Seppuku - Andrew Rankin

The history of seppuku
-
Japanese ritual suicide by cutting
the stomach, sometimes referred to as hara-kiri
-
spans a millennium,
and came to be favored by samurai as an honorable form of death. Here,
for the first time in English, is a book that charts the history of
seppuku from ancient times to the twentieth century through a collection
of swashbuckling tales from history and literature. Author Andrew
Rankin takes us from the first recorded incident of seppuku, by the
goddess Aomi in the eighth century, through the "golden age" of seppuku
in the sixteenth century that includes the suicides of Shibata Katsuie,
Sen no Riky? and Toyotomi Hidetsugu, up to the seppuku of General Nogi
Maresuke in 1912.

Drawing on never-before-translated medieval
war tales, samurai clan documents, and execution handbooks, Rankin also
provides a fascinating look at the seppuku ritual itself, explaining
the correct protocol and etiquette for seppuku, different
stomach-cutting procedures, types of swords, attire, location, even what
kinds of refreshment should be served at the seppuku ceremony. The book
ends with a collection of quotations from authors and commentators down
through the centuries, summing up both the Japanese attitude toward
seppuku and foreigners' reactions:

"As for when to die,
make sure you are one step ahead of everyone else. Never pull back from
the brink. But be aware that there are times when you should die, and
times when you should not. Die at the right moment, and you will be a
hero. Die at the wrong moment, and you will die like a dog."
-
Izawa
Nagahide, The Warrior's Code, 1725

"We all
thought, 'These guys are some kind of nutcakes.'"
-
Jim Verdolini,
USS Randolph, describing
"Kamikaze" attack of March 11, 1945