A wide range of extraordinary examinations are given in Japan to promote tourism or to ensure that local culture will be handed down safely from one generation to the next.
The test givers range from chambers of commerce promoting tourism to a well-known distiller. But the newest entrant this year will be Chuo Gishi Kai, a foundation related to the famous 47 ronin who killed a senior Tokugawa shogunate official on Jan. 30, 1703, in revenge for their lord.
The lord, Asano Naganori, wounded his superior officer, Kira Yoshinaka, in Edo Castle -- the present Imperial Palace that served as the residence of the shogun -- on March 14, 1701, after having been humiliated in connection with his duties as a receptionist for an Imperial messenger from Kyoto.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.