Sengaku-ji

Visited Sengakuji Temple aka Spring Hill, to see burial site  of the 47 Ronin ( Samurai without a leader ).

The story began when Oishi Kuranosuke, the leader of the 47 ronin on Tue 30 Jan 1703 and Lord Asano Takuminokami of Ako (today's Hyogo Prefecture) attacked Lord Kira Hozukenosuke at Edo castle. Asano lost patience after repeatedly being provoked and treated arrogantly by Kira, but failed to kill him in the attack. On the same day, Asano was sentenced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide - hara kiri ) , while Kira was not punished at all, despite the contemporary custom of punishing both parties in similar incidents. In addition, the whole Asano family was removed from power, leaving Asano's samurai without a job and a strong will to avenge their unfairly punished master.

For over one and a half years, the samurai prepared to  avenge under difficult circumstances. On Tue 20 Mar  1703, the remaining group of 47 ronin under their leader Oishi Kuranosuke finally succeeded to avenge their master by killing L ord Kita in his mansion. Afterwards, they carried Kira's head to Sengakuji Temple and were later sentenced to be beheaded. The 47 Ronin chose to  commit seppuku ( hara kiri ), including Oishi`s 16 year old son, Chikara, who was to be spared due to his age, but chose to die with his father. It was very poignant to see rows of the 47 grave sites with the statutes of  Lord Asano and his wife at the entrance to the grave sites. It was an eerie feeling.