Sano Masakoto


Sano Masakoto, nicknamed Sano Zenzaeomon was a Japanese samurai, a hatamoto guard of Edo Castle, who gained his fame by killing the unpopular wakadoshiyori Tanuma Okitomo in March 1784 in the castle.

History

On March 24th, 1784, in Edo castle, Sano shouted 3 times "Remember", Oboegaaro to Tanuma Okitomo and cut him with a wakizashi. Tanuma died of his wounds 8 days later, and Sano was condemned to commit seppuku. The Sano clan was punished, but as Sano was the only male heir to the clan, the estate of the family went back to the father.
The exact motive of Sano remains unclear and there are several competing theories, but the Shogunate put his actions on a moment of madness. Sano's tomb is in Tokuhonji, near Asakusa

Post-death celebration

Tanuma and his father, Tanuma Okitsugu, were unpopular, furthemore the country had just been through a famine caused by the Mount Asama eruption, and coincidently just after the killing the price of rice started to fall. This sudden positive shift was put on Sano's actions, who got deifed as Yonaoshi Daimyojin
. Tokuhonji became a site for his celebration.
The campus of Otsuka Women's University in Sanbanchō is on the site of his residence, which is marked by a touristic sign.