Yet most have no desire to kill themselves, knowing full well that the clans will give them money simply to be rid of them. This presents a problem for the clans, who see this as a form of extortion. When Motome, a young ronin, requests to commit suicide in the Iyi mansion, rather than simply deny the request or give him money, Kageyu, the clan counsellor, has his samurai force the young man to commit hara-kiri, even refusing his request for a two-day postponement. As if this isn’t bad enough, they make him use the bamboo sword he carries; he is so poor he has sold his blades. This is all done to preserve the honour of the Iyi clan and deter other ronin. Motome had a sick child, and needed money for medicine – he was only driven to performing the hara-kiri scam by the most extreme circumstances. The film revolves around Hanshiro, father-in-law of Motome. Himself a ronin, Hanshiro realises he is most happy when he has no superiors and is with his family. He praises his son-in-law for his brave actions, and curses his own stupidity for not selling his swords.
