Seppuku
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Seppuku , also called harakiri , is a form of Japanese ritualistic suicide by disembowelment. It was originally reserved for samurai in their code of honour, but was also practised by other Japanese people during the Shōwa era to restore honour for themselves or for their families.
Staged seppuku with ritual attire and kaishaku, 1897
Samurai about to perform seppuku
A tantō prepared for seppuku
Samurai harakiri
Tantō
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A tantō is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ornate. Tantō were used in traditional martial arts. The term has seen a resurgence in the West since the 1980s as a point style of modern tactical knives, designed for piercing or stabbing.
Tantō Terasawa Sadamune, by Sadamune. Kamakura period. National Treasure. Tokyo National Museum.
Tantō ｍade by Soshu Yukimitsu. Kamakura period. National Treasure (top). Mounting for a tantō made by Soshu Yukimitsu. Edo period (bottom).
Tantō by Hyūga Masamune, 24.8 cm (9.8 in), unsigned, formerly in the possession of Ishida Mitsunari, who gave it to his brother-in-law; the tantō was stolen during the Battle of Sekigahara by Mizuno Katsushige, governor of Hyūga Province in the Kamakura period.