Hara-kiri << HAR uh KIHR ee or HAH ruh KIHR ee >> is a method of suicide that is used by members of the Japanese warrior class, or samurai. In hara-kiri, the warrior cuts a gash in his abdomen according to a prescribed manner. An assistant then cuts off the warrior’s head from behind. The Japanese term this ceremonial rite seppuku.
During the feudal period in Japan, the samurai considered it a duty to sacrifice themselves through hara-kiri, rather than to submit to public disgrace (see Samurai). They performed the act as an ultimate gesture of loyalty to the lord or to a noble cause. Later, defeated commanders sometimes commited hara-kiri. Today, the custom is generally discredited and is viewed as a feudal relic.
