Seppuku (ritual suicide in samurai culture)

Seppuku, also known as harakiri, is a traditional Japanese ritual of ritual suicide historically practiced by samurai. It involved a precise method of self-disembowelment to restore honor after failure, disgrace, or as a form of protest. The act was often performed with a sword, and sometimes included a second (kaishakunin) to decapitate the individual to reduce suffering. Seppuku was deeply rooted in samurai values of loyalty, honor, and duty, emphasizing personal responsibility and resilience. While historically significant, it is now a rare practice and viewed as a symbol of the complex code of conduct that characterized samurai society.