The artist Kuniyoshi is renowned for his warrior prints. In this print he vividly depicts the famous night attack of 47 ronin, or masterless samurai, on the house of Moronao (in the actual incident, Kira Yoshinaka). Cartouches in red identify six of the ronin carrying out the attack.

The revenge of the 47 ronin is one of Japan’s most celebrated and popular examples of loyalty and the incident has become the subject of numerous plays and stories. In 1703 a group of former retainers of the late Lord of Ako, Asano Naganori, raided the home of Kira Yoshinaka, a direct retainer of the Tokugawa shogun, and assassinated him. By doing so they avenged the wrong that they believed had been done their lord. The plays based on these events were known as Chushingura (‘The Treasury of Loyal Retainers’).

The historical facts are that the imperial court in Kyoto sent envoys bearing New Year's greetings to the shogun in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). In 1701 Asano was asked to receive the envoys. The shogun's chief of protocol was Kira, who treated Asano disrespectfully. Eventually Asano became so angry that he drew his sword and attacked Kira. The act of drawing a sword in Edo Castle was illegal and Asano was ordered to commit suicide. His lands were confiscated by the shogun and his samurai became ronin.

Forty-seven of Ako’s former samurai vowed to avenge their lord's death and two years later they charged into Kira’s mansion and killed him. The warriors then marched to Sengakuji, the temple where Asano was buried, and offered Kira's head to their lord's grave. The Ako warriors' actions had violated the law by resorting to violence as a group, but they had also faithfully lived up to the samurai code of loyalty to their lord. Rather than being publicly executed, the ronin were ordered to commit suicide, an honourable samurai death. They were buried near their master's grave at Sengakuji. For their commendable actions and honourable death they were immediately regarded as heroes.