes on to tell us that "the bad news was delivered [to his wife and retainers] at noon."[3] The Genroku kaikyoroku tells us that the news was delivered by Asano's younger brother and adopted heir Daigaku.[4]

The "bad news" of course was the same day judgement by the shogun's government (bakufu) that Asano must commit seppuku for the attack on Kira Yoshinaka, the shogun's master of ceremonies, earlier that day, the 14th day of the 3rd month and the last day of the welcoming ceremonies for the emperors' envoys at the palace, and that his residences in Edo and his castle and the surrounding domain in Akō were to be confiscated. Citing the account by Kajikawa Yosobei, an eyewitness to the attack, Tucker tells us "around 10:00 AM...with the final round of New Year's ceremonies about to unfold...Asano Naganori drew his sword, ran down the grand corridor [likely the "Pine Tree Corridor"] adjacent to Edo Castle's ceremonial chambers, toward the shogunal master of ceremonies, Kira Yoshinaka, and struck him twice."[5] Kira was seriously wounded, but the blows were not fatal. As Asano was led away he stated he struck Kira "because of a grudge he had harbored over the last several days." [6] Others, however, thought that rather than a pre-meditated attack, it was the attack of a madman, by someone who had lost his mind. Words attributed to Asano after the attack about having had "an unfortunate life, one afflicted by illness and suffering" leading him to take his actions is used to back up this suggestion of madness.[7]  Whatever the cause of his actions, Asano was put into the custody of the daimyo Tamura Tateaki to await his suicide that evening at Tamura's residence.

The night of his seppuku his widow reportedly vowed to become a Buddhist nun. Taking the Buddhist name Yōzeiin (Yōsen-in) she would spend her life "praying for her husband 's well-being in the afterlife."[8]

[1] my translation from the commentary, the original of which is shown below.

[2]  my translation from Volume 1, section 25 of Genroku kaikyoroku 元禄快挙録（上）. 

[3] my translation from the commentary, the original of which is shown below.

[4]  my translation from Volume 1, section 25 of Genroku kaikyoroku 元禄快挙録（上）. 

[5] The Forty-Seven Rōnin: The Vendetta in History, John A. Tucker, Cambridge University Press, 2018, p. 40.

[6] ibid., p.44.

[7] ibid., p.48.

[8] ibid., p.49.

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