47Samurai Devotees - Utagawa Kuniyoshi series of engravings - 2/47

#47Samurai Devotees - Utagawa Kuniyoshi series of engravings - 2/47

Obishi Rikia Yoshikane

Obishi Rikia Yoshikane, standing with a lance lowered

Although Rikia - the legal heir of Oboshi Yoshio - was only a boy of 16 years of age, he was tall, he was superior to all the others and had a profound knowledge in martial arts. After they had to leave the possession of Ako, loyal vassals, whose will was firm, like metal, gathered in the monastery of Kagakuji and there they swore an oath of revenge, sealed it with their seals, having pierced them with blood. At that time Yoshio, the father of Rikia, did not accept his son as a union of loyal vassals, finding it unfit, but Haar Goemon rebuked him: "Your son is strong and courageous. You should take it under your guidance, you can not not accept your offspring. " For this, Obeshi replied: "My young son is spoiled by maternal love. If during the tests it turns out to be faint-hearted, shame will fall on all subsequent generations of our kind. It's not worth while signing an oath, it's better not to take your son at all. " So my father said, and Rikia, who was in the same place, was very flushed and immediately went to the main temple of the monastery hondo, bare to the waist and was going to commit seppuku (the same as hara-kiri, ritual suicide, by ripping the belly). Discovering this, the faithful vassals were amazed and hastened to restrain him. They told Yoshio about all this. Convinced of the determination of Rikia, the vassals unanimously agreed to allow him to apply a blood-stained seal to the oath document. The father was so happy in his heart that tears appeared in his eyes. Then Rikia went to Azuma and secretly lived in the village of Hirama-mura of Musashi province.

On the night of the invasion of the enemy's house, he showed remarkable prowess, battled many warriors. Yoshikane was betrayed to the master, he fulfilled the duty of filial piety. And to be loyal to the master and fulfill the duty of filial piety is the basis of all phenomena, as Lao Tzu said. This is also consistent with the actions of Yoshikane.

Translation from Japanese: М.V. Uspenki