Ritual suicide
Seppuku, or hara-kiri (pronounced HAR uh KIHR ee or HAH ruh KIHR ee), is a method of suicide used by 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. During Japan’s feudal period, the samurai considered it a duty to sacrifice themselves through seppuku, rather than to submit to public disgrace. They performed the act as an ultimate gesture of loyalty to the lord or to a noble cause. Later, defeated commanders sometimes committed seppuku. Today, the custom is generally discredited and is viewed as a feudal relic.