The revenge of the 47 rōnin is the most famous vendetta in Japanese history and it continues to inspire the popular imagination today. Written between 1934 and 1941, Mayama Seika’s ten-play cycle Genroku Chūshingura is a unique retelling of the incident based on his own painstaking research into the historical facts.

Considered a modern masterpiece, it now has a secure place in the Kabuki repertoire and many of the plays are still frequently performed.

For the first time, Seika’s monumental achievement is here translated into English in its complete and original form by three experienced experts in the field.

Translated by: Brian Powell, Paul Griffith, Ronald Cavaye