The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-01-05
.HARAK|RI IN JAPAN.
How the Ceremonial SELF De-
SuuGdOl Was Performed.
METHOD FOR A DAIMlO
Etiquette Observed When Fel,daI
Baron or SamuraI Of Very
High Rank Had to Dis
patch Himself.

Literally harakiri is ''belly cutting, and
this is the expression in common use, but
kappuku, or. more usually seppuku. is the
word employed by persons of refinement,
the actual meaning, however. being the
same as harakiri, says Baron Suyemastu in
Nineteenth Century. Suppuku and kap-
puku are expressions coined from Chinese.
Seppuku was not only mode of self dis
patch, but was prescribed as form OF cap
ital punishment for all of samurai rank
No samural was ever to be beheaded or.
hanged.
Naturally under such conditions the act
of seppuku came to be invested with much
formality, and cases in which the most Ella
borate etiquette had to be strictly observed
were those whea daimie-i. e., feudal
baron or samurai of particularly high stand
ing-was called upon by the proper author
tiles to dispatch himself III this way in ex-
piation of some political .offense. A spe-
cial COM missioner was then sent from the
proper quarters to witness the due execu-
ton of the sentence. aud kaishakn-nin
was chosen 10 ASSIST the principal Kidding
himself of the burden of life. This person
was selected by the condemned from the
circle of his own immediate relatives,
friends or retainers, and the kai-shatku-
pins ofice was an honorable one, illas-
much as he was thereby privileged to ren-
der last service to his comrade or chief
There was always special apartment; or
pavilion prepared in which the ceremony
had to take place, a particular dress, de-
designed for use only on these melancholy
occasions. had to be worn, ard the dagger
or short sword was invariably placed be
fore the seat of the condemned on a clean
white tray, raised on legs, termed samho,
which in tIc ordinary way is o ltiaa -
wooden stand used for keeping sacrifices
offered to the gods or for some similar
solemn purposes.
The actual cutting open of the body was
not essential, a trifling in a horizontal line
six or seven inches or rarely in two lines
crossing each other-the more superficial
the better, as proof of light and skillful
touch-heing ordinarily made, followed by
deep cut in the throat. As rule, how
eyer, Immediately after making the incislon
! in the abdomen the condemned made a
slight movement of his disengaged left
hand and stretched his neck forward as
signs to the kai-shak d-nin to do his office,
perceiviug which, the latter, who stood by
| with his sword ready poised. instantly
struck off his principals head.
In Japan there is no need to speak di-
rectly of either harakIri or seppuku, asl the
euphemism ku sun, go-bu is often employed
literally nine inches and half. which
was the proper lenght of the dagger 4 be
used on these occasions. The weaponlwas
always wrapped IN some sheets of pure
white paper, only the extreme point being
exposed, and it was correct to hold it Vsheu
making an incision in the right hand, not
by the handle. but by the middle of the
paner wrapped blade. How to sit, how TO
bow to the spectators when about to COM
Imcnce the awful task, how to unfold rever-
emily the part of the clothing which covers
the upper part of the body. how to wrap
up the dagger and how to make the requis-
ite signal to the kai-shaku min were all mat
ters on which the utmost nicely was en-
ioined and were part of the instruction
which every samurai was obliged to receive
from the master of military ceremonies.
Harakiri, indeed, was to the samural mat
ter involving an appalling amount of cere-
mony.