Honor suicideHonor suicide is a type of suicide whereby a person kills themself to escape the shame of an action they consider immoral or dishonorable, such as having had extra-marital sexual affairs, partaking in a scandal, or suffering defeat in battle. It is distinguished from regular suicide in that the subject is actively deciding to either privately or publicly kill themself for the sake of restoring or protecting honor.
TantōA tantō (短刀, 'short blade') is a traditionally made Japanese knife (nihontō) that was 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 (tantojutsu) and in the seppuku suicide ritual.
BushidoMoral code of the samuraiA samurai in his armor in the 1860s. Hand-colored photograph by Felice BeatoBushidō (武士道; Japanese pronunciation:) is a samuraimoral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior, and lifestyle. Its origins date back to the Kamakura period, but the code was formalized in the Edo period (1603–1868). There are multiple types of bushido, which evolved significantly through history.
SamuraiThe samurai (侍) were members of the professional warrior class in pre-industrial Japan, who served as retainers to the lords. These men came from warrior families and trained from a young age in military arts through private instruction. Swordsmanship, archery, and horsemanship were the primary martial skills; and often in Japanese history, only samurai had the right to even possess these weapons.
Capital punishment in JapanCapital punishment is a legal penalty in Japan. The Penal Code of Japan and several laws list 14 capital crimes, though in practice it is applied only for aggravated murder. Executions are carried out by long drop hanging, and take place at one of the seven execution chambers located in major cities across the country. The only crime punishable by a mandatory death sentence is instigation of foreign aggression.
World War IIGlobal conflict from 1939 to 1945BelligerentsAlliesAxisCommanders and leadersMain Allied leaders: Joseph StalinFranklin D. RooseveltWinston ChurchillChiang Kai-shekMain Axis leaders: Adolf HitlerHirohitoBenito MussoliniCasualties and losses 60–75 million deaths (military and civilian) World War II, or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945), was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers.
Meiji eraThe Meiji era (明治時代, Meiji jidai) was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912.
KanjiKanji (; Japanese: 漢字, hiragana: かんじ, Katakana: カンジ, pronounced [kaɲꜜdʑi, kaɲ.-] , 'Han characters') are logographic Chinese characters, historically adapted from Chinese writing scripts, used in the writing of Japanese. They comprised a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used today, along with the subsequently derived syllabic (phonographic) scripts of hiragana and katakana.
Shōwa eraThe Shōwa era (昭和時代, Shōwa jidai; [ɕoːwadʑidai] ) was a period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989. It was preceded by the Taishō era and succeeded by the Heisei era.
DisembowelmentDisembowelment, disemboweling, evisceration, eviscerating or gutting is the removal of organs from the gastrointestinal tract (bowels or viscera), usually through an incision made across the abdominal area. Disembowelment is a standard routine operation during animal slaughter. In ancient Rome, disembowelment of animals was practiced for divination, and was known as haruspicy.Heian periodThe domain of notable clans in Japan (1183)LocationJapanLeadersEmperor Kanmu (781–806)Fujiwara no Yoshifusa (858–872)Fujiwara no Morozane (1075–1086)Emperor Antoku (1180-1185)Key eventsFujiwara clan rule starts (858)Fujiwara clan overthrown (1068)Taira no Kiyomori seizes power (1156)Battle of Dan-no-ura (1185)
Abdominal aortaIn human anatomy, the abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of the descending aorta (of the thorax).
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