View allAll Photos Tagged Retainer
OK, so I'm overreacting... Just bored and stressed out with the freaking thesis. I'm missing my cigarettes SO MUCH. And the dentist says I have to use a sort of plastic retainer on my teeth during sleep for the rest of my life. Nothing too serious. I guess it's PMS.
A long unexpected Journey (4 mile hike through the woods) brought us to this nicely paved path with a beautiful sandstone retainer wall.
This grave can be found on the grounds of Isshin-ji Temple in Osaka.
Honda Tadatomo (1582 - June 3, 1615) was the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu's famous retainer and general, Honda Tadakatsu. Following the battle of Sekigahara, in 1601 Tadakatsu was given the fief of Kuwana and Tadatomo was granted control of his father's old fief of Ōtaki in Kazusa Province (present-day Chiba Prefecture), valued at 100,000 koku.
Tadatomo was known to be a quite valiant on the battlefield and quite a capable commander when not under the influence of sake. His love of sake earned him the ire of Ieyasu during the Winter Siege of Osaka (Osaka Fuyu no Jin) in 1614, who blamed Tadatomo's drunkenness for a defeat. As a proud samurai from an illustrious house and living in the shadow and memory of a larger-than-life father, this criticism from the shogun himself must have hit a nerve with Tadatomo, who during the Summer Siege of Osaka (Osaka Natsu no Jin) in 1615, would make up for his previous blunder and save his reputation.
During the final day of fighting at Osaka in Tennōji, Tadatomo's forces were in the vanguard of the main Tokugawa body when the Toyotomi launched a vicious, last-ditch general assault. The Toyotomi tore into the Tokugawa forces to the point where Osaka samurai under the command of the famed Sanada Yukimura were pressing dangerously close to Ieyasu's headquarters. Seeing the perilous situation that his liege lord was in, Tadatomo regrouped his troops and led a hammering counter-attack on Yukimura's forces, blunting his advance and changing the tide of the battle. Neither Yukimura nor Tadatomo would survive this furious clash and a few hours later, the massive Osaka Castle keep would be engulfed in flames , bringing an end to the Toyotomi clan.
However, before he fell in battle, Tadatomo was said to be dying and he knew it. His love of sake had nearly ruined his career and was now supposedly taking his life. Shortly before he died, he allegedly said something along the lines, "Liquor should be banned. All those who stand before my grave will undoubtedly abhor it." As a result, Tadatomo's grave became a place of worship for alcoholics trying to go sober.
A closeup of the wire wheel and
knock-off , wheel retainer from a Austin Healy 3000,
Shot using a Canon FD 50mm f1.4 SSC lens.
Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae) chrysalis on the Landings Sparrow Field “Pollinator Garden Berm”, retainer wall, 11/4/2022, Skidaway Island, Savannah, Ga
A perfect example of the smaller type of fortified manor house, Penhow was developed from a heavily-built keep necessary to protect the knightly retainers of the local earl, who lived in almost impregnable majesty at nearby Chepstow Castle. This great Norman stronghold and bridgehead into Wales was the first castle with a stone keep to be built in Britain by the conquering Normans in 1070. "Knight's Fee" manors and castles like Penhow were established to protect the outlying farmlands and give advance warning of any Welsh uprising. The area that is now known as Gwent was settled by families that had come over from France with or in the wake of William the Conqueror, and we know that Sir Roger de St Maur was at Penhow by 1129, for he witnessed the charter that founded the priory of Monmouth in that year. In return for the task of keeping down the Welsh, providing a quota of men for guard duty at Chepstow every month, and for supplying one man mounted on a horse in times of War, Sir Roger was permitted to usurp the Manor of Penhow from its native Welsh prince, and gain a toehold on the feudal ladder. Sir Roger's home was a cold stone Pele tower that stood alone on its rocky knoll, and directly overlooked the conquered natives in their 'Welshry' at Talgarth. It was the first home in Britain of a family destined to become one of the greatest in the land.
Source: www.castlewales.com/penhow.html
dr. vlakova: an elegant, driven, no-nonsense evil scientist, working for the brotherhood of makuta (on retainer, though this hasn't stopped her from referring to herself as "makuta vlakova" occasionally in conversation and on her business cards) alongside mutran. not typically a people person, she has a soft spot for her homunculus, zygor (not that she'd let anyone else see it, reputation and all that)
zygor (pronounced zee-gor): a homunculus and vlakova's first successful attempt at creating life back during childhood. energetic, friendly, and clumsy, zygor was originally the pet vlakova was never allowed to have, and is supposed to be the doctor's lab assistant... if not for the fact that his massive eye is constantly distracted by shiny things due to his childlike nature. he also has a tendency to wander off when the pair go out in public, much to her frustration.
for mitch henry's two-of-a-kind contest. two complimentary characters. tried to think of something less obvious than "opposite elements" or "x and y things that go together," so i wound up on a mad scientist and their creation. also i finally got to use that stupid soccer ball and nestle top for something and that makes me happy. additional photos on my page.
For TOTW: Tiny Words
For tHe VeNt: Anything but blood? Jamie rocks.
Round 2 bitches.
I wore braces as a teenager. I didn’t wear my retainer. My stupid teeth shifted back to their dumb ass original placement. And at the age of 31, single father, full blown adult, very much a MAN, in charge of many people at my job, I today got my braces on.
Bam!!!
A 31-year-old man with braces. Suck it baby.
But I couldn’t help but think I could pull the “cute” look off. Some girls dig the braces look. Or at least I heard that when I was 17. My kid thinks they are hilarious. Almost scary.
This reminds me back when I was a teenager. A high school kid. Those were by far the worst years of my life.
I was always a quiet kid in high school. I walked around in fear. I kept to myself. I didn’t understand anything. I was petrified of the other kids. I hated life. I was confused. I didn’t understand my penis any more than did I understand these girls I was suddenly much attracted to.
It was so confusing. I hated all those fucks I was surrounded by everyday. High school for me was a complete nightmare. I was unhappy, confused, and dorky. I didn’t have much friends. And the friends I did have were nerds like me. I guess I wasn’t a “nerd” in the true sense of the word, but I sure was quiet. I hated the peer pressure. I hated the assholes that seemed to rule me till I got out of high school.
I’m 31 now. I’m an adult. I’m so far removed from that high school horseshit. I love being 31. My teenage years were so confusing and fucked up. I hated every minute of it. Seriously.
And it’s so funny. People that I meet right now in my life that LOVED high school typically end up to be losers and people who HATED high school typically end up to be rock stars.
Not true across the board, but that’s just my experience.
High school kids can suck my cock. They are usually immature dickwads who are a pain in my ass.
In any case, here I am with my BRAND NEW braces looking like a total high school kid. By next year my teeth will be PERFECTLY straight.
I CAN’T WAIT!!!!! Actually it sucks right now. I have a headache. My teeth hurt. I can’t eat carrots or hard nuts anymore (my favorite snack foods?).
Yeah…It’s worth it.
STRAIGHT TEETH HERE I COME!!
This time I’ll wear my retainer when I’m done. Fuck me for not doing it the first time I had braces. This time it’s costing my $6000 out of pocket.
ARGHGHHGHGHHHGHGHHGHGHHGHG!!!!
June 2nd, 2009
*=lapse
Working on cleaning my teeth a little better. I’ve always tried to be thorough but I hate anything less than white so polish polish polish.
I hate this but it kept going wrong and Lightroom was playing up and I have a million other things (that are wayyy more important!) to do.
The is the beginning of my kinda theme week. I'm doing a week of cliche 365 shots, the ones that you see so many of in the pool. I'm not sure who did any of them first but they've all since been done hundreds of times. With only a couple of months left I thought I should make sure to include them all in my set!
This is where the 47 Rōnin of Akō, along with their lord, Asano Naganori, are interred. Sengaku-ji is located in the Takanawa are of Minato-ku, Tokyo, near Shinagawa Station.
Ōishi Kuranosuke was the chief retainer of the Asano clan during the turmoil associated with the 47 Rōnin incident, in which the feudal lord, Asano Naganori, attacked and wounded Kira Yoshinaka within Edo Castle. As drawing a weapon within the shogun's castle was a capital offence, Asano was sentenced to commit seppuku the same day.
As a result of Asano's impulsive behavior, the Shogunate disbanded the Asano clan and seized their lands. Ōishi and 46 other former Asano retainers waited and unleashed their misguided revenge on Kira, attacking his home in the dead of night in December 1703, killing his body guards as well as taking his head and placing it in front of Asano's tomb in Sengaku-ji Temple in Takanawa, Tokyo.
All the Akō rōnin were sentenced to death by seppuku (harakiri). Actually, recent scholarship is saying that the rōnin may have not been allowed the honor of death by seppuku, but were actually beheaded like common criminals. The promise of the right of death by seppuku may have been a sugar-coated lie told by the shogunate to help the public more easily swallow the death sentence imposed on the Akō rōnin.
Anyway, the loyalty that these guys showed to their foolish lord by committing what can only be described as what me and some of my friends refer to as a feudal "drive-by"- Japanese style, has been lauded by the Japanese public ever since. The facts behind the actual events have been buried in the countless puppet and kabuki plays as well as movies that have been made about this.
I'm not a terribly big fan of Asano Naganori, nor do I think the Akō rōnin were particularly "brave" by carrying out a night attack after a party and fighting a small group of drunk bodyguards and taking the head of a feeble old man. But, this perspective is from modern, western eyes. In reality, night attacks of this nature have always been a staple of samurai warfare, being documented since the Heian period. As much as I don't partake in the 47 Rōnin Kool Aid drinking parties, I do admit to enjoying watching a good fictional film or kabuki play about these guys.
This was taken at the Glencoe Campground in Sturgis during the motorcycle rally. Our friend Kirk about had the paint washed off his bike. He kept taking it back for another wash.
The unusually warm weather this season ensured that pockets of autumn foliage remained well into mid-December here in Tokyo. This was taken at Sengaku-ji.
This is where the 47 Rōnin of Akō, along with their lord, Asano Naganori, are interred. Sengaku-ji is located in the Takanawa are of Minato-ku, Tokyo, near Shinagawa Station.
Ōishi Kuranosuke was the chief retainer of the Asano clan during the turmoil associated with the 47 Rōnin incident, in which the feudal lord, Asano Naganori, attacked and wounded Kira Yoshinaka within Edo Castle. As drawing a weapon within the shogun's castle was a capital offence, Asano was sentenced to commit seppuku the same day.
As a result of Asano's impulsive behavior, the Shogunate disbanded the Asano clan and seized their lands. Ōishi and 46 other former Asano retainers waited and unleashed their misguided revenge on Kira, attacking his home in the dead of night in December 1703, killing his body guards as well as taking his head and placing it in front of Asano's tomb in Sengaku-ji Temple in Takanawa, Tokyo.
All the Akō rōnin were sentenced to death by seppuku (harakiri). Actually, recent scholarship is saying that the rōnin may have not been allowed the honor of death by seppuku, but were actually beheaded like common criminals. The promise of the right of death by seppuku may have been a sugar-coated lie told by the shogunate to help the public more easily swallow the death sentence imposed on the Akō rōnin.
Anyway, the loyalty that these guys showed to their foolish lord by committing what can only be described as what me and some of my friends refer to as a feudal "drive-by"- Japanese style, has been lauded by the Japanese public ever since. The facts behind the actual events have been buried in the countless puppet and kabuki plays as well as movies that have been made about this.
I'm not a terribly big fan of Asano Naganori, nor do I think the Akō rōnin were particularly "brave" by carrying out a night attack after a party and fighting a small group of drunk bodyguards and taking the head of a feeble old man. But, this perspective is from modern, western eyes. In reality, night attacks of this nature have always been a staple of samurai warfare, being documented since the Heian period. As much as I don't partake in the 47 Rōnin Kool Aid drinking parties, I do admit to enjoying watching a good fictional film or kabuki play about these guys.
Why all the flags at half mast
Why the murders the rage
Where the retainers of passion
Left from a sensible age
To wipe the wretched history from this page
Why the people so bloated
What making cancerous sin
Where the godmerging shamans
To make new sense out of this din
To make beast calming music out of this din
Why all the present confusion,
When will the answering cry come?
We'll be able to hear it,
So busy dying to die?
How is it we live dying to die?
Don’t disrespect your parents
Rather calm their panic
Curb their distemper
Don’t tamper with their rot
No diaper no rash
Put out the trash
It’s a jinx
it’s a jinx…
If you don't know by now, I broke a tooth a bit back... it was surely weakened by a filling that has been there forever, and possibly a smaller cavity working its way from underneath. The solution: a crown *growl* So I spent my afternoon numbed up, while Curtis grinded off the filling and bits of tooth needed to knock out of the way for the crown to attach. I _did_ get to geek out a bit, watching him "re-create" my tooth on the compy. _That_ was pretty cool!
An unexpected visitor to Frodsham .... class 31 and old retainer 31106 heads west with 3Q04, the 13.55 Crewe - Longsight Network Rail Test train earlier this evening, 11th July 2013.
Thought I was back in the 70s for a minute......
ODC: Eccentric
I'm not sure why this image popped into my head when I read the challenge but it did and here you go...probably the best looking self portrait you'll see of me throughout this project. :)
I had one of those days where every little thing was getting on my nerves and my patience was very thin so I figured I needed something to give me a good laugh.
I use to get hours of entertainment when I was kid doing this.
FGR: Okeh
Taken in the New Otani Hotel's Garden in Tokyo.
The garden of the New Otani Hotel in Tokyo stands on the property that was once the primary yashiki (estate) of the great Sengoku period feudal lord, Katō Kiyomasa (1562-1611). Kiyomasa was a trusted retainer and general of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the warlord who unified Japan in the wake of Oda Nobunaga’s assassination in 1582. Kiyomasa rose to fame during the battle of Shizugatake and soon found himself at the vanguard of many of Hideyoshi’s campaigns, including the invasion of Korea in 1592, in which Kiyomasa’s reputation as a master tactician, fierce fighter, castle builder and as a cruel man grew. To this day, the mere mention of Kiyomasa’s name in Korea is sure to bring a frown. Although loyal to the Toyotomi, if there was one thing that Kiyomasa hated more than Christianity and poor martial spirit among the samurai, it was Ishida Mitsunari, leader of the Western coalition of daimyo that opposed the rise of Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was this hatred of Mitsunari that drove Kiyomasa into the Tokugawa camp where he played a pivotal role in the Kyushu theater of the Sekigahara campaign in 1600. As a result of his service, Kiyomasa was rewarded by becoming one of the elite daimyo who were allowed to build his Edo estate near the shogun’s castle in the upscale area that became known as Kioi-cho, named after the elite Kii Tokugawa, Owari Tokugawa and Ii daimyo families that kept their residences in this area.
As Kiyomasa was loyal to the house of Toyotomi and as a final showdown between the Tokugawa and Toyotomi grew, the Tokugawa began to have their doubts about where Kiyomasa’s ultimate loyalty rested. Fearful of having to face this fierce and influential warlord on the opposing side of the battlefield when the fighting would inevitably erupt in 1615, it has been suggested that the Tokugawa had him poisoned. Shortly after the fall of the Toyotomi, Kiyomasa’s son was accused of disloyalty (most likely a trumped up charge) and the family’s fief in Kumamoto, Kyushu was seized by the shogunate and the clan was abolished. Soon after this, the grounds of the Katō estate in Tokyo were given to the Ii family.
When the New Otani Hotel was constructed, it was decided to keep the traditional Japanese garden intact. Today the garden covers more than 10 acres and has over 800 trees, 10,000 flowering plants, ponds, a waterfall, and 42 stone lanterns, many of which date back from the Edo (1603-1868) and the Kamakura (1192-1333) periods.
This is the first time i've photographed this ancient beech tree in the morning for my quest to take a picture on the first of each month this year. I can't believe how quickly it has gone. It was freezing with a hard frost but the tree looked magnificent. And the moon was still up.
The model who was in these braces was great, just think of what is was like for her to have this orthopedic appliance applied to her body. First she had to move her ankles to the inside of the brace so I could get the ankle straps on her sandals buckled up. She sat patiently while I buckled each of the 32 straps to her legs and body. I then CAREFULLY stood her up and listened for the drop locks to engage. The knees locked first followed by the hips. She had a pair of crutches to steady herself but was very worried she would fall over. Then I had to readjust some of the straps to tighten them down properly. The whole process took about 25 minutes. As you can see the pictures came out well and after about an hour of me picking her up by the braces turning her around and taking shots from every angle she was freed from her brace prison. Upon unbuckling the straps, sandals and removing the braces I expected her legs to be completely marked with "strap marks" from all the hardware she was wearing, marks similar to a girls feet after wearing high heeled sandals all day. Much to my surprise she had barely a mark on her and light marks at that. She said that she was very comfortable while wearing them and the fact that they did not leave a pattern tells me that this brace fits very well. Brand new genuine orthopedic leather. These braces were sold, you missed out. Made to measure recreational leg braces or other leather and metal restraint or fetish items, contact me at my1970junk@msn.com and put "braces" in the tag line. Also check out Flickr group "Leg Brace Desires" I just started it for recreational bracers
A perfect view of her heavily Braced legs with triple ankle strap sandals AND mid foot retainer straps buckled tightly onto her feet. Custom made leg and/or back braces can be made for you, contact me at my1970junk@msn.com.
20/365
This guy scared me senseless, so I thought I'd put a little fear into him too.
I'm in a great mood today. I'm looking forward to next Thursday. New camera is the same, just a little different... and is taking great shots!
Edo Competition’s engine modifications:
■ A bump in displacement from 6.0 to 6.3 liters,
■ new camshafts,
■ new titanium valve spring retainers
■ connecting rods,
■ modified cylinder heads,
■ new high performance exhaust headers,
■ high flow catalytic converters,
■ mufflers and air filters:
The standard hydraulic tappets are replaced with newly developed solid tappets, enabling the 12 cylinder engine to rev to an incredible 9,600 rpm.
Additionally the intake system of the V12 was modified,
■ a new high performance clutch - available with „strada“ or „pista“ friction pads –
■ a more powerful oil pump were installed.
The power output is increased by 180 to 840 horsepower.
Without mufflers more than 860 horsepower is possible. The maximum torque of 780 Nm (575 ft-lb) is available at 5,800 rpm.
Specifications
Engine V12 cylinder 6.3 ltr.
Power est. 840 hp
Max. torque est. 780 Nm / 5.800/min
Performance
Top speed > 390 km/h
0 – 100 km/h (0 – 62 mph) est. 3.2s
0 – 200 km/h (0 – 124 mph) est. 9.0s
0 – 300 km/h (0 – 186 mph) est. 19.0s
This is a retaining bracket used to hold a railway sleeper in place. Its clearly been in place for a long time, and doubtless has served numerous times the fisherman unloading their catch at Dungeness beach. This is a strange location, but one I've photographed many times. On first arrival it appears to all be a uniform colour tone - a dullish green/beige, except for the occasional white boat stored on the stoney beach. Yet when you look closer an array of bright contrasting colours reveals itself, as in this image, right below my feet. The lighting was fortunate, with low angle late afternoon sunlight dappling the decaying metal. In this kind of colourful detail lies the photographic allure of Dungeness, and its the reason I'll likely return many more times in the future.
Rue nationale, framed by the town gate Porte de l’Amasse in the historic district of Amboise, Loire Valley, France
Some background information:
The town of Amboise is located on the banks of the Loire River in the administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire and has more than 12,500 residents. In pre-Roman times there used to be a Gallic oppidum on the site, which was taken over by the Romans later. Today, Amboise is mainly renowned for its beautiful old town, but also for its altogether three châteaus: the Château royal d'Amboise, the Château Château du Clos Lucé (the former residence of Leonardo da Vinci) and the Château Gaillard.
A forth château, the Château de Chanteloup was destroyed by an act of incendiarism in 1823 and never rebuild. Only a part of the garden and some of its features have survived, of which the most important is the Pagoda of Chanteloup. But both region and town are also renowned for their cuisine. How about a poultry ballotine, a slice of Sainte Maure goat cheese or rillettes de canard together with a glass of sweet white wine from the Tourraine wine-growing region? That’s French art de vivre, to enjoy without any moderation.
The strategic qualities of the site were already recognised in pre-Roman times, when it was used to build a Gallic oppidum. In the 9th century the oppidum was converted into a castle by Ingelgarius, viscount of Orléans, who controlled the area after having married Adelais, a member of the family that controlled it previously. Ingelgarius was succeeded by his son Fulk the Red, who later became Count of Anjou. After Fulk had expanded his territory, Amboise, Loches, and Villentrois formed the core of his possessions, but Amboise still lay on the eastern frontier of his holdings.
In 987, the town and its castle descended through the family to Fulk III (also known as Fulk the Black). Fulk had to contend with the ambitions of Odo I, Count of Blois, who wanted to expand his own territory into Anjou. He attempted to isolate and threaten the castles of Amboise and Loches by erecting fortifications at Chaumont and Montsoreau while garrisoning the town of Saint-Aignan.
Expanded and improved in the course of the centuries, the Château d'Amboise was seized by King Charles VII of France in 1434, after its owner, Louis d'Amboise, Viscount of Thours, was convicted of plotting and condemned to be executed. However, the king pardoned him but took his castle. Once in royal hands, the château became a favourite of French kings, from Louis XI to Francis I.
Charles VIII decided to rebuild it extensively, beginning in 1492 at first in the French late Gothic Flamboyant style and then after 1495 employing two Italian mason-builders, Domenico da Cortona and Fra Giocondo, who provided at Amboise some of the first Renaissance decorative motifs seen in French architecture. Following the Italian War from 1494 to 1495, Charles turned the Château d'Amboise into "the first Italianate palace in France". In 1498, Charles died at Château d'Amboise after hitting his head on a door lintel.
During the first years of the reign of King Francis I the château reached the pinnacle of its glory. In 1515, Leonardo da Vinci came to the palace as a guest of the king. He lived and worked in the nearby Château du Clos Lucé, just a few hundred metres away from Château d'Amboise and connected to it by an underground passage. After his death on death on 2nd May 1519, da Vinci was buried in the Chapel of St. Florentin, originally located approximately 100 metres northeast of the Chapel of St. Hubert that lays within the stone fortifications of the Château d'Amboise, where his remains were brought to in 1874.
In 1560, during the French Wars of Religion, a conspiracy by members of the Huguenot House of Bourbon against the House of Guise that virtually ruled France in the name of the young Francis II was uncovered by the Count of Guise and stifled by a series of hangings, which took a month to carry out. By the time it was finished, 1200 Protestants were gibbetted, strung from the town walls, hung from the iron hooks that held pennants and tapestries on festive occasions and from the very balcony of the royal rooms. The court soon had to leave the town because of the smell of corpses. Those events went down in history as the Amboise conspiracy.
The abortive peace of Amboise was signed at Amboise in March 1563, between Louis I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who had been implicated in the conspiracy to abduct the king, and Catherine de' Medici. The "edict of pacification", as it was termed, authorised Protestant services only in chapels of seigneurs and justices, with the stipulation that such services had to be held outside the walls of towns. However, neither side was satisfied with this compromise.
Following this first French War of Religion, Amboise never returned to royal favour. The French kings moved their royal seat back to Paris and used the palace only as an occasional hunting château. At the beginning of the 17th century, the property passed into the hands of Gaston d'Orleans, the brother of the Bourbon King Louis XIII. After his death it returned to the Crown and was turned into a prison during the Fronde, a series of civil wars. Under King Louis XIV it held disgraced minister Nicolas Fouquet and the Duke of Lauzun.
Since 1840, the Château d'Amboise has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. King Louis-Philippe began restoring it during his reign but with his abdication in 1848, the château was confiscated by the government. The captive Emir Abd Al-Qadir, who resisted the French colonisation of Algeria, and an entourage of family and retainers were transferred to Château d'Amboise in November 1848. In 1852, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, then president and later king, visited Abd al-Qadir at Amboise to give him the news of his release.
In 1873, Louis-Philippe’s heirs were given control of the property and a major effort to repair it was made. During the German invasion in 1940 the château was damaged once again. Today, the present Count of Paris, descendant of Louis-Philippe, repairs and maintains the château through the foundation Saint-Louis. Since 2000, Amboise’s three castles still existing belong to the UNESCO Word Heritage Site "The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes" with its many breathtaking châteaux. Altogether there are more than 400 of them in the Loire region.
herausnehmbare Retainer meiner Freundin (Tragedauer: voraussichtlich 36 Monate, anfangs ganztags, später ca. 70 Wochenstunden).
This is where the 47 Rōnin of Akō, along with their lord, Asano Naganori, are interred. Sengaku-ji is located in the Takanawa are of Minato-ku, Tokyo, near Shinagawa Station.
Ōishi Kuranosuke was the chief retainer of the Asano clan during the turmoil associated with the 47 Rōnin incident, in which the feudal lord, Asano Naganori, attacked and wounded Kira Yoshinaka within Edo Castle. As drawing a weapon within the shogun's castle was a capital offence, Asano was sentenced to commit seppuku the same day.
As a result of Asano's impulsive behavior, the Shogunate disbanded the Asano clan and seized their lands. Ōishi and 46 other former Asano retainers waited and unleashed their misguided revenge on Kira, attacking his home in the dead of night in December 1703, killing his body guards as well as taking his head and placing it in front of Asano's tomb in Sengaku-ji Temple in Takanawa, Tokyo.
All the Akō rōnin were sentenced to death by seppuku (harakiri). Actually, recent scholarship is saying that the rōnin may have not been allowed the honor of death by seppuku, but were actually beheaded like common criminals. The promise of the right of death by seppuku may have been a sugar-coated lie told by the shogunate to help the public more easily swallow the death sentence imposed on the Akō rōnin.
Anyway, the loyalty that these guys showed to their foolish lord by committing what can only be described as what me and some of my friends refer to as a feudal "drive-by"- Japanese style, has been lauded by the Japanese public ever since. The facts behind the actual events have been buried in the countless puppet and kabuki plays as well as movies that have been made about this.
I'm not a terribly big fan of Asano Naganori, nor do I think the Akō rōnin were particularly "brave" by carrying out a night attack after a party and fighting a small group of drunk bodyguards and taking the head of a feeble old man. But, this perspective is from modern, western eyes. In reality, night attacks of this nature have always been a staple of samurai warfare, being documented since the Heian period. As much as I don't partake in the 47 Rōnin Kool Aid drinking parties, I do admit to enjoying watching a good fictional film or kabuki play about these guys.