Only In Japan

I had almost become inured to the oddities that occur in Japan. They seem to always have been, and still are, really an odd people.

But a new movie about a Japanese legend starring that most Japanese of actors, Keanu Reeves (??), just came out. Called "47 Ronin," it moved me to look up what the heck a ronin was. The last time I heard the word, I associated it with a Robert De Niro movie of some sort.

A ronin is your everyday samurai who leaves or loses his master. So, OK, we got the 'ronin' part. Why 47? Because of a famous legend in Japan where 47 samurai lost their master because he honorably committed harakiri for assaulting a court officer. So what did these 47 samurai - now ronin - do? They plotted for two years, killed the court officer for causing their master to kill himself, and then promptly committed harakiri themselves.

This legend is apparently about honor and such. Of a very odd people.

Keanu should be just right for the 'odd' angle.