On December 14, the Sengakuji temple at Takanawa is crowded every year with people who come here to offer incense sticks to tombs of the Ako Forty-Seven Loyal Retainers because it is the memorial day when they raided Kira's mansion. In the afternoon, I went there just to observe a long line of people who wanted to offer incense sticks. A policeman called with a hand speaker, "You have to wait for an hour and a half", as though he was trying to turn away the crowds. I did not think he was doing right actions. His attitude was unpleasant to me. As I could come tomorrow morning, I came to see a place where Yoshio Ohishi, a leader of retainers, did harakiri.

The outside gate of Sengakuji.	Small gate in the center of picture is the entrance to tombs.

The place is not far from the temple, only 10 minutes walk. But there is no guide sign to the place at all. So I had to ask people how to get there a few times. It is surrounded with wall and a small gate. It was key locked so that people could not enter, I plugged my camera's lens into the narrow slit on the gate door. Thus I succeeded in taking a picture of inside. Beside the gate, a stone statue, explaining why the Ako retainers were obliged to raid Kira and why all of them did harakiri, was built by Education Committee of Tokyo.

A place where they did harakiri.	Stone statue built by Education Committee of Tokyo

It was a memorial day. They should open the gate so that people can observe a historical place. A few people were coming one after another even though there was no guide sign.

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