Confidence
| Field | Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrine name | 99% | Right-page brush + red square seal both read 大石神社; the gold-brush 大願成就 ("great wish fulfilled") signature is identical to the standard Ōishi Jinja goshuin (#07 in this book); the left page features a full-color print of 大石内蔵助良雄 (Ōishi Kuranosuke Yoshio) in samurai kamishimo with banner labelled「大石内蔵助良雄」. This is the documented "Ōishi Kuranosuke special goshuin (大石内蔵助 特別御朱印)" issued by the shrine. |
| Date | 96% | 令和七年四月二日 = 2 April 2025 — same day as the standard Ōishi Jinja goshuin (#07). Visitors typically receive both at once. |
| Variant ID | 97% | Documented at multiple goshuin guides as the shrine's "Kuranosuke painted version" with full-color samurai portrait — a tokubetsu goshuin (特別御朱印) sold for ~1500 yen. |
Identification
- Name (Japanese): 大石神社 — 大石内蔵助 特別御朱印 (見開き)
- Name (Romanized): Akō Ōishi Jinja — Ōishi Kuranosuke Special Goshuin (two-page spread)
- Type: Shinto shrine — 特別御朱印 (tokubetsu goshuin / special-edition goshuin) — two-page spread with portrait of Kuranosuke
- Issuance point: Akō Ōishi Jinja shrine office (paid book-only)
- Location: Kamikariya, Akō, Hyōgo Prefecture — inside Akō Castle ruins
- Date received: 令和七年四月二日 = 2 April 2025
Reading the goshuin (two-page spread)
This is a two-page spread with a full-color print of Kuranosuke on the left, and brush calligraphy + seals on the right.
Left page
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 大石内蔵助良雄 | "Ōishi Kuranosuke Yoshio" — banner label identifying the figure | Top center |
| 大石内蔵助 portrait | Color print of Kuranosuke holding a 大太鼓 (large war-drum) in his right hand and a 法螺貝 (horagai / conch trumpet) in his left hand — the iconic image of him at the moment he signaled the 14 December 1702 raid on Kira's Edo mansion. He wears purple-patterned hakama and white kotē (arm-armor); the stripe on his chest is the kamishimo crest of the Ōishi family | Left page, full color |
| Snowy night background | Full moon over snow-covered ground — references the famed snowy night of the raid (the 47 rōnin attacked in heavy snow, which is why every Chūshingura adaptation features this snowscape) | Left page background |
Right page
| Element | Reading | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 大願成就 | Taigan Jōju — "Great Wish Fulfilled" — gold brush | Top right (gold) |
| 大石神社 | Ōishi Jinja — shrine name | Center, large brush |
| 大石神社 (tensho) | Shrine name in seal script | Right side, red square seal |
| 令和七年四月二日 | 2 April 2025 (Reiwa 7) | Right column, brush |
About this special goshuin
The 大石内蔵助 特別御朱印 (Ōishi Kuranosuke Special Goshuin) is one of two main "tokubetsu" variants offered at Akō Ōishi Jinja — the other being the 浅野内匠頭 (Asano Takumi-no-kami) version showing Kuranosuke's lord. Both are issued as two-page spreads with full-color portraits + the same brush + seal layout on the facing page. They are 書置き (kakioki / pre-printed sheets) — meaning the print and brushwork are prepared in advance, with the visitor's date filled in at the shrine office.
These special goshuin honor the 47 rōnin's loyalty narrative in visual form, transforming what is normally an abstract calligraphic stamp into a small piece of chūshingura iconography — making it especially popular with visitors familiar with the Chūshingura kabuki and film tradition.
Why the war-drum and conch in Kuranosuke's hands
In every retelling of the Chūshingura, the climactic raid scene features Ōishi Kuranosuke at the gate of Kira's mansion, striking a war-drum (山鹿流陣太鼓 / Yamagaryū Jindaiko) to signal the attack and blowing a conch (horagai) to coordinate the 47 retainers in two divided assault parties. The two objects — drum and conch — are his most iconic attributes in popular imagery, and any artistic depiction shows him with one or both. This print captures Kuranosuke at the single most dramatic moment in his life and in the entire Chūshingura narrative.
The 山鹿流陣太鼓 itself is preserved at the shrine as a sacred object (go-shintai).
What it's known for / the blessing
Same as the standard Ōishi Jinja goshuin (#07 in this book):
- 大願成就 (taigan jōju) — long-term great-goal achievement, the shrine's flagship blessing rooted in the rōnin's two-year revenge plot
- 忠義成就 — fulfillment of loyalty (a less common but theologically resonant blessing)
- Connection to Akō Castle as a National Designated Historic Site
- Year-round but particularly intense visitation around 14 December (the raid anniversary) — when 赤穂義士祭 (Akō Gishi Sai) is held with a massive parade of all 47 rōnin reenacted in costume
Same-day pair with goshuin #07
The user received two goshuin from this shrine on the same day (2 April 2025):
- #07 — the standard goshuin (~500 yen)
- #09 — this Kuranosuke special spread (~1500 yen)
This pairing is encouraged by the shrine — most pilgrims who visit specifically for the Chūshingura connection collect both.