Revenge of the Ronin

Summary

HISTORY This Week: Episode Summary – "Revenge of the Ronin"

Release Date: March 17, 2025
Host: Sally Helm
Production: Back Pocket Studios in partnership with the History Channel

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Introduction

In the episode titled "Revenge of the Ronin," hosted by Sally Helm, listeners are transported back to early 18th-century Japan to explore the legendary tale of the 47 Ronin. This story, rooted in real historical events, has been immortalized through various cultural retellings, including plays, operas, novels, and films. Sally Helm delves into the circumstances that led these masterless samurai, known as ronin, to seek vengeance, examining the intricate interplay of loyalty, honor, and societal expectations within the samurai code.

Historical Context

Sally Helm sets the scene in March 1703, during a period when Japan was under the peaceful rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Despite the prolonged peace, the role of the samurai was evolving. Traditionally warriors, samurai were also expected to be cultured and educated members of society. However, with no active wars, the samurai's purpose became increasingly ambiguous.

"By the beginning of the 1700s, that part of a samurai's role has become more important. The aim was to domesticate them, to discourage fighting and revenge attacks, which often happened in the name of their lord."
(06:00)

The Incident: Assault on Kira Yoshinaka

At the heart of the episode is the fateful encounter between Asano Naganori, a young daimyo from the remote town of Ako, and Kira Yoshinaka, a high-ranking samurai overseeing ceremonial occasions for the Shogunate.

During a New Year's ceremony in Edo, Asano committed an unprecedented act of aggression against Kira:

"Asano Naganori attacks using something that's more like a small ceremonial knife... it makes about as wrong a move as he could possibly make."
(11:57)

This unprovoked attack, which left Kira injured but alive, infuriated the Shogun. Under the strict samurai code, Asano was sentenced to immediate seppuku, a ritualized suicide, for disrupting the ceremony and spilling blood, which was considered pollution.

The Aftermath: Transition to Ronin

Asano's forced suicide left his retainers in a precarious position. With their lord dead, over 300 samurai under his command faced disgrace and the loss of their status, becoming ronin. The betrayal felt by these former samurai was deepened by the Shogunate's decision not to punish Kira, whom they believed was responsible for the incident.

"The ronin are angry. They feel that the Bakufu government has disrespected this traditional principle and samurai code."
(15:17)

The Decision to Seek Revenge

Amidst dwindling numbers, with about 250 of the original 300 ronin having already abandoned their cause, the remaining 47 under the leadership of Oishi Kuronosuke resolve to honor their fallen lord by avenging his death. Their path is fraught with moral and ethical dilemmas, as they grapple with the repercussions of their planned retaliation.

"It's a matter of loyalty. And so, when it becomes clear that there's no other option, Oishi agrees to a new plan."
(18:00)

The Assault on Kira's Mansion

After meticulous planning and infiltrative efforts, the 47 Ronin execute their revenge on a cold January night, 22 months after Asano's death. Disguised and dispersed, they navigate through Kira's heavily guarded mansion, confronting and eliminating his bodyguards before finally locating and beheading him.

"The men are stunned. They've succeeded, taken revenge, and what's more, not a single one of their forces has been slain."
(24:23)

Delivering Kira's Head to Asano's Grave

In a poignant gesture, the ronin carry Kira's severed head to their lord's grave at Ako. This act symbolizes the restoration of their honor and serves as a final testament to their unwavering loyalty.

"So they walk several miles to the temple where Asano was buried... The Rhonin know that the end is coming for them, too."
(24:13)

Consequences and Legacy

Despite their success, the ronin face inevitable repercussions. They turn themselves in, hoping for leniency by adhering to the samurai traditions. However, the Shogun remains unyielding, sentencing them to seppuku. By the end of this tragic episode, 46 ronin meet their end, solidifying their place in history as paragons of loyalty and honor.

"The 47 Ronin did not become immortal, but they might have pulled off something close."
(29:36)

Cultural Impact

Sally Helm emphasizes the enduring legacy of the 47 Ronin in Japanese culture. Over centuries, their story has been adapted and mythologized, serving various political and social agendas. From being declared heroes by the Imperial regime in the 1860s to being romanticized in modern media, the ronin's tale remains a powerful narrative of sacrifice and allegiance.

"With their death... you could say they had a 300 year run of phenomenal importance."
(29:36)

Conclusion

"Revenge of the Ronin" offers a comprehensive exploration of one of Japan's most revered historical narratives. Through meticulous storytelling and insightful analysis, Sally Helm captures the complexity of the ronin's motivations and the profound impact of their actions on Japanese society and cultural identity. This episode not only recounts a pivotal moment in history but also invites listeners to reflect on the timeless themes of honor, loyalty, and the moral dilemmas faced by those bound by tradition.

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Notable Quotes:

• "The ronin are angry. They feel that the Bakufu government has disrespected this traditional principle and samurai code."
  (15:17)

• "It's a matter of loyalty. And so, when it becomes clear that there's no other option, Oishi agrees to a new plan."
  (18:00)

• "The men are stunned. They've succeeded, taken revenge, and what's more, not a single one of their forces has been slain."
  (24:23)

• "With their death... you could say they had a 300 year run of phenomenal importance."
  (29:36)

---

Production Credits

• Produced by: Julie McGruder, Lynn McCamey, Ben Dickstein, and Sally Helm
• Editor and Sound Designer: Dan Rosad
• Researcher: Emma Fredericks
• Executive Producers: Jesse Katz and Ted Butler

For more insightful episodes and moments from history, visit historythisweekpodcast.com or contact the team at [e-mail]. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review "HISTORY This Week" on your preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

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[Sally Helm]

The History Channel Original Podcast this podcast contains descriptions of violence and suicide. Listener discretion advised. History this week March 20, 1703 I'm Sally Helm. It's late afternoon, the beginning of spring, and about 50 men are waiting to die. They're former samurai, and there's a special place prepared for their death in the front garden of a rich house in Japan. Three tatami mats stacked on top of each other, covered with a white cloth, white curtains on two sides. It's a ceremonial setting for a ceremonial death. These men are going to commit seppuku, which means ritualized suicide. The ritual begins around 4pm the men are offered a final cup of sake. They get ink and paper to write a note to their loved ones or to put their feelings down in a poem. And then, one by one, they step up and pull out their swords. Traditionally, a samurai would commit seppuku by slicing his own stomach. By the 1700s, that very painful version of the ritual has mostly fallen away. Instead, each condemned former samurai has chosen another person. A second. That person stands behind him as he pulls out his sword, and at a signal, perhaps, the condemned man turns his head just slightly in the second's direction. The second pulls out his own sword. Before the former samurai's blade reaches his stomach. The second cuts off the former samurai's head. It's a more humane way to die. And on this day in March, the whole thing goes very efficiently. After just over an hour, 17 men are dead. That's a rate of about one man every four minutes. And this isn't the only place where former samurai are committing seppuku. Today, almost 50 men will die in this same way. All of them had served the same lord and ultimately they gave their lives to avenge him. Today, the story of the 47 Ronin. Why did these men decide that to be loyal samurai they had to die? And how did this moment live on for centuries and become part of the national story of Japan?

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[Sally Helm]

The story of the 47 Ronin has been retold as a play, an opera. It's been told in novels, comics, anime, dozens of Japanese movies and a 52 part television series. Also a 2013American movie starring Keanu Reeves, but John Tucker first heard about it in a manner that befits a scholar of Confucianism.

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Reading a book in translation. Studies in the intellectual history of Tokugawa Japan, where a Japanese scholar, Maruyama Masao, discussed various views of the 47 Ronin incident.

[Sally Helm]

Tucker eventually went on to write a whole book of his own about the 47 Ronin, though his interest in the story isn't totally dry and academic.

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I even have a little hello kitty that is of the 47 Ronin. Apparently Sanrio came out with a special.

[Sally Helm]

Edition and there were 47 of them.

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Oh yeah, yeah, I only have one.

[Sally Helm]

So it's fair to say that the tale of the 47 Ronin has morphed and changed and been referenced many times over the Years. But it's rooted in real events. We'll begin with the samurai, who, at the time of this story, 1701, have a lot of power in Japan.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

They thought of themselves as the leaders of Japan. There would have been a definite swagger about them because they understood that when they came walking down the street that others were to back off, move away. If you rub them the wrong way, they could cut you down and really have very few questions to answer from the authorities. And of course, they had the swords.

[Sally Helm]

The swords.

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One of the privileges that was exclusive to the samurai was the right to wear two swords in public.

[Sally Helm]

Because starting in the late 16th century, in an effort to bring peace to Japan, a warlord had decided to forcefully strip everyone of their weapons except the samurai. They became this special warrior class. But by the middle of the 1600s, Japan hasn't had a major war in half a century, which raises questions for the samurai.

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When there wasn't an enemy against which you were actively defending the population, then how did you justify yourself?

[Sally Helm]

So the samurai's role is changing. They've always been encouraged to be not just strong warriors, but also educated, cultured, refined members of society. And by the beginning of the 1700s, that part of a samurai's role has become more important. The aim was to domesticate them, to discourage fighting and revenge attacks, which often happened in the name of their lord. They're the cultural elite and also the political elite. Much of the government is made up of samurai. That government is led by the Shogun. Above him is the emperor, who is not a samurai. The emperor is based in Kyoto, and the Bakufu government is based in Edo, which will become Tokyo.

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By the late 17th century, Edo was the most populous city on the face of the earth.

[Sally Helm]

Many of the most important samurai spend a lot of time in Edo, including a man named Kira Yoshinako. At the time our story begins, 1701, Kira is 60 years old.

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That might not seem all that elderly, but in the 17th century, early 18th century in Japan, if you made it to 60 years old, you were doing fairly well.

[Sally Helm]

So Kira is an elderly man from an important family, and he has an important job. He oversees ceremonial occasions for the Shogunate, especially any ceremonies that involve the imperial family. So he's constantly going back and forth between Edo and Kyoto, hanging out with aristocrats, coordinating these important events.

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And of all the ones that Kira coordinated, the single most important was the exchange of New Year's greetings between the Shogun and the Emperor and the Emperor and the shogun.

[Sally Helm]

And during this, all Important New year's celebration in 1701. Kira will have a fateful encounter. A young daimyo, aka a samurai lord, is in town for the ceremony. His name is Asano Naganori. He's not from the big city. He's from a remote town called Ako.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Kind of hinterland domain that would be easy to make fun of if you had airs about yourself living in Edo, grand capital of the Shogun and all of that.

[Sally Helm]

Asano does have more than 300 samurai back home in Ako who are under his command. And he himself is a samurai, so of course he has social status. But within the world of the samurai, he is lower status, a bit of a country bumpkin. Not someone an important samurai like Kira would want to pay much attention to.

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He would look upon a person like Asano Naganori and think, you know, you are so far beneath me, you know, I just can't hardly bring myself to have anything to do with you.

[Sally Helm]

But Asano has had the honor of being invited to assist in this important New Year's ceremony. He is far from the most important samurai there. But hey, at least he's there. And in those circumstances, Asano Naganori should have understood.

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Anybody else would have understood. You make a wrong move and you suffer the consequences. And then, incredibly enough, he makes about as wrong a move as he could possibly make.

[Sally Helm]

It happens on the third day of this New Year's ceremony, at about 10 o'clock in the morning. A servant in the castle later tells the story. This servant sees Kira walking through the open air hallways, says a pleasant hello.

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And then suddenly, someone comes charging up with a sword, drawn sword, and strikes Kira once and then strikes him a second time. Okay? And then that person is later identified as Asano Naganori.

[Sally Helm]

Kira is not killed in this attack, partly because the sword that Asano used wasn't a normal battle sword. Those weren't allowed for ceremonial occasions, especially when the Shogunate was present. So Asano attacks using something that's more like a small ceremonial knife.

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It's as if he was using a glorified butcher's knife to strike down a man in cold blood.

[Sally Helm]

It is a crazy thing to do. And indeed, many people at the time think that Asano must have been having some kind of psychotic break. Otherwise, why would he do this?

[McDonald's Advertiser]

The weapon, the tactics, the moment. You have got to be kidding. None of it. None of it made any sense to anyone.

[Sally Helm]

Now, it's possible that Asano and Kira actually had some kind of beef. The servant does say that Asano might have yelled something as he jumped out with his knife.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Something like, you will remember the past event. Some reference to something that has happened before. But what that event was or what had happened before is never clarified. Never clarified at all.

[Sally Helm]

But the attack happens. That's clear enough. And although Kira survives, he's injured, blood is spilled.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

And blood is associated with pollution. And spilling blood at an occasion such as this, it's just like, oh, gosh, that ruined everything.

[Sally Helm]

It makes the Shogun furious.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

This was not how he wanted things to be. He wanted to present himself as a samurai, but as a samurai who had cultivated this refined, cultured half of himself. That Asano Naganori had caused blood polluting blood to be spilled on the last day of this event was just unforgivable, okay? Unforgivable. Plain and simple.

[Sally Helm]

His punishment is death.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

This comes down with the sanction of the Shogun himself. Asano Naganori will commit seppuku. Not tomorrow, not next week, this very day, this very afternoon.

[Sally Helm]

He plans to do it in the ceremonial way, with a second who will take mercy on him and cut off his head. But things don't go as planned. The second takes his first swing and.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Misses and cut his head behind his ear. Meaning that Asano Naganori would have to somehow stand himself up and wait for the second attempt. Perhaps it was that the second had been instructed, make a mess of it if you want, because we don't care. We're not concerned about giving this man an easy way out.

[Sally Helm]

Back in Asano's home in Ako, no one yet knows of his death. The first messengers rode off just after the initial attack, before the sentencing and the seppuku. But when the samurai under Asano's command hear about the attack, they know exactly what is going to happen.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Not only was their lord fated to die, but that if he died, then they would no longer be, strictly speaking, samurai. They would be ronin, or masterless samurai.

[Sally Helm]

Ronin. Not long after they get the confirmation.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Of Asano's death, they knew that this news was as bad as it could possibly be. Because the man that they had served had died for such a notorious deed. They would be shamed and their chances for service anywhere else really impaired because of that association.

[Sally Helm]

What makes it even worse is that they soon learn that Kira will not face any punishment, which to them seems.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Unfair, because there was a shogunal rule that when an altercation occurred, that everyone involved would be held guilty. Whether you threw the first blow or not, made no difference if you fought back, you would be considered guilty.

[Sally Helm]

So they think Kira was involved in the altercation. He should be punished too. But the Bakufu does an investigation and.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Finds Kira did not resist. He did not fight back. And so he was decreed not guilty of any clear offense.

[Sally Helm]

The ronin are angry. They feel that the Bakufu government has disrespected this traditional principle and samurai code. Also, they've been shamed and they're out of a job. So soon after Asano's death, the over 300 Ronin gather to talk about what to do.

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There were some who said, if our lord has had to commit seppuku, then that is what we should do right now, right here, this very moment. And there were those. Yes, yes, yes. And then there are others who said, no, no. What we need to do is take revenge.

[Sally Helm]

In this heated discussion, one voice rises to the surface. A man named Oishi Kurunosuke is the head samurai in Ako. He's been managing things happily in this rural domain, while Asano spent time in Edo, the big city. And now, in this moment of crisis, he becomes a calm leader, managing all of the various factions.

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He never really disagrees. For example, when it's said, we need to commit suicide right now, he says, that's okay, I agree with you. But then. Oh, wait, wait. Let's think about this just one second. Now, I'm not saying that's not the right course. Let's just think about this.

[Sally Helm]

Eventually, Oishi says, let's try something less radical for now. Not revenge on Kira, not yet. Maybe we can convince the Shogun to let Asano Nakanori's brother become our leader. Then the family line continues, and maybe we can keep our jobs. They send this request to the Shogunate.

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But it's a good year before that Hard no arrives.

[Sally Helm]

Now, Oishi knows that they have to do something to avenge their lord. Even though what their lord did was kind of crazy.

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For Oishi, it didn't make any difference whether what Asano Naganori had done made any sense at all. Asano Naganori was his lord and he was his samurai.

[Sally Helm]

It's a matter of loyalty. And so, when it becomes clear that there's no other option, Oishi agrees to a new plan.

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Attack Kira and take his head.

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[Sally Helm]

There had once been about 300 samurai under Asano, and over the year that it takes to get the Shogun's answer, about 250 of them have decided to leave. They change their names, give up their lives as samurai and fade into society. But the remaining ronin are ready to take revenge. Under Oishi's command, they plan for the attack. Some of them move to Edo, close by, the place where Kira lives One ronin opens up a fake rice shop near the compound so he can do surveillance. Another befriends Kira's tea teacher so that he can gain access to the mansion.

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And it was by means of that particular infiltration that they came to know the precise night that the attack would occur, because Kira was going to be there.

[Sally Helm]

It's a cold January night, about 22 months after Asano's death. Kira will be home for a party, and that night, the 47 Ronin begin to creep towards his mansion.

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They were a ragtag bunch. They did not have funds for, say, uniforms. Though in later popular culture, they're invariably depicted as a well outfitted, nicely coordinated, fashionable group of individuals.

[Sally Helm]

They've prepared as best they can. The oldest ronin in the group is 77. The youngest is about 15. There are a few father son pairs. Oishi's own young son is there. And they know that they're heading towards a chaotic battle in a large, dark compound with many guards. They've brought whistles they can use to communicate.

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And then there was a password. If anybody stops you and you're in doubt as to the other person's identity, you were supposed to say Yama. And then if that was said to you and you were part of the group, you would say Kawa. That was the combination. Yama. Kawa. Yama. Kawa.

[Sally Helm]

Despite their preparation, the ronin do not think they'll survive the attack. They're carrying papers that explain what they're planning to do and why. They assume those papers will eventually be found on their dead bodies. Around 4:00 in the morning, the men arrive at the mansion walls.

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They climb over the front, climb over the back, and then lower themselves in one by one, and proceed to search out Kira.

[Sally Helm]

First, they meet his bodyguards, who are.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Half asleep and perhaps hungover. They're often depicted and art and bare feet. Okay, they were not ready for battle.

[Sally Helm]

But the ronin are.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

So it's a carnage, okay, It's a ferocious scene.

[Sally Helm]

The fighting goes on for about two hours. Many of Kira's bodyguards are killed, but Kira himself still has not been found. Some of the ronin make their way to his bedroom, but he isn't there. They touch his futon and it's still warm. He's just left. He's somewhere in the mansion, but where?

[McDonald's Advertiser]

And then it seems to be quite by accident. They ultimately find him hiding in a cubby like space not far from the kitchen area, protected by two bodyguards.

[Sally Helm]

One of the ronin hears a sound and plunges his spear into the wall. The two bodyguards emerge, and the Rhonin cut them down. Then an old man emerges, and the ronin cut him down too.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

It was only after they had killed him that they looked at his head and they saw the scar on his forehead and came to the conclusion, that must be Kira. This is the scar that proves it.

[Sally Helm]

It's the scar that their Lord Asano made when he attacked Kira in that hallway. The men are stunned. They've succeeded, taken revenge, and what's more, not a single one of their forces has been slain. The bloody night is over. Dawn is coming. The Rhonin are surveying the destruction. Remember, they never planned to survive the attack.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Then the question becomes, well, what do we do next?

[Sally Helm]

Eventually they decide they'll go to Asano's grave and bring him the head of his enemy, Kira. So they walk several miles to the temple where Asano was buried. The temple monks are taken completely by surprise.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

They think, what on earth? The first reports were that there were about 50 or so samurai outside, and they had no earthly idea who they were. They're bloody and they're carrying what appears to be a head.

[Sally Helm]

Eventually, the monks figure out who these men are, and they let them in to see the grave. The Rhonin had no definite plan about what to do with Kira's head, so the monks make up a kind of ceremony.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

The monks bring some incense, begin chanting sutras to give it an appearance of some form of spirituality. But basically, the head is presented and the moment is over.

[Sally Helm]

The Rhoni know that the end is coming for them, too. They won't get away with this. They actually turn themselves in to the authorities. They have some hope for leniency. After all, they felt that they were following samurai traditions, remaining loyal to their dead lord. But the Shogun is not lenient. The ronin are sentenced to death by seppuku. One of them disappears at some point between the attack and the aftermath. So it's actually 46 men who. Who die on that afternoon in March.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

You would sit on the tatami mat. Your second would appear. You would lower your robe so that your stomach was exposed. You would raise your knife. Kaishaku would then take your head off. And then he would lift the head to show the inspectors. And then the next man would come out and you'd do it again.

[Sally Helm]

By the end of the afternoon, all of the Rhonin are dead. And then their story spreads. Almost immediately.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

In no time flat, you have people. As soon as they hear about what's happened, they take sides.

[Sally Helm]

Some say the ronin are killers, murderers. But many others find the ronin, honorable.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

They exhibited the true spirit of the samurai. And you have this process of glorification of what it means to be a samurai.

[Sally Helm]

As the story spreads, it gets exaggerated and romanticized. It's turned into plays, operas, even. While the Shogun forbade anyone from talking about it because he saw the ronin as defying his authority, he didn't want them glorified. And then about a century later, in the 1860s, the new Imperial regime begins to use this story as a national mythology to cement their own power, because.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

It was associated with militarism and teaching that you should exemplify a similar level of selfless service in relation to the Imperial throne. A criminal of the old regime becomes a hero of the new regime. You can see their attack on Kira as their attack on the old order, the old regime.

[Sally Helm]

It's during this period that the ronin are most venerated, worshiped.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Even literal worship shrines are created.

[Sally Helm]

And then, over time, the story of the loyal 47 Ronin gets used by other groups to push their own point of view. Some people advocating socialism paint them as revolutionaries for a cause. Some people advocating democracy paint the ronin as striking back against a tyrannical leader. Because there are so many ways the story can be seen. A story of sacrifice and heroism and murder and revenge. And it continues to get fictionalized again and again, eventually in movies and on tv. In today's Japan, Tucker says the story is still told and is still important, but he thinks its popularity is fading. Younger generations don't care as much about this story of samurai honor.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

And yet it's never going to disappear, in my opinion. And even if it does, you could say they had a 300 year run of phenomenal importance.

[Sally Helm]

With their death. The 47 Ronin did not become immortal, but they might have pulled off something close. Thanks for listening to History this week. For more moments throughout history that are also worth watching, check your local TV listings to find out what's on the History Channel today. This episode was Produced by Julie McGruder. History this week is also produced by McCamey, Lynn, Ben Dickstein and me, Sally Helm. Our editor and sound designer is Dan Rosad and our researcher is Emma Fredericks. Our executive producers are Jesse Katz and Ted Butler. Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review History this Week wherever you get your podcasts and we will see you next week.