Of Faithful Vassals and Loyal Companions. Review of the Album Parting With Life. Tales of the Faithful Vassals From Ako in Illustrations by Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi

Abstract

In 2025, an unusual work was published by Saint Petersburg gallery KASUGAI with the assistance of the “Yellow Yard” bookstore. The KASUGAI gallery has existed for over 20 years and exhibits Japanese art. This article is a review of the album Parting With Life: Tales of the Faithful Vassals From Ako in Illustrations by Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi (2025).

The idea of publishing the album arose after the gallery’s collection acquired an original 19th century Japanese album of prints by a famous artist of the late Edo period (1600–1868) Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798–1861). The album included prints from the series “Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Samurai” and “Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Hearts,” dedicated to the story of the 47 rōnin, one of the most popular stories about Japanese warriors. These prints, translated and provided with comments, were published in this album. The prints are given a detailed explanation. Thanks to that, even a reader studying Japanese prints for the first time can explore them.

The story of the rōnin from Akō of 1701–1703 is a prime example of a romanticized legend of samurai devotion, reaching fanaticism. It is also a classic story of revenge. It won the love of people far beyond Japan, influencing the formation of the modern image of the Japanese warrior class.

The translation of the cursive texts of “Stories of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Hearts” into Russian is given in this album for the first time, which makes it the most convenient and accessible way to get acquainted with the beautiful prints of Utagawa Kuniyoshi from two collections at once. In addition to the prints, the album includes unique materials: three introductory diptychs and a sheet with a description of the relics of the rōnin.

Furthermore, the pictorial and source part was supplemented by completely original academic articles, significantly enhancing immersion in the context of the legend of the 47 rōnin. The authors of the articles are leading Japanologists Trubnikova N. N., Shchepkin V. V., Guseva A. V., Sinitsyn A. Yu., Melnikova I. V., Khomchenkova V. V., Golda A. I., Tyagunova E. O., Kubasov F. V.