47 Ronin

Today I ventured out to walk part of the Old Tokaido Road.  First stop was Sengakuji, as I exited the station I saw this sign and if I am not mistaken it lists the names of the 47 Ronin that are buried at the Sengakuji temple. Here is Wikipedia has to say about it.

The story tells of a group of samurai who were left leaderless (became ronin) after their daimyo (feudal lord) was forced to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) for assaulting a court official named Kira Yoshinaka, whose title was Kōzukeno suke. The ronin avenged their master's honor after patiently waiting and planning for over a year to kill Kira. In turn, the ronin were themselves forced to commit seppuku — as they had known they would be — for committing the crime of murder. With little embellishment, this true story was popularized in Japanese culture as emblematic of the loyalty, sacrifice, persistence, and honor that all good people should preserve in their daily lives. The popularity of the almost mythical tale was only enhanced by rapid modernization during the Meiji era of Japanese history, when it is suggested[by whom?] many people in Japan longed for a return to their cultural roots.

Below is the temple gate

One row of graves

Over view of the graves. People were walking around placing incense if front of each tomb marker.

My walk along the Old Tokaido Road started here. 

This is the Shinagawa Barrier. I guess you could call it a customs station into old Edo.