Why Seppuku?

May 6th, 2024 (6 months ago) • 2 minutes

Seppuku or Harakiri is the act of taking one's life that was considered honorable. I seen this a lot when I was watching the Shogun series.

Typically there are reasons why a person commit seppuku.

1. If he had lost a battle, he wants to avoid mistreatment by his captors avoid accusations of being a coward.
2. If he had committed a crime, it's more dignified to take his own life in private than to be executed in public, which is shameful.
3. Carrying out the practice of Junshi where a person would follow their lord to death as a way to show supreme loyalty.

I appreciate that this is a cultural thing and it's considered the highest form of honor that a Samurai can do. But I still find it hard to understand why a person would take his own life over something that can be resolved in a different way. For example, to live in remorse or to make amends for the wrong that he had done. Taking one's life is a permanent solution to a temporary problem which only makes it hard for your family and friends.

p.s The practice was eventually banned by the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1663 because it's better to keep the Samurai alive to fight another day.

I'm about to commit Seppuku on myself at work