The ritual of Seppuku

Seppuku was usually carried out in a secluded courtyard or garden. The soon-to-be-dead samurai would usually be kitted out in a nice, white kimono (to symbolize purity, and perhaps enhance the drama of the act). Before him would be a wooden tray (which would have been crafted for this specific occasion, and later would be destroyed) upon which is a sheaf of washi paper, ink, a cup of sake, and a short knife called a tanto. To start the ceremony, he would drink the sake, preferably in two gulps. One gulp was considered gauche, and three was considered to be miserly. Two gulps showed the correct combination of contemplation and determination. Next, the samurai would take the paper and ink and compose a fitting poem, typically in the waka style (a waka is a 31 syllable, 5 line poem in a 5-7-5-7-7-7 structure.) After composing the poem, he would then procede to the main event.


The samurai would open his kimono, sometimes removing the top portion entirely, thus exposing his belly. He would then take the tanto knife, its handle wrapped in clean white rice-paper, and place it against the left side of his lower abdomen. When ready, the samurai would insert the dagger into his belly and quickly slice across, from left to right, thus opening his abdomen. The cutting of the abdomen was considered significant, because in Buddhist tradition, the lower abdomen (called the hara in Buddhism) is the center of a person's consciousness. It was believed that cutting the hara would end a person's life quicker. After the initial cut, truly badass samurai would re-insert the tanto in their midsection and make a second cut, this time upwards, towards the sternum, creating a cross in their lower torso. This second cut was considered an act of the most sheer bravery, not only because it required an insane amount of stamina and strength, but because it allowed your innards to spill out. This more extreme form of seppuku was called jumonji giri.

Assisting the doomed would be a person known as the kaishakunin ('The Officer of Death'). It was the job of the kaishakunin to lop off the samurai's head after he had opened himself up.



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