Seppuku & Harakiri Rituals Explained

Perhaps you already know that Seppuku or Harakiri is the Japanese art of suicide and dying with honor, preferred by samurais instead of execution. In this article, we go further, investigating every detail of this suicide culture and some unknown facts.

Did you know that the blade most used in Seppuku was not a Katana? Did you know that women also had a similar ritual? Do you know all the processes of Harakiri? Do you know the most famous ones who committed such an act?

Table of Contents

What does Seppuku and Harakiri mean?

Seppuku is a Japanese suicide ritual that is part of the Samurai code of honor. The word seppuku [切腹] means “to cut the belly.” Seppuku is used in extreme situations such as failing to serve one’s master or losing in a war.

In the West, this act is more commonly known as harakiri [腹切 or 腹切り] where samurais, or warriors, honorably committed suicide, for love; honor and homeland. This act is used voluntarily as a choice to escape the hands of enemies.

Seppuku is also a form of capital punishment for samurais who committed serious crimes and other reasons for shame. In its most basic form, seppuku is an honorable suicide, committed ritualistically.

The knife used for the ritual is called Tantō or Kozuka. This knife is much easier to handle than a katana or sword, allowing for quick, precise, and clean cuts.

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The Complexity of a Seppuku or Harakiri

The proper Seppuku was so complex that it even required a master swordsman. Some rituals became so complex that the act could take days to plan and hours to decree.

The cut in the abdomen is not the death blow; it is symbolic. The act requires a specific technique involving 3 movements.

Let’s say you have the pain tolerance of a god and want to be especially honored in death. After the first three wounds, remove the knife, stab yourself in the stomach, and pass through the previous cuts to the sternum.

In many cases, those who committed harakiri wrote poems as part of the ritual. Therefore, there are technical and literary aspects in seppuku. Could this be one of the first accounts of suicide notes?

It turns out that, besides being tough warriors, samurais were an educated class, with education in religion and the written word, both strongly linked to poetry in feudal Japan. Believe it or not, some samurais were actually good poets.

Some samurais wrote haiku, others waka. The death poems provide evidence that the samurai understood the true nature of his death. These poems were typically influenced by Buddhist views of death.

Seppuku was not an isolated act. On the contrary, some were committed in a garden or a sacred place, and involved the presence of several spectators. If you are planning seppuku, wash yourself beforehand and wear your best clothes.

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What is the Origin and History of Seppuku?

The first documented case of seppuku dates back to 1180. At that time, the Minamoto and Taira clans were at war, and the Taira decimated their enemy. The leader of the defeated clan, Minamoto no Yorimasa, saw his life crumbling around him.

A warrior and poet, he preferred suicide to living a life of failure. There are several versions of the story of his death – according to one, he leaned against a massive pillar in his house and opened his stomach.

Originally, seppuku was a military act, usually performed in battle or in the face of defeat. However, in the 1500s, it became a right allowed only to samurais and daimyo (feudal lords), being prohibited for some warriors.

Seppuku as an honorable alternative to execution for the samurai and daimyo class was, in theory, a right granted by the emperor. Those authorized to commit seppuku received an ornamental ceremonial knife and used it to cut their belly.

The decapitator returned the knife to the emperor as proof that the action was carried out. It was often committed as a result of dishonor or disloyalty to the emperor. In some cases, the samurai himself acted as judge, jury, and executioner.

Such forced seppuku required little evidence or testimony. This form of mandatory seppuku continued until 1868, when it was finally prohibited. Seppuku was also allowed as an alternative to execution at the hands of the military or their enemy.

Instead of being killed, you could take the honorable path of choosing to end your own life. In these cases, you could retain some form of personal honor in death. This voluntary method of seppuku has never been prohibited to this day.

How did the Seppuku Ritual Work?

Only for samurais (The suicide ceremony included a bath; sake; last poem and even a mercy blow.)

Harakiri, or seppuku, begins with the samurai preparing with a bath, which was believed to purify the body and soul. The warrior invited friends and relatives to witness his death and the reclaiming of lost honor and could wear a special outfit, in white, to symbolize integrity and virtuous character.

The chosen location for the ceremony could be inside a house, but it was usually outdoors, in a Buddhist garden. Seppuku could not be performed in the gardens of Shinto temples, sacred places that should not be profaned with death.

The samurai would sit cross-legged. He would write the last poem on a wooden table and take the last sake in two gulps. Then he would position the blade of the sword on the left side of his abdomen and strike himself.

After the first cut, the bravest would bring the sword to the center of the body and lift it, aiming to reach the center of the abdomen. The Japanese believed that the soul was located there.

To self-inflict the wound, the warrior used a short sword (30 to 60 centimeters) called wakizashi (脇差し). He wielded it holding a white cloth. After death, all blades used in seppuku were destroyed.

Kaishakunin – Seppuku is Not Done Alone

Seppuku is not something you can do alone (although some cut their own throats). Perhaps you have seen movies, shows, or comics in which a samurai, sitting in silence and solitude, stabs himself with a katana.

In reality, stabbing oneself in the stomach is only the first part of seppuku. You cut your abdomen to release your spirit from your body; after that, you are alive and in excruciating pain. Your assistant, a kaishakunin, decapitates you.

The kaishakunin [介錯人] is a second very skilled samurai who accompanies the ceremony. He could be a friend of the suicidal or even an enemy, who, in recognition of the rival’s bravery, offers to accompany his death.

The role of the seppuku was to inflict a fatal and painful wound on the suicidal. But, as death sometimes took hours, the kaishakunin could deliver a mercy blow to end the life of the warrior, who had already proven his courage.

The single blow to the neck needed to be precise, keeping the head attached to the body by a piece of skin. If he cut it off completely, making it roll on the ground, it could be considered a great disrespect.

Those invited to participate in a seppuku could only refuse on the grounds that their sword technique was inadequate. If at any moment your assistant sees you hesitate, he may cut off your head.

Jigai – Female Harakiri

As seppuku was a popular act among warriors, most women were left out. What few know is that women had their own harakiri ritual and could commit honorable suicide on some occasions.

If you were the wife of a samurai or a woman involved in war, were raped, had your husband killed, dishonored, or lost your home, the woman could choose to end her life with a jigai, which in some cases was mandatory.

Committing jigai begins with tying the body in a specific pose with a rope, to avoid an ugly death (Japanese women were required to be proper and beautiful at all times).

Once tied, take a very sharp knife and cut the artery in your neck in one go. Jigai caused a very quick death, but it was also very messy, creating a flood of blood.

Seppuku and Bushido – The Samurai Code of Honor

Seppuku is part of the samurai code of honor, Bushido (武士道). It was taken very seriously by samurais at the time. They gave their lives to their master; they themselves did not accept failures. We have seen that even today the Japanese like to maintain a perfect rhythm in things and do not like failures.

‘For a samurai, honoring the name of his family and ancestors is said through death in battle or duel, but not necessarily. And failing, before his lord, was the greatest dishonor for the warrior, who ultimately had no other choice but suicide. This is only possible by the standards that govern the samurai warrior through bushido.’

If the samurai did something dishonorable and did not perform Seppuku, he would become a Ronin [浪人], a masterless samurai, and would not find any other master to hire him.

Japanese Who Committed Seppuku

Kusunoki Masashige (1294 to 1336) – Committed seppuku after the emperor he served ignored his advice during a war, resulting in the loss of the battle.

Ōishi Kuranosuke Yoshio + 46 ronin – Were sentenced to commit seppuku after avenging the death of Asano Naganori. Asano Naganori himself committed harakiri for his failed attempt to kill Kira Yoshinaka at Edo Castle.

General Akashi Gidayu – Committed harakiri for his master after he lost a battle in 1582. The adopted son of Miyamoto Musashi committed harakiri for the death of his lord.

In 1970, renowned novelist Yukio Mishima and his followers committed harakiri while defending a political revolution against the post-war constitution. Ashamed by mockery, he marched to the general’s office and committed seppuku.

In the 19th century, warriors killed Frenchmen for considering them hostile during their arrival in Sakai. The ship’s captain demanded compensation; of these warriors, 11 committed seppuku, and the scene was so horrific that the captain could not bear to watch.

Jumonji Giri – No Cuts to the Head

Is seppuku not unpleasant enough for you? There is an alternative version called jumonji giri where there is no decapitation. That is, you only cut the belly in the traditional way and bleed to death.

Admiral Takijiro Onishi, responsible for kamikaze runs in World War II, killed himself this way with Japan’s surrender. It took him 15 hours to die.

General Nogi also committed jumonji giri in 1912 and was so unconditional that he completely buttoned his military uniform over his wounds before waiting for the end.

How Did Seppuku Influence Japan?

It is very common to see references to seppuku in anime and manga; I remember this in Love Hina and in other anime that I can’t recall right now.

And how can we not mention the movie 47 Ronin? Despite the unrealities, it had a tragic ending; the seppuku was quite sad. I made an image highlighting some references in anime and film. See if you recognize them.

We can certainly say that the culture of suicide in Japan has been greatly influenced by Seppuku or Harakiri. Even with the rate dropping in the last 30 years, suicides in Japan exceed 20,000. Could Seppuku be responsible?

Another great example is the kamikazes in World War II. We realize that both seppuku and the honor of the samurais culturally influenced Japan today.

Unfortunately, thousands of Japanese commit suicide for dishonorable reasons. However, they maintain their loyalty and take all work and life seriously, valuing things and striving to the utmost, to the point of feeling shame.

To conclude this article, let’s leave some videos showing the process of Seppuku.

Seppuku and Harakiri – Learn All the Facts