Whoa dude, is Keanu doing the 47 Ronin?

[kurogane]

Were those other 3 in the movie!!???

That is just Not Right. I would write and demand your money back. My ex used to do that and get oodles of free tickets.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Condo to loom over samurai graves in Japan, spurring protest

The "47 ronin" samurai who inspired the long-loved saga of loyalty and honor eulogized in films, books and plays are fighting a new kind of battle in urban Japan.

An apartment complex is going up next to the curved tile-roofed Sengakuji temple where the three-century-old graves of the ronin, or masterless samurai, lie. The stone monuments, standing barely waist-high, are known here and elsewhere as a humble but proud testament to sacrificing one's life for what's right.

The Buddhist monks who are still praying for the souls of the ronin, visitors from near and far, and the neighborhood residents including those who run souvenir stores are all aghast. Nearly 2,000 people have signed a petition demanding a stop to the construction. Huge protest banners are up by the gate.

Plans show an eight-story condominium, measuring 24 meters (79 feet), dwarfing the graves and placing the temple's main wooden gate in its shadow. Building has already begun and construction is expected to be completed later this year.

"People who come and pray here, including tourists from abroad, can't believe why this is being allowed," said Kenmyo Muta, a priest at the temple. "Anyone can see what it will do to this beautiful place."

The plight of the graves highlights the recurring struggles between commercial development and the effort to preserve history.

Although many European and American cities work hard to maintain the old, Japanese cities often are a hodgepodge of cutting-edge futuristic buildings next to kitsch, if not slum-like, chaos, exemplified in sign posts galore and cheap erratic construction.

[Coligny]

Ehmmm... Until there are urban preservation laws, same for everyone, sux to be you little temple... But suck it...

[matsuki]

Ehmmm... Until there are urban preservation laws, same for everyone, sux to be you little temple... But suck it...

No restrictions on the manifest-concriety the J-gov signed up for long ago.