Japan’s Greatest Samurai Revenge Story | Exploring Ako | Home of the 47 Ronin

Japan’s Greatest Samurai Revenge Story | Exploring Ako | Home of the 47 Ronin

It’s trip day again and we’re off to another hidden Japanese town you won’t find on the usual tourist map. Today we’re scaling castle walls, sampling local specialties, uncovering legendary tales, and trying a tradition that’s been practiced here for thousands of years. Welcome. Today we’re in Ako and we’re here to find out about one of the most fascinating stories in Japan’s samurai history, the tale of the 47 Ronin. If you’ve seen the 2013 film with Kiana Ree and Hiroyuki Sonatada, you’ll know some of the story. So, we’re here at the Avenue of the 47 Ronin and Aishi Shrine. So, let’s go and check it out. [Music] Just as we were walking in, we spotted a priest and a shrine maiden coming out of the shrine about to bless a couple’s new car so they can have good luck and a ticket and accidentfree existence. [Music] Before we go any further, let’s take a moment to revisit the incredible story of the 47 ronin. In 1701, Lord Naganori Asanor was ordered to commit sepuku after drawing his sword in Edeto Castle. Angered by the insults and humiliation from corrupt official Yoshi Fuyukira, Asano’s 47 loyal samurai became ronin, masterless samurai, and for nearly 2 years disguised themselves as ordinary towns people while secretly plotting revenge led by Yoshio Oishi, Asanor’s chamberlain. In 1703, they stormed Kira’s residence, beheading him with the same knife Asanor used to take his own life. Then they placed Kira’s head at their lord’s grave. The ronin later surrendered and were ordered to commit sepeku themselves. Their loyalty and patience earned them their place in history as the 47 ronin. So here at the shrine there’s a museum as well. So we got our two tickets. They’re 500 yen each. So we’ll go in and have a look. Inside the Gishi History Museum, you’ll find priceless artifacts, including historical documents, items of clothing, armor, and even Oishi’s beloved Bizen Osafun sword. There are many exhibits and items that were used during the raid, really bringing the story of the 47 Ronin to life. [Music] It’s common to see coins left on surfaces like rocks, stumps, or statues around Shinto shrines placed there by visitors hoping for good luck or simply to show respect. Apparently, I’m a rabbit. So, my birth year is the is the rabbit. So, we’ll put some money in there. Hopefully the rabbit will bring me good luck. At Oishi Shrine, white snakes are seen as sacred messengers of the gods, symbolizing protection and good fortune. Within the complex, a second hall displays statues of each of the 47 ronin, and visitors can stroll through the traditional gardens of Oishi’s residents. Though small, these gardens are rich in history with mosscovered rocks and towering trees that have stood here for many years. Well, there you go. What an incredible tale of honor by these amazingly brave men. Yeah, it really brings to life walking through the museum, looking at the historical artifacts, and walking down here looking at the individual faces on these statues. All right, next we’re going to Ako Castle where the story really began. Let’s go. But first, it’s time for a bite to eat. We usually find a local restaurant, but to save a bit of money, we grabbed a conveni udon and had a picnic by the castle moat. We even had some friendly locals drop by to say hello. Oh, we’re at the outer walls of Akco Castle. So, we’ll take a walk through. Check it out. I am such a wall nerd, as Man will attest. Yes, I can attest to that. And I will allow exactly 25 seconds of wall gazing starting now. I just can’t get over the workmanship in these walls and the size of this stone here. You can see here there’s grooves where they’ve put their chisels in to split the block. Okay. You can see the notches from the how they cut the stone. These ones here. While gazing over, we took 5 minutes to walk to the second area of the castle ruins. All right, we’re at the the main part of Arkal Castle coming into the the main gate. You look around up here, you can see all the arrow ports up here. So, if an attacker got through the gate, then they had another gate. They’ve been trapped in here. And the guys up there with arrows or in the later days guns. So if you got in here killbox. Yeah. So this would mean the gate that we’ve come in around here. And this how they have it laid out here would be all this building the main keep of the castle. Japan really made some choices when they designed steps. I mean, I’m sure the guys in the old days weren’t Yeah, people problems back then, I’m sure. But they were short, right? Why would they build stairs so big? I don’t know. But the ridiculously high steps were worth it for the view of the castle grounds. [Music] There’s also a small museum inside one of the towers featuring exhibits about Ako and its local history. You’ll find whitewalled warehouses next door which were once used by merchants and samurai officials to store rice and valuable goods. Okay, Ako Castle. Really cool walking around the grounds here taking in all that history. 47 Ronin definitely has to be one of my favorite stories from Japanese history. Do you have a favorite story from Japanese history? Leave it in the comments below. I’d love to hear about it. On the way to our hotel, we decided to pop up to Mount Hu to check out the view. It’s listed as one of Hyo’s top 150 scenic spots. And on a clear day, you can even see Shoshima Island. Unfortunately, the summer haze had other plans. [Music] Before starting day two of our Aco exploration, we stopped in at Aquapan Bakery for some snacks. We weren’t prepared for just how many different types of breads and treats they would have and found it really difficult to choose just one or two things to try. We ended up getting one of these custard filled softbreads and totally regretted not buying the pack. If you’re in town, we definitely recommend stopping in here. Good morning. Day two of our Akco exploration and we’re here in Wakoaku Land at the Ako Salt Museum. Behind me are the salt flats they use to harvest the salt. So, we’re going to have a look around, go inside, maybe make some salt ourselves. Let’s go. [Music] The museum showcases a range of salt harvesting artifacts, all displayed inside traditional thatch roof buildings that capture the atmosphere of old Japan. Ako saltmaking tradition dates back to the 8th or 9th century when sea water was spread over sand fields to concentrate before boiling it down. In 1645, the first lord of the Asano Aore clan developed a large-scale salt farm, introducing methods to control seawater, which would allow efficient salt production regardless of the tides. In 1952, Ako adopted gradation towers, huge evaporation racks woven from bamboo twigs. Sea water was pumped down a sloping clay tray and then to the top of the tower where it trickled over the bamboo twigs, evaporating in the sun and wind before collecting as concentrated brine at the bottom. This innovation helped industrialize the salt making process. Okay, we’ve come up to the Marine Science Museum. We paid our 200 yen entry fee tickets which includes the salt making experience and we get two bags of free salt. Really cool. All right, so we’re going to have a look around here and then head down in about 20 minutes to our salt making experience. Let’s have a look around. The Marine Science Museum was a great spot to get out of the heat and learn more about all things saltreated. There were salt blocks from around the world and interactive quizzes to test our knowledge. Smen. Yes, I got one right. I did. The museum also has a natural history section which features dinosaur skeletons, fossils, and taxiderermy animals native to the area. Still waiting to see one of these guys in the wild. You’ll also find an aquarium section and interactive exhibits. [Applause] So, we’re here and got our little table. We’re going to start making some salt. It’s 10. Next time is 20 10. The gentlemen running the session were very helpful and gave us a sheet with English translation which included safety rules and what would be happening during the class. Unfortunately, they don’t allow filming when the burner is going, but it was fun and frantic stirring the brine quickly so the crystals would form finishing off the salt. That was really cool. Made our own salt. It would be interesting to uh try it on a nice steak. [Music] All right, that was our salt making experience. Yeah, more fun than I thought it would be. Uh so now we’re going to get some lunch and we’re going to get some oysters. If you watched our Tatsuno episode, you’ll see that we missed out on some oysters. We’re not going to miss out today. Let’s go. [Music] So, we’re here at our lunch spot. We’ll go in, get some oysters, and stick them on the barbie. Let’s go. [Music] Oh, look at this one. That’s a nice four prawns. Look at all these oysters. [Music] Oh yeah. Get a bit of yuzu. [Music] Oh, so good. Never. We brought our own bacon and I won’t show the brand. Woohashshire sauce um to make oysters Kilpatrick cuz that’s the only way I really eat oysters. And it was so good. Such a good decision. But there are so many. Why are there so many? That’s a um almost an unrealistic amount of oysters to eat per person, right? When they said like 60 minutes, I thought, “Oh, yeah. You just sit here for 60 minutes and then you you might bring out 20 or 30 maybe.” How many do you reckon we’re in there? I don’t know. There’s there’s still 30 there. Oh gosh. But look at that. So, we’ve still got 18 minutes left on the 18 minutes left on the timer, but we I’m just about oystered out. I’m just about to tap out and I’m just The oyster wall is real. Belly full of oysters. So good. But it’s really nice sitting here by the the water in the shade. Nice breeze, the cold beer scoffing down oysters. Pretty good. All right, that was lunch here at Grilled Oysters Taiho. Two thumbs up. Excellent oysters, but I am so full. I was a greedy guts. I went for the 60-minute. Many said, “Let’s just get 45 minutes.” Nah, we’ll get the 60 minutes. Could not finish it. There was that many oysters. Absolutely great value. was 7,600 yen for a basket of oysters, four prawns, and a couple of beers. No frrills. When you come, here’s a tip. Bring some wet wipes. Uh but other than that, great stuff. All right, we’re going to a sake brewery now where they have sake that is paired with oysters. So, let’s go have a look. [Music] Just next to Ako lies the charming old port town of Sakoshi. Its beautifully preserved old buildings and paved streets retain the feeling of Japan from a bygone era. We stopped in at the Sake Museum to learn about the centuries old craftsmanship that made Sakosi famous. There were a lot of relics not just from the Sake brewing process, but from Japanese life in this area. On the way out, we just had to try some sake and picked up a bottle of locally brewed sake to take home with us. [Music] We’re just on our way home. We thought we’d drop into Tet Gelato Shop. Seeing it’s so hot in a nice gelato. So, thanks for joining us this weekend. Hope you enjoyed our Aco trip and if you’re new to the channel, please subscribe, like and share. We will catch you next time. Bye for now.

Join us in Ako, one of Japan’s most historic samurai towns and the legendary home of the 47 Ronin!

In this episode, we walk in the footsteps of Japan’s most loyal warriors at the very site where the story of the 47 Ronin began. We tour Ako Castle grounds, eat our fill of local seafood, and try our hand at salt-making using techniques that have been used in Ako for centuries! Ako is packed with history, beauty, and hidden gems.

If you’re looking for an unforgettable destination away from the tourist crowds, this is it.

Places we visited in Ako:
– Oishi Shrine & Gishi Museum https://maps.app.goo.gl/5Xp7YcJ2E5upNBgF7
– Ako Castle Ruins https://maps.app.goo.gl/x1L84ZCj8mx8FSMH7
– Ako Salt Museum https://maps.app.goo.gl/c2ZQcqBtiNuRKszR9
– Sakoshi Old Town & Sake Museum https://maps.app.goo.gl/xfqrhbUWrpaypaSZA
– Mount Houju Viewpoint https://maps.app.goo.gl/N69dmsT3mtxgNuLN7
– Akopan Bakery https://maps.app.goo.gl/eV9L41MzbBkyD3Wi6

Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:17 Avenue of the 47 Ronin and Oishi’s Shrine
01:16 The Story of the 47 Ronin
02:06 Gishi Museum
04:18 Ako Castle
07:07 Houju-san Viewpoint
07:50 Akopan Bakery
08:14 Ako Salt Museum
12:00 All You Can Eat Oyster Lunch
14:59 Sakoshi Port Town & Sake Brewery/Museum

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you enjoy discovering Japan’s hidden stories with us!

#JapanTravel #47Ronin #Samurai #HiddenJapan #Ako #JapaneseHistory #OffTheBeatenPath #CulturalJapan #SaltMuseum

About us:
We decided 10 years ago to pack up our life in Australia and see what it would be like to live in Japan, and we haven’t looked back! Our weekends are spent exploring this amazing country in our Suby, and now we want to share the hidden Japan that we discover with you!