home of a high government official. The official verdict was that Harada drew first, and the punishment was severe. The Harada family was destroyed, Harada's sons and grandsons executed, and though Tsunamura was affirmed as the proper daimyō, his uncles were punished. Aki was judged to be a paragon of loyalty, and no action was taken against his family. This story inspired a number of cultural productions, most notably the jōruri (puppet theater) play, later adopted into kabuki, Meiboku Sendai Hagi, by Chikamatsu. In this production, as in many other retellings of the tale, Harada is undoubtedly the villain, Aki the hero. Historians, however, are skeptical about the accuracy of this black-and-white approach, and claim that there were likely other elements to the narrative which are not clear from the formal records. One side or the other in the dispute may have bribed government officials in order to affect the government's handling of the situation, and it is known that Sakai Tadakiyo was a friend of Tsunamune, thus perhaps altering the shogunate's behavior in this matter further. References Sansom, George (1963). A History of Japan: 1615-1867. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. pp.63-67. 1671 in Japan Rival successions Date clan