| Seppuku (Sape-puu-kuu), the Japanese
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| | allowed any of his followers to commit
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| formal language term for ritual suicide
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| | harakiri or seppuku. Still the practice
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| (Hara-kiri (Har-rah-kee-ree) is the
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| | continued throughout the long Tokugawa
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| common language term), was an intregal
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| | reign, but it declined considerably as
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| aspect of feudal Japan (1192-1868). It
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| | time went by.Honor for the samurai was
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| developed as an intregal part of the code
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| | dearer than life and in many cases, self
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| of bushido and the discipline of the
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| | destruction was regarded not simply as
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| samurai warrior class.Hara-kiri, which
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| | right, but as the only right course.
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| literally means "stomach cutting" is a
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| | Disgrace and defeat were atoned by
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| particularly painful method of
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| | committing hara-kiri or seppuku. Upon the
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| self-destruction, and prior to the
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| | death of a daimyo loyal followers might
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| emergence of the samurai as a
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| | show their grief and affection for their
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| professional warrior class, was totally
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| | master by it. Other reasons a samurai
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| foreign to the Japanese.The early history
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| | committed seppuku were: to show contempt
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| of Japan reveals quite clearly that the
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| | for an enemy; to protest against
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| Japanese were far more interested in
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| | injustice, as a means to get their lord
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| living the good life than in dying a
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| | to reconsider an unwise or unworthy
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| painful death. It was not until well
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| | action and as a means to save others.The
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| after the introduction of Buddhism, with
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| | ritual for disenbowlment was to be
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| its theme of the transitory nature of
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| | performed calmly and without flinching.
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| life and the glory of death, that such a
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| | If condemned to death, it was held to be
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| development became possible.To the
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| | a privilege to execute the sentence on
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| samurai, seppuku--whether ordered as
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| | one's own body rather than to be a
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| punishment or chosen in preference to a
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| | disgrace and die at the hands of the
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| dishonorable death at the hands of an
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| | public headsman.The location of an
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| enemy--was unquestionable demonstration
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| | officially ordered seppuku ceremony was
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| of their honor, courage, loyalty, and
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| | very important. Often the ritual was
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| moral character.When samurai were on the
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| | performed at temple
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| battlefield, they often carried out acts
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| | (but not Shinto shrines), in the garden
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| of hara-kiri rapidly and with very little
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| | or villas, and inside homes. The size of
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| formal preparation. But on the other
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| | the area available was also important, as
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| occasions, particularly when it was
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| | it was prescribed precisely for samurai
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| ordered by a feudal lord, or the shogun
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| | of high rank.All the matters relating to
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| (as was directed of Lord Asano in the
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| | the act was carefully prescribed and
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| Tale of the 47 Ronin), seppuku or
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| | carried out in the most meticulous
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| hara-kiri was a very formal ceremony,
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| | manner. The most conspicuous participant,
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| requiring certain etiquette, witnesses
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| | other than the victim, was the kaishaku
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| and considerable preparation.Not all
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| | (kie-shah-kuu), or assistant, who was
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| Japanese samurai or lords believed in,
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| | responsible for cutting off the victim's
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| even though many of them followed the
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| | head after he had sliced his abdomen
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| custom. The great Ieyasu Tokugawa, who
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| | open. The was generally a close friend or
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| founded Japan's last great Shogunate
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| | associate of the condemned.Although
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| dynasty in 1603, eventually issued an
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| | suicide is deplored in Japan today, it
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| edict forbidding hara-kiri to both
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| | does not have the sinful overtones that
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| secondary and primary retainers.The
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| | are common in the west. People still kill
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| custom was so deeply entrenched, however,
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| | themselves for failed businesses,
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| that it continued, and in 1663, at the
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| | involvement in love triangles, or even
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| urging of Lord Nobutsuna Matsudaira of
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| | failing school examinations, death is
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| Izu, the shogunate government issued
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| | still consider by many as better than
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| another, stronger edict, prohibiting
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| | dishonor.Fahmi Samir is a student in
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| ritual suicide. This was followed up by
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| | japan and taking mechanical engineering.
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| very stern punishment for any lord who
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