The revenge of the forty-seven Ronin (四十七士 Shi-jū-shichi-shi, forty-seven samurai), also known as the Akō vendetta or the Genroku Akō incident (元禄赤穂事件 Genroku akō jiken?), is a 17th-century historical event and a legend in Japan in which a band of ronin (leaderless samurai) avenged the death of their master. One noted Japanese scholar described the tale, the best known example of the samurai code of honor, bushidō, as the country's "national legend."[1]