Characters
Oishi Kuranosuke
Senior retainer of Ako household with a salary of 1,500-koku. His childhood name was Kinai. His family had served as retainer for generations, and he succeeded to the role at age 19. He served his master, Asano Takumi-no-Kami for more than twenty years. He is sensible and mature, but is criticized by some as a “daytime candle” for his extreme discretion, rarely revealing his mind. In the splendor of Ako Castle, he proposes to his master’s brother that they request the resurrection of the household. After losing his master, he lived in Yamashina on the outskirts of Kyoto. When the resurrection of the household is rejected, he heads the 47 masterless soldiers of Ako and attacks the residence of Kira on 14 December 1702, achieving their heartfelt mission. He died at the age of 45. The Oishi household originally served the Konoe household, the imperial advisor. After Kuranosuke lost his master, the Konoe sought his service again, but he declined.
Asano Takumi-no-Kami
Lord of Ako Province with a 53,000-koku salary, aged 35. He is fastidious and rather short-tempered. He was named a liaison to the imperial family, but due to humiliation from his counterpart Kira Kozukenosuke, he drew a sword in the hallway of Edo Castle on 14 March 1701, a capital crime. Regretting his failure to follow through and kill Kira, he committed ritual suicide at a residence in Atago.
Kira Kozukenosuke
The ceremony master for the shogun’s household. He visited the imperial palace frequently as a new year’s messenger. His wife was the sister of the lord of Yonezawa Province. On the day of an imperial ceremony, he was attacked by Asano Takumi-no-Kami in Edo Castle. He was released without punishment despite his involvement in the incident since he did not draw his sword. He retired thereafter and moved from the castle area to Edo’s Honjo district. He was killed by the Ako retainers.
Kajikawa Yosobei
Government servant with 700-koku salary, aged 55. He is the government treasurer. He grabs Asano Takumi-no-Kami from behind when the attack occurs, preventing blood from being spilt to Asano’s great regret.
Okado Denpachiro
Government servant with 700-koku salary in charge of overseeing lords and the shogun’s employees, aged 43. He joins the discussions over the punishment of Asano. When the final judgment is rendered, he alone argues that this is unfair. As the examiner of the suicide, he goes to the Tamura residence and finds that the suicide took place in the garden rather than inside the house. Before the suicide, he had allowed Asano to meet his retainers.
Tamura Ukyodayu
Lord of Ichinoseki Province in northern Japan. He retains Asano at his Atago residence and creates a temporary space in his garden for the ritual suicide.
Shoda Shimousa-no-Kami
Senior government watchdog at the time of the attack. He is sent to the Tamura residence with Okado and Okubo to confirm the suicide. His primary aim is to fulfill his duty.
Kataoka Gengoemon
Ako retainer. He is a low-ranking servant based in Edo with a 350-koku salary, aged 36. He had to report the mass suicide and was thus the only retainer that did not commit suicide.
Okuno Shogen
Senior retainer of Ako Province with 1,000-koku salary. He is deeply trusted by his relative Oishi, who he assisted in the surrender of his men after the vendetta. He did not participate in the vendetta.
Ono Kurobei
Retainer of Ako Province with 650-koku salary, aged about 65. After the termination of the Asano household, he advised Kuranosuke on a financial solution. When he was unable to achieve a resolution, he quickly disappeared with his son.
Oishi Matsunojo (Chikara)
Kuranosuke’s eldest son, aged 14. He is frustrated with his father, misunderstanding his intentions, and cuts ties with him. He assumes his grandfather’s childhood name Chikara. He is the youngest member of the vendetta and takes charge of the back gate.
Izeki Tokubei
Childhood friend of Kuranosuke. Previously served as Ako retainer with 500-koku salary, but is dismissed due to his impulsiveness and inflexibility and is moved to Bichu Kojima (present-day Kurashiki). When he hears of the attack in Edo Castle, he is determined to avenge the death of his former lord and returns to Ako Province after a twenty-year absence. Rejected by Kuranosuke, he commits suicide. However, just before he dies, Kuranosuke divulges to him the secret plan.
Izeki Monzaemon
Son of the masterless Tokubei. He is the same age as Oishi Matsunojo. He quickly carries out the coming-of-age ceremony and follows his father. Commits suicide alongside his father.
Okajima Yasoemon
Ako retainer. He is the household treasurer, aged 36. He dissolves the Ako household’s finances under Kuranosuke’s order, but comes into conflict with Ono Kurobei.
Oriku
Kuranosuke’s wife. The daughter of Ishizuka Gengobei, a retainer of the Kyogoku family of Toyooka Province. She has three children with Kuranosuke: Matsunojo, a daughter Oku (13) and a second son Kichichiyo (11). She returns to her hometown with the two smaller children prior to the vendetta.
Hara Soemon
Ako retainer. He is a foot soldier with a 300-koku salary, aged 55. After the Edo Castle incident, he rushed to Ako Province to report the suicide of their master and termination of the household. He also passes the retainers an order of self-restraint from Asano’s cousin.
Onodera Junai
Ako retainer. He was based in Kyoto with a 150-koku salary, aged 60. Upon the news of the Edo Castle incident, he acts as a go-between between the imperial family and Ako Province and sends a message to Kuranosuke that the emperor is sympathetic to him.
Horibe (Nakayama) Yasubei
Ako retainer. In 1694, he served as a mediator in the famous Takadanobaba battle. He is known as a sword master under the name Nakayama Yasubei. After the Takadanobaba fight, he was adopted by the Ako retainer Horibe Yahei and served as a horse guard at the Ako lord’s Edo residence. He had a 200-koku salary, aged 32. He was the most forceful of advocates for the vendetta.
Takada Gunbei
Ako retainer based in Edo, famous for his spear-fighting skills. After his master’s death, he stood with Horibe in calling for a vendetta against Kira, but his family learned of the plan and opposed it. He unwillingly pulled out of the group. When he learns of the vendetta, he rushes to Sengakuji Temple.
Isogai Jurozaemon
Ako retainer. He was a secretary with a 150-koku salary, aged 24. He was a graceful warrior, born and raised in Edo. He did not get along with Horibe or other soldiers. Before committing suicide, he was called in by Kuranosuke to meet his fiancée Omino, revealing that Kuranosuke was aware that Isogai carried his lover’s keepsake in his breast.
Toda Gonzaemon
Senior servant of Ogaki Province. In fear of getting involved in the Ako retainers’ coup against a public official, he convinces Kuranosuke to surrender the castle without a fight.
Fuwa Kazuemon
Ako retainer. He had a 200-koku salary. He had lost his job several years before the incident due to a conflict with the Asano family and has since lived in Edo. He joined the vendetta after a plea. He planned to join Kuranosuke in Osaka together with Horibe, but Kuranosuke did not turn up. In the end, he visits Kuranosuke in Kyoto and makes a direct appeal. He was 33 and made a great contribution to the vendetta.
Ukihashi
Courtesan in Kyoto. As Kuranosuke’s mistress, she understands his struggles and carefully monitors all retainers who eagerly visit him.
Shindo Hachiroemon
Shipmaster of the Asano household’s stronghold in greater Hiroshima Province, aged 60. He is a distant relative of Kuranosuke, who regards him as an uncle. He meets Kuranosuke on the way to Edo as a messenger to request the resurrection of the household. He tells Kuranosuke of his mission and advises him to carry out the vendetta before he reaches Edo.
Tominomori Suke-emon
Ako retainer based in Edo. He has a 200-koku salary, aged 33. He learns that Kira is attending Tsunatoyo’s palace and, through his family connections, asks to watch the procession in order to track Kira’s movements. However, he meets Tsunatoyo himself unexpectedly and has a heated argument over the need for a vendetta.
Tokugawa Tsunatoyo
Nephew of the fifth shogun, aged 41. He rules Kofu Province with a 350,000-koku salary. He is also known as Lord Tsunatoyo. He is touted as the next shogun, but keeps his distance from the political arena and lives freely at the family’s second home by the shore. He is asked by his wife’s family, the imperial advisor Konoe, to allow the resurrection of the Asano household, but is inclined to allow the revenge. Subsequently he becomes the shogun’s adopted son and later the sixth shogun Ienobu. His villa becomes the shogun family’s garden. It was been known since the Meiji Era as Hama Rikyu.
Okiyo
One of Tsunatoyo’s favored concubines. Still adolescent at age 18. She previously served under Asano’s wife, but eventually became lady-in-waiting in Kofu Province and subsequently a concubine. She is admonished by the senior lady-in-waiting for accepting a plea from Suke’emon, but is saved by the higher-ranking Ejima. She later gives birth to the seventh shogun Ietsugu. After Ienobu’s death, she becomes a nun by the name of Gekkoin and gains authority over the women in the Edo Castle.
Ejima
Tsunatoyo’s second wife. She rescues Okiyo from a difficult situation. She later becomes involved in the infamous Ejima Ikushima scandal that rocks the government.
Arai Kageyu
An academic known historically as Arai Hakuseki. He was a teacher to Tsunatoyo, aged 46. He advises Tsunatoyo on the decision between the vendetta and resurrection of the household and explains how the samurai ethic differs from China.
Hagura Itsuki
Priest at Fushimi Shrine and a domestic scholar known as Kadano Azumamaro. He is 35. He grew up with Kayano Sanpei, who committed suicide prior to the vendetta. He is also known as a poet and taught poetry to Asano’s widow. He tries to give advice as to Kira’s whereabouts but is turned away by Kuranosuke. He thus criticizes Kuranosuke bitterly.
Yozen-in
Asano’s widow, aged 29. Her former name was Aguri. She becomes a nun under her current name after her husband’s suicide. After the termination of the household, she moves to her family home and provides financial support to the Ako retainers.
Terasaka Kichiemon
Ako retainer. A 38-year-old foot soldier under Yoshida Chuzaemon. He is allowed to participate in the vendetta despite his low rank. After the successful attack, he reached the Sengakuji Temple ahead of the others in order to inform the late master’s widow and brother of the vendetta.
Jinzaburo
A witness of the vendetta at the Kira household. When he learns that his master, one of the retainers, is injured, he enters the residence despite the dangers.
Yoshida Chuzaemon
Second-ranking retainer after Kuranosuke. He was in charge of a small territory under the Ako household with a 200-koku salary, aged 61. His son Sawaemon also joined the vendetta. After the vendetta, he reported the incident to the government officer Sengoku Hoki-no-Kami.
Toda no Tsubone
Lady-in-waiting serving Yozen-in. After the vendetta, she rushes to Sengakuji Temple and expresses gratitude to the retainers on behalf of her mistress.
Sengoku Hoki-no-Kami
Government officer in charge of monitoring the performance of samurai. He has a salary of 1,800 koku. He is thought to be distantly related to the Asano family. He receives the Ako retainers after the vendetta’s success and is impressed by the details of the scheme.
Hosokawa Naiki
Fifteen-year-old successor to Lord Hosokawa Tsunatoshi of Kumamoto Province, who took over 17 retainers from Ako, including Kuranosuke. He asks for words of advice from Kuranosuke.
Horiuchi Den-emon
Hosokawa family retainer who looks after Ako retainers after the vendetta. He arranges a meeting between Kuranosuke and Omino, the daughter of his old friend.
Omino
Daughter of a former Hosokawa retainer, aged 17. She was engaged to Isogai Jurozaemon, but she learns after a long absence that he is participating in the vendetta. To find out whether he was simply using her, she disguises herself as a man and approaches Kuranosuke, who tells her how Isogai always kept her keepsake close to his heart. Realizing that her doubts were groundless, she commits suicide to join her lover in death.
Araki Juzaemon
Government inspector. He receives Kuranosuke’s request from Asano’s brother to resurrect the Asano household. After the vendetta, he delivers the government’s order for the samurai to commit ritual suicide. Upon delivery of the order, he mentions on his own accord that the Kira family’s adopted son was also punished.
