The Chūshingura (忠臣蔵), or Treasury of Loyal Retainers, is a fictionalized account of the 47 rōnin, or masterless samurai, as they avenge the death of their master. Written in 1748 as an 11-act play for the puppet theater, the Chūshingura is one of the most popular narratives in Japan, transformed into a variety of media: most popularly on the kabuki stage, but also in animated and live action films, in text, as graphic novels, and as multicolor woodblock prints. Among the prints, thousands of Chūshingura images acted as advertisements, playbills, and what we might think of today as posters, ingraining the action-packed kabuki scenes into the minds of the Japanese populace for centuries. Today these prints are owned by museums and collectors around the world. 

This website aims to introduce the Chūshingura and highlight a selection of woodblock print images that illustrate the story. Here you will find essays, a map, podcasts, and resources for further research, much of which was created by undergraduate students at Sewanee, the University of the South in 2025-2026.