47 Ronin: The True Story of Japan’s Most Famous Revenge

Forty-seven samurai waited nearly two years to avenge their lord. Then, on a snowy winter night in Edo, they struck. The story of the 47 Ronin became one of Japan’s most famous legends — retold in kabuki, woodblock prints, novels, films, and television. But the historical Akō incident was stranger, more complicated, and more human than the legend it became. This film follows Asano Naganori, Kira Yoshinaka, Ōishi Kuranosuke, and the retainers who chose revenge after their lord’s death in 1701 — from the Pine Corridor at Edo Castle through the raid on Kira’s mansion, the march to Sengaku-ji, and the final judgment of the shogunate. Tokyo Crow tells cinematic stories from Japanese history, folklore, and culture.