By noon of March 14, 1701, Edo was abuzz with rumors about what had happened earlier, in the ¡°Great Pine Corridor¡± of the shogun¡¯s castle. Officials posted wooden signs around the city stating that Asano Naganori, lord of Ako Domain, had attacked and wounded his former tutor, Kira Yoshihisa.
A number of explanations have been suggested for the attack, but exactly why Asano unsheathed his sword on that fateful day in Edo (now modern-day Tokyo) remains a mystery. Inspector Okado Denpachiro, who interrogated both parties after the incident, said that Asano admitted to holding a grudge against Kira and that Asano¡¯s only regret had been his failure to kill the man.
To draw a weapon within the castle was a great breach of etiquette and Asano was sentenced to death by his own hand the same day.
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