The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-24
HARA KIRI IN JAPAN.
A Terrible Punishment Which Is Self
Inflicted.

The Sole Occasion Upon Which Foreign
ers Have Seen the Aot-The Chief Rea-
son Why japanese Adults or Children
Have No Fear of Death.
The act of hara kiri was witnessed only
once, SO far as records go, by foreigners.
1t was in February, 1868. The port of Hio-
go (Kobe) had been opened to foreigners,
when a party of Hizen troops passed
through on their way to Kioto. One of the
captains, Taxi Zenzamuro, gave orders to
fire on the foreigners, and, although very
little damage was done, the act was SO
wanton and unprovoked that prompt and
proportionate punishment Of the offender
was demanded, SO that these promiscuous
attacks upon peaceable foreigners might
cease. The government assented, and Taxi
was ordered to commit seppuku by the
emperor's command, and that there might
be no mistake representatives Of the for
eign powers were invited to be present at
the sickening drama.
The time was set for 1920 p M; the
place, the "hondo,' or main hall of the
Selftukni temple of Hiogo. Ito Shunske,
now his excellency Marquis Ito Hirobumi,
premier Of the cabinet, but then provision
al governor of Hiogo, had been ordered to
witness the punishment ON the part of the
governments. Altogether there were seven
kenshi, or witnesses, probably to CORE
spond in number with the foreigners de-
tailed to witness the act.
The general opinion prevails that the
man about to commit hara kiri dies by his
own hand. That Ia not SO. He is accompa-
MED by kaishaku, second, frequently
selected by himself for his skill with the
sword.
Taxi entered calmly and steadily, but
without any bravado, dressed in his robes
of ceremony, and after bowling respectful
ly to the kensh and foreign witnesses pro-
ceeded TO the mats covered with a rug of
scarlet felt, upon which he squatted in
respectful attitude, the knees and toes
touching the ground, but the body resting
upon the knees and slightly bending for
ward. He now declared that he alone was
responsible for the firing, speaking In a
steady tone. An assistant now brought a
tray, upon which rested a wakizahi, or
poniard, 9H inches long, pointed and
sharp as a razor. The condemned man
took the weapon, after causing his clothes
to drop to his waist, and, says an eyewit-
ness, "stabbing deeply below the waist on
the Left hand side, drew the dirk slowly
across to the right side, and, turning ii in
the wound, gave slight cut upward.
He now drew the dirk out and bent his
head forward, whereupon the kaishaku,
or second, who had been crouchng on his
left hand, brandished his sword, and at
one blow severed the head from the body.
IL was then Certified to by the kenshi, or
witnesses, and the horrible drama closed.
This peculiar modeof atonement became
part of the Japanese Judicial system under
the Ashukaga ra1e, the third dynasty of
shoguns 1880 1868 A. D. 1t was pxivi-
lege strictly reserved for the daimo and
their armed retainers, the samurai, and
generally took place at night, the place of
execution being either the yashih (baro-
NAL residenoe) or the adjoining garden,
according to the rank Of the sufferer.
When Iyeyasu founded the last dynasty Of
shoguns, the house of Tokugawa, pom
| derous code Of ceremonial was instituted,
and as the young samurai grew up it was
an essential part Of their education to be-
come familiar with ceremony In which
at any time they might be called upon to
take leading part. This accounts for the
courage and the contempt Of death which
characterize the official class Of Japanese
| today and which evoked the admiration
of the world in the Chinese Japanese war,
especially at the siege and capture Of Wei
Hai-Wd.
If a daimo fepdal lord) were guilty Of
conspiracy or rebellion, seppuku was the
| only means to avert confirmation and loss
of honor. II samurai wore guilty of a
crime, he was condemned to hara Hri,
and his clan might be punished unless he
forestalled his doom by the ultimate cere-
mony.
| If a samurai had been condemned, be
was delivered to one Of the feudal lords,
who had bean previously requested to sec
that the execution should, take place with
due decoruIn. Two tatami (thick mats
about 8 by feet, bound with white silk
were placed In the garden, one lengthwise
and the other at right angles, In the form
of hammer They were then covered
with white SILK 8 feet long and feel
broad, while bamboo poles were stuck il
the ground, also wrapped in white silk
from which curtains would be hung, SO al
to screen the condemned man from unin
vited eyes. In front Of the mats was
bamboo portal framed somewhat after the
| entrance to a temple. The whole was sur
rounded by a picket fsnco in which two
openings had been left. This fence was 81
feet square
The condemned man entered by thu
opening at the north, called the lumbar
mon, or ''door of the warm basin, ani
after bowling seated himself upon the maj
placed crosswise and facing north Their
were usually three kaishaku (seconds)
who entered by the entrance on the south
side, called shugyio mon, or door Of thu
practice Of virtue" The first OF, these kai
shaku crouohed at the cnlprit's left hand
prepared to decapitate the man who hat
called upon him for this Last act of kind
ness. And it shows the nerve Of the Jap
anese that in almost every case this mar
was bound by ties of kindred OF friend
ship to him who was about to die. TIL
duty of the second kaishaku was Less omi
nous He had to bring the tray with tn
dirk to be used in the dreadful act Thu
third kaishaku was to pick up the heat
after it had been severed from the bod,
and to show it to the officials representing