Seppuku (切腹, lit. 'cutting [the] belly'), also called harakiri (腹切り, lit. 'abdomen/belly cutting', a native Japanese kun reading), is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment.

Mar 20, 2025 · Seppuku, the honorable method of taking one’s own life practiced by men of the samurai (military) class in feudal Japan. The word hara-kiri (literally, ‘belly-cutting’), though widely known to foreigners, is rarely used by Japanese, who prefer the term seppuku.

Harakiri and seppuku mean exactly the same thing in Japanese, but, Japanese people almost never use the word harakiri and prefer the word seppuku instead. Harakiri refers to the action of cutting stomach while seppuku represents the ritual and the traditional procedure of …

Jan 11, 2016 · Often called “hara-kiri” in the West, “seppuku” is a form of ritual suicide that originated with Japan’s ancient samurai warrior class. The grisly act typically involved stabbing oneself in the...

May 23, 2023 · Seppuku is famous as a form of suicide by which samurai took responsibility and showed their sincerity. However, the reality did not generally match up to the legend, as...

Mar 24, 2025 · Seppuku is a form of taking one’s own life that was considered honourable among the feudal Japanese samurai class. Traditionally, the act consisted of stabbing oneself in the abdomen with a short sword to ensure a slow and agonizing death.

Seppuku, or hara-kiri, was a ritual suicide practiced by samurai to uphold honor and loyalty. Explore its origins, significance, and lasting impact on Japanese culture.

Mar 24, 2025 · Seppuku was legal and used as a form of capital punishment from the 15th century until its abolishment in 1873. Whereas seppuku is rare in modern times, some studies suggest that traditional cultural attitudes in Japan regard suicide as an honourable or noble act, especially when done in traditional ways, such as seppuku.

Jan 13, 2025 · Seppuku, also known as hara-kiri, is one of the most striking and symbolic practices in Japanese history. Far from being just a grim ritual, it was seen as an honorable way to confront shame or defeat—a final act of courage and control.

Mar 21, 2024 · Seppuku is a ritualized suicide, while harakiri is its informal term, both rooted in Japanese samurai tradition. Seppuku, a term deeply embedded in Japanese samurai honor codes, refers to a highly ritualized form of suicide that involves disembowelment.