The Fall of Ako Castle

Tsunayoshi strips 48 samurai of their assets and abolishes the Asano name. At the royal ceremony, Asano is insulted by the court official Kira and draws his sword, but fellow officials prevent him from striking. Asano is sentenced to seppuku, his land and property are seized, and the Asano name is erased from the records.

Several Asano followers vow to return to Edo to take vengeance on Kira. They openly pledge to restore honor through action, committing to wait for the opportune moment. The vow binds the clan to a long, dangerous plan.

Kira retires from court life, and Lord Yanagisawa orders him dispatched to Yonezawa. The relocation distances Kira from the conspirators and reduces immediate risk. The move sets the stage for the subsequent intrigues.

Hashimoto and Horibe hastily propose an ambush on Kira en route to Yonezawa; their plan is thwarted by spies and clan members. The abortive assault leaves Hashimoto injured and the conspiracy temporarily stymied.

Yanagisawa dispatches three criminals to kill Oishi, the principal obstacle to Kira. The hit order triggers counter-moves within the Asano faction as they protect their leader's vengeful aim.

Oishi divorces his wife, sending her and their younger children to her father's home, while he keeps his eldest son Chikara with him. He prepares to face the looming vendetta with a family arrangement designed to reduce risk.

Three attackers enter Oishi's house and attack; Fuwa, a ronin living nearby, intervenes and kills them, saving Oishi and Chikara.

Kobayashi Heihachiro tries to slay Oishi but accidentally kills a different sleeping man. He visits Hashimoto and offers 50 ryo to reveal Oishi's location; Hashimoto refuses and attacks, but Kobayashi remains unyielding and leaves the money, knowing Oishi is in Edo.

On Kira's move toward the Uesugi mansion in Sakurada, Oishi informs the clan that the raid will take place the following night. Jujiro delivers the warning to Hashimoto, who, unable to fight, angrily draws his sword on Jujiro. Hashimoto's wife stabs him to stop his anger, and he retaliates by killing her before taking his own life. Jujiro then brings Hashimoto's infant daughter to Oishi.

The Ako warriors descend on an inn where Kira is sleeping after a tea ceremony. Fuwa defeats Kobayashi after a long battle, then the attackers search the house for those hiding. Kira is found and Oishi kills him after a whistle is blown to summon him.

Asano's wife learns of the success and regrets that 47 ronin sacrificed themselves for one man. Yanagisawa views the act as an attack on the shogunate's infallibility and sentences them all to seppuku; the shogunate also abolishes Kira's name.