The revenge of the , also known as the
Ako vendetta or the , is an 18th-century historical event and a legend in Japan in which a band of
ronin (leaderless
samurai) avenged the death of their master. A noted Japanese scholar described the tale as the best known example of the
samurai code of honor,
bushido, and as the country's "national legend." A contemporary historian and expert in bushido, however, wrote that the tale is a good story of revenge, but by no means a story of bushido. The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (becoming
ronin) after their
daimyo (feudal lord)
Asano Naganori was compelled to commit
seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named
Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was
Kozuke no suke. The
ronin avenged their master's honor by killing Kira, after waiting and planning for a year. In turn, the
ronin were themselves obliged to commit
seppuku for committing the crime of
murder. This true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the tale grew during the
Meiji era, in which Japan underwent rapid modernization, and the legend became entrenched within discourses of national heritage and identity.