Updated: 19th July 2007 14:31 GMT

Samurai Figures

Scale 1/35 Kit Manufacturer Tamiya Year 1701 - 1702

Extracts from Historical research by Etsuko Yagyu

'Chushingura' or the lives of the 47 loyal retainers is perhaps the best known tale of old Japan. It has been immortilized in countless plays, movies, paints and drawings and in every form of literature. It has captured the imagination because it is a true story which best exemplifies the Samurai warrior's code of honor and duty.

March 14th 1701, the fourteenth yer of the Japanese Genroku era, was the day set of an importance ceremony in the city of Edo (now Tokyo) where the ''Shogun'' or military governor of Japan would receive an envoy from the Imperial Court of Kyoto. Takuminokami Asano, the 'Daimyo' or lord of Ako castle in western HJapan was to servce on the reception committee. Since Asano was ignorant of the complicated ritual and protocol of the court, Lord Kozukenosuke Kira was assigned to teach him. Kira, however, expected payment in return for his instruction, Asano was too proud to submit to bribery. Kira of course became very angry and devised every insult he could think of to humiliate the young man. Finally, Kira advised Asano of the wrong clothes to weat at one of the ceremonies. When Asano realised that he had been made of fool of his anger rose to an uncontrollable pitch and he stabbed Kira with his sword wounding him in the head.

At that time merely to draw a sword in the Shogun's castle, much less to draw blood, was a capital offence. For his crime, Asano was ordered to commit hara-kiri, his lands were confiscated and his name extinguished.

The retainers of Asano, now became ''Ronin'' or masterless Samurai, were determined to kill Kira in revenge for the death of their master. However, Kira, fearing for this life, secluded himself in his mansion and surrounded himself with the best swordmansmen he could find as bodyguards.

Finally, 47 of Asano's former retainers, after waiting almost two years in order to put Kira at ease, stormed Kira's mansion early in the morning of the December 15th 1702. The fighting was fierce and lasted almost two hours, but whereas 17 of Kira's men were killed and twenty wounded, only four of the raiders were slightly hurt. The cowardly Kira was found hiding in a charcoal shed and when given the chance for an honorable death by hara-kiri he could only babble. Thus they slew him. The 47 then marched through the snow covered streets of Edo to Sengakuji Shrine where they placed the head of the enemy on their master's grave. The 47 now had to answer for their crimes because vendetta was against the law. The Shogun although he sympathised with the 47 and admired their courage had to sentence them to death. Ands so the 47 lotal retainers committed hara-kiri and followed their master. This is ''Chushingura'', a fierce tale of vengeance and duty in the face of certain death.

Figures were handpainted using Enamel Paints, there are eight more to complete in the second set released by Tamiya and will form part of a diorama when finished.

Completed pics

	Kuranosuke Oishi
	Yasube Horibe
	Tozaemon Hayami
	Kansuuemon Fuvia