Subject: The ronin Oboshi Rikiya Yoshikane (kabuki name) – Yoshikane standing with his yari and hand on sword
Series: Seichu gishi den (Stories of the true loyalty of the faithful samurai)
Print No: 1.2a. Refer Weinberg’s page 42, a rare alternate design of Rikiya standing, as opposed to being seated. (1.2)
Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861)
Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and kiri seal
Date: 1847-48
Cens: Kinugasa (left) Hama (right)
Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke
Size: Oban tate-e, 37.6 x 25.4 cm
Condition: Good impression, colour and condition, some marks and staining
Price: Not for sale at this stage
True name: Oishi Chikara Yoshikane (大石 主税 良金)
Age: 16
Katana mei: Tomokuni, length 2 shaku 2 sun
Wakizashi mei: Hiroshige, length 1 shaku 1 sun + Short Yari
The tale of the text – with a little twist
Rikiya, Oboshi Yoshio’s sixteen‑year‑old son, was basically the Edo‑period equivalent of a varsity athlete: tall, strong, and annoyingly good at martial arts. Naturally, everyone assumed he’d be on the roster for the big, dramatic vendetta. But when the loyal retainers gathered to swear their oath, his dad conveniently “forgot” to put his name down.
Hara Goemon immediately called him out like a coworker noticing the boss left his own kid off the team project. “Your son is literally built for this. Why isn’t he on the list?”
Oboshi, trying to sound wise and not overprotective, replied: “Well… he’s young. And his mother loves him. Like… a lot. She might get emotional.” Translation: “My wife will kill me before the enemy does.”
Rikiya overheard this and went straight into full teenage meltdown mode. He stormed off, turned bright red, stripped to the waist, and started preparing for seppuku — the historical equivalent of slamming your bedroom door and threatening to run away, except significantly more dramatic.
His comrades rushed in like panicked babysitters: “Whoa, whoa, buddy, put the sword down, let’s talk about this.”
Once everyone calmed him down, Oboshi realized his son was actually dead serious about the whole loyalty thing. Proud dad tears flowed — the kind he didn’t even notice because he was too busy pretending he wasn’t crying.
After being officially sworn in, Rikiya headed off to Hirama in Bushu, where he quietly waited for the big showdown like a samurai on stealth mode. When the night of the attack finally came, he fought fiercely and made sure the enemy had a very bad evening.
In the end, Rikiya managed to embody both ancient virtues: loyalty to his lord and devotion to his parents — proving that even a teenager who nearly committed seppuku out of embarrassment can still make Lao Tzu proud.
For an accurate translation of the print text, I would encourage you to get the book: Kuniyoshi -The faithful samurai by David R Weinberg.