The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-02-15
HOW TO COMMIT "HARl-KARI.u
How the DasmiOs of Japan Perform the
Happy Dispatch

how the Da-miOs of Japan Perform the
Happy Dispatch
a gentleman who had Travelled extens-
lively in Japan, in speaking with a reporter
recently, said: "Hari-kari, or the happy
oespatch,' is not committed by the japanese
on every trivial occasion, as many people
believe A japanese does not slaughter
himself on the front doorstep if the dinner
TO which he has teen invited is cold and
Ghe wines poor, as some writers would lead
one to suspect. On the contrary, the happy
despatch is a much esteemed privilege al
lowed to the aristocra"y only and only ex-
creased by them on special occasions and
with great ceremony. You see it is some
thing man can do but once, and not every
man that once, so when it is done it is done
well The privilege formerly belonged not
only to the DaimiOs but also to their fight
ing men, those two-swOrded fellows who cor
responded in the old japanese civilization
to the sword and buckler men who sur
rounded the barons of the middle ages.
when a Daimio coI1Raittsd hari-kari it
was considered the proper thing for his
fighting men to avail themselves of the
privilege of following his example When
he was defeated on the field of battle he lost
caste if he and all his two-sworded followers
did not Immediately perform the happy
dispatch In these days japanese only
commits hari-kari when he has committed
some offense of which the punishment is
death. Then he is sent 10 afticial 5sSter
intimating that it is about time he stepped
out. On receipt OF the letter he sets his
house in order, sends invitations to his
friends and performs the required opera
ton.
"a gentleman who was about to avail
himself of the privileges of his noble birth
sent me an invitation once and | went
There was a gOOd-sized company present,
and, after partaking of refreshments in the
house, we all went out into the garden
Seats were arranged for the company in
semi-circle around a mat placed close to
the walls of the building Rich screens hid
the place from the view of any curious
people who might be lurking in the neigh
borhood. All being seated the man who
was about to die stood on the mat and his
best friend with sharp sword in his hand
took his place beside him. Then salver,
on which was the hari-kari knife, was
handed to his eldest son, who, kneeling on one
knee, took the knife by the point and pre-
sented it to his father The father knelt on
both knees, and, grasping the knife with
both hands, made large cross-shaped cash
in his abdomen. Not content with this he
grasped the point in one hand and the
handle in the other and pressed it into his
throat. Then, quick as thought, the friends
sword flashed in the air and the Daimio was
beheaded. The happy dispatch had been
consummated | was quite cured of all
curiosity to see a hari-kari The man whom
I saw take his own life in this way was re-
garded as having put on great many
frills,' and it is considered quite sufficient If
the noble gentleman about to die merely
punctures himself with the hari- kari knife
and then permits his head to be taken off by
his friend New York Tribune.