Oboshi Kuranosuke , whose real name was Oishi Yoshio (1659-1703), was the leader of the famous 47 rōnin , immortalized on film by Kenji Mizoguchi. But long before the 1940s, these "masterless samurai" were the subjects of ukiyo-e artists through the lens of kabuki —fascinating!
The 47 rōnin were led by Oboshi Kuranosuke who had served during the Edo period as a samurai, chamberlain to Asano Nanori, daimyō of the eponymous clan who controlled the domain of Ako (Harima Province).
Over the years, and especially with the sankin-kotai policy put in place in 1635 which forced daimyō to spend one year out of two in a secondary residence in Edo (an alternating residence system which impoverished the samurai clans), Oboshi Kuranosuke had to take over the management of the domain in the absence of Asano Nanori who remained in Edo in charge of welcoming Kyoto officials under the tutelage of Kira Yoshinaka (1641-1703).
But their relationship soured over time; Kira Yoshinaka was corrupt and humiliated Asano Nanori… which led him to assassinate her on April 21, 1701… An act that was immediately punished in a rigged trial: Asano was forced to commit seppuku (hara-kiri)…
The samurai of the Asano clan then found themselves without a master and became rōnin , a group led by Oboshi Kuranosuke, whose stories provided many subjects of study for ukiyo-e artists.
Indeed, with a rather short "period of activity" they marked the history of Japan as representatives of devotion and loyalty because at the end of 1702, after fighting and killing Kira Yoshinaka (beheaded with the sword used in Asano's suicide), the 47 ronin committed seppuku.
Oboshi Kuranosuke was therefore one of the figures long represented in Ukiyo-e, not as the main subject but as a character played by theater actors.
Classic subjects of late Edo/Meiji Japanese prints, the actors were faithful representatives of historical figures from past centuries.
A fine example is the print offered on Kogeiya depicting the kabuki actor Ichikawa Sadanji I (1842-1904) playing the role of Oboshi Yuranosuke.
Original print in oban tate-e format showing the actor/rōnin holding a short tantō sword… very likely the one with which he was going to disembowel himself…
Ichikawa Sadanji I was one of the "top stars" of Meiji-era Kabuki (the other two being Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and Onoe Kikugorō V). He was the lead actor in many shinkabuki dramas and worked on scripts written by authors outside the Kabuki world, such as Matsui Shōō, or adapted contemporary popular novels, such as Hige Otoko by Kōda Rohan.
His two most successful roles were those of the warriors Marubashi Chūya and Baba Saburobe in Keian Taiheiki and Ōsakazuki … also subjects of numerous Japanese prints!
Discover the print by the master of the 47 rōnin, available for purchase on Kogeiya.com
